Approaching the Media

APPROACHING THE MEDIA—TABLE OF CONTENTS

•	Where Do You Start	•	Story Pitch Check List
•	The Story Pitch	•	Media Contact Log Form
•	Sample Pitch Letter	•	Sample News Release
•	Sample Telephone Pitch	•	Sample Biography

WHERE DO YOU START?

Here’s some PR information from our friends at the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Before you begin approaching local media outlets and pitching stories, you’ll need to develop a media list which contains all pertinent information about the print and broadcast media in your community and the specific editor(s) at each location who are most receptive to cosmetic dentistry-related information.

When you’re creating your initial media list, the best way to identify the most appropriate editors to whom to send your materials is to call the outlet and talk to the person directly.

The media outlets on your list (and for which you can find basic information from either the Yellow Pages or your local library’s media files and reference guides) should include:

Newspapers:

Dailies
Weeklies (suburban and community)
Special audience newspapers (parenting, minority, ethnic, etc.)

Magazines:

Monthly city/metro magazines
Special audience magazines

Television:

Local network affiliates
Local cable networks
Local independent stations

Radio:

Local news and talk show programs

Generally, newsrooms at print or broadcast media are overseen by editors who are responsible for deciding which stories are going to be covered and assigning specific reporters to those stories. The title for these editors, depending on the size of the operation, may be Senior Editor, Managing Editor, Assistant Editor, News Editor, etc.

If the publication or radio or television station is large enough, there may be department editors who oversee particular areas of coverage; in the case of cosmetic dentistry, these may be health or beauty editors.

When you’re creating your initial media list, the best way to identify the most appropriate editors to whom to send your materials is to call the outlet and talk to the person directly.

Some of the editor titles you should contact include:

Newspapers/magazines:

Managing Editor
Feature Editor/Writer
Beauty Editor/Writer
Health Editor/Writer

Television/cable:

News Assignment Editor/Desk
Beauty Segment/Program Producer or Writer
Health Segment/Program Producer or Writer
Talk Show Hosts

Radio:

News Director
Talk Show/Call-in Hosts
Program Director
Health/Medical/Beauty Writer

Note: Because there is a high rate of turnover in the media, the editor and reporter names on your media list should periodically be verified and updated to ensure that your materials are reaching the right people.

Continue to: The Story Pitch