John Callow Community Development Director Murfreesboro, TN Working with the Press John Callow Community Development Director Murfreesboro, TN
Working with the Press Ten Suggestions
Promote, promote, promote Suggestion 1 Promote, promote, promote
Suggestion 1
Suggestion 2 Build a relationship with your reporter and your reporter’s assignment editor This is me getting some tips from my old boss.
relationship, your calls will be heard and turned into stories Suggestion 2 Once you build a relationship, your calls will be heard and turned into stories
Suggestion 3 Reporters are busy people: Make it easy on them - give them a hook
Suggestion 3
Suggestion 4 Help with photo suggestions – the ‘grip and grin’ doesn’t cut it Would this picture get you fired up?
Suggestion 4 Put faces on your story - Be prepared to be the facilitator
Suggestion 5
Suggestion 5 Press releases – keep them short Even though this one is only one page, it may be too long to attract attention.
Suggestion 6 Not all days are equal – there really are slow news days. Be ready to help.
Make yourself an expert Suggestion 7 Make yourself an expert Who knows more about what you know about than you?
Suggest ideas for editorials Suggestion 8 Suggest ideas for editorials
Suggestion 8 This could be you – make them take a good picture. – better yet contribute a guest column This could be you – make them take a good picture.
Suggestion 9 http://www.murfreesborotn.gov Use your city’s assets to tell the story http://www.murfreesborotn.gov
Suggestion 10 The Wayne Gretsky Principle
“Thanks for being here.” Suggestion 10 The Wayne Gretsky Principle “Thanks for being here.”