Navigating Your Local Newspaper

So, you've written a press release for your group's fundraising event and you're ready to send it off. But wait! Do you know how to get it through to your local newspaper, as well as read. I've worked for a national news organization as an intern and as a copy editor for a community paper; a lot of press releases go unread and wind up in the circular file. If you're lucky, your event is buried in that week's listing of special events in the area.

How do you make certain your press release is read by the right people? For starters, make sure it reaches the right editor or reporter. You do NOT want to send your release to the editor in chief; he or she will be too busy overseeing that week's news cycle to care about your press release. Unless your event is somehow sports related, you don't want it to wind up on the desk of the sports editor. Again, it will most likely wind up in the circular file.

So, what to do?

Research the staff at your local paper. Find out who the appropriate editor is for your release. Look at their website. You might also ask the PR person at your local shelter who they send their releases to (although, it's possible their press releases are going to the wrong people as well).

And don't simply pick a name and e-mail from the paper's website. It's quite common for reporters to leave or switch beats before the contact list is updated. Call your local paper and speak with the receptionist. Tell them who your organization is, who you are and what your release is about. More than likely they'll be able to point you in the right direction. And they may even get you in contact with a specific reporter or editor. If you're really lucky they may even know someone on the staff who loves animals or even works in rescue.

While technology has given us many advances, I think it's too easy to simply shoot off an e-mail without actually speaking to a human being. The action of contacting your local paper by phone will speak volumes about your organization.

Once your release is in the right hands, stay in contact with the reporter. Always respond as soon as humanly possible to any questions; reporters often have tight deadlines.

And keep in touch with your contacts even after the press release is run. You want to maintain a positive relationship with the newspaper. After all, it's free publicity and sometimes we in the rescue community need all the free help we can get!