How to Get a Story on the Local News (for the Right Reasons)

Local press coverage isn’t just for big brands—small businesses can get a story on the local news and reap the rewards that come with positive local publicity. To report a story to the local news, submit a great press release to land local press coverage for your brand and capture the interest of journalists and the public alike. Identify local media outlets and craft the perfect query. Then, pitch your story and build relationships with journalists.

Getting a story on the local news can mean thousands of dollars’ worth of free exposure. Professional writing and distribution give you a higher chance of landing local press coverage. The best service for this is Newswire, which provides the ability to target local press by location.

Visit Newswire

1. Write Your Press Release to Get on the News

The most critical piece of any press release is the angle. Before you begin writing, find a newsworthy angle based on your type of press release, then craft your story around that. Start with a draft of your general concept, write a headline that hints at the angle without giving it all away, then fine-tune it by putting the most compelling information at the forefront (or start of) your press release to hook the journalist early.

If you need a little help coming up with story angles that people will find interesting, use the visual keyword research tool, AnswerThePublic. It tells you what people are talking about online, giving you insights to create great content ideas. You can also look at our article on press release examples with dozens of real-world examples for inspiration and ideas.

When writing your press release, include a release date and the city, state, and date of your news story, along with your announcement. You also want to be sure to use the most objective language possible and end with contact information and a clear call to action. For more information as to what to include, check out our guide on how to write a press release.

Learn more about the key elements that should be in every press release and get a free template in our guide on the press release format and template. If writing isn’t your forte, let the pros write press releases on your behalf.

2. Find Local Media Outlets

After writing your press release, the next step to get local press coverage, and hopefully get your story on the news, is to identify which local media outlets (e.g., newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, and websites) would be the best to send your story to. Compile a list of relevant media outlets until you have a fairly sizable number of contacts.

If you don’t have the time to research and weed through local media outlets, or if you want local and national coverage, use a press release distribution service like eReleases instead. In addition to distributing your release to major news wires and outlets, eReleases can send your news directly to the email inboxes of local news editors and journalists.

Here are the different types of outlets to look for in your area:

• Local print coverage: Get a read on what sort of news the local press is covering by looking at coverage and news titles in your area. A good starting point is the U.S. Newspaper List (USNPL), which lists newspapers by state and city. But also consider local city newspapers, city, ZIP code, and neighborhood-based magazines, such as the N2 Publishing group. Other media outlets might include educational publications and community-centric publications, such as your local Chamber of Commerce and other business directories.
• Local radio stations: Discover all of the radio stations in your area using the free radio locator tool. It links to each station’s website, where you can find contact information. In addition to organic radio coverage, consider radio advertising.
• Local television stations: News stations need local-interest stories for their programming. Every major network has a local affiliate with its own website and contact information. Look up the television station’s local website and visit its contact page. To get a list of your local channels, go to the TV Guide site, click the “Customize my listings” link, and enter your ZIP code.
• Local websites: Local websites include blogs, digital news sites, and even Facebook groups dedicated to posting news and announcements relative to specific locations. One of the biggest online networks for local news stories is Patch Network, with individual websites for several hundred neighborhoods and cities.

Additionally, make sure your business has a solid online presence with a great business website and listings on all relevant online directories, like a Google Business Profile, Yelp listing, and so on. To help you manage your directory listing, use a top brand reputation management company like Hibu and find more ways to increase your local brand presence using local search engine optimization (SEO) tools.

3. Identify the Right Local Media Contacts

Now that you have a list of the print media, news stations, and websites you want to cover your story, it’s time to find local press to contact with your pitch. Remember—reporters report news, and the more newsworthy your piece is to that reporter, the more likely you will get picked up.

One way to identify the right press contacts is to find journalists who regularly cover similar stories. Then, locate their direct email addresses by reviewing the publication or their social media profiles, using email finders to find direct email addresses or by calling the media outlet to request the information.

When you want to get a story on the local news, here are six ways to find a journalist’s contact information:

• Review published articles: Most publications offer author or journalist bios where authors often provide additional information about them, such as email and social media contact info.
• Find contact info with SignalHire: SignalHire is a Google Chrome plugin that finds email addresses and phone numbers for contacts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
• Discover email addresses with Hunter.io: Hunter is a free email tool in which you input the company website where your target journalist works, and it finds the journalist’s email address for you.
• Connect via LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the leading social networking platform for professionals, and it is a great way to connect with a reporter or journalist, whether you use an email finder or connect organically.
• Publish through Prowly: Prowly is a paid platform where you can generate press releases and get access to a database of over 1 million media contacts. There you can build a contact list and pitch your story to the media, all from within the platform.
• Call the local media outlet: When online research doesn’t work, try calling each local press outlet and asking for the information directly.

4. Craft Your Email Query (aka Pitch)

Now it’s time to send your press release, which includes coming up with a compelling local press coverage pitch. Like any other type of business introduction email, your email query (or pitch) serves to introduce yourself, your business, and your press release. It should concisely tell the recipient why they should be interested in your press release and how to get more information.

Here are the four elements your pitch should include:

• Personalized greeting: Tailor-fit each pitch for the contact, such as personalizing the message for a specific journalist who covers the subject area of your story.
• Eye-catching subject line: Pitches sent via email must include an intriguing subject line if you want them to get opened. It should indicate what the email is about and interest the recipient enough to open it to learn more. For help, use SubjectLine’s free subject line grader to ensure your subject will entice journalists to open your email.
• Body copy with pertinent information: This should be personalized to each journalist by answering the following questions: Why should the recipient (and their audience) be interested? What are the key points? Why do they need to act fast? And where can they get more info?
• Press release: A pitch needs to include your press release, and it’s best to include it in multiple ways. For example, you may attach it as well as paste it below your email. If you’re using Google Docs or published your press release to your website, you can also include a link to it online.

Lastly, keep it concise. Even small-town journalists may get dozens, if not hundreds, of pitches every week. So while your pitch needs to be thorough, it should also be short—ideally 200 words or less. It should also be easy to scan, such as answering the pertinent questions above in a bullet point list.

5. Pitch Your News Story by Email & Follow Up

Now it’s time to send your email. Be sure to pitch your release early enough to ensure journalists have time to process it and either air or publish it. Then, follow up to ensure your email doesn’t get buried. Take this follow-up as an opportunity to check if journalists have all they need to run the story by inviting any questions they have about your news story.

Here are the general timelines on when to pitch your press release by outlet type:

• Television and radio: Send your email seven days prior to your release date.
• Newspapers: Pitch your story two to three weeks beforehand.
• Magazines: Pitch your release three to six months before the release date.

Once you have sent your press release, wait three to five days, and if you haven’t received a response, send a courtesy follow-up email. If your press release is time-sensitive, send a follow-up before the release time to pull it to the top of your recipient’s inbox so they can cover the story in time. This helps journalists stay on top of that deadline, which can be helpful to them.

6. Respond to Journalists

Ideally, you will hear from journalists after sending them the pitch and press release for your local news story. When you do, reply promptly, identify what they want to discuss, and practice for an interview if necessary.

Journalists often have a specific angle they want to approach and will be looking for answers to a series of questions. Try to get this information upfront so you can be prepared when they call or email. Here are a few tips for responding to journalists:

• Ask what they want to discuss: If the journalist requests an interview, ask for a list of questions so you can think about them beforehand and prep for the interview to best represent your story and brand.
• Prepare your answers: Using the questions that the journalist has, jot down your responses. It’s also worth considering any other potential questions they may ask and preparing answers for those as well to avoid getting caught off guard.
• Practice beforehand: Take the time to run through your answers before your interview. Reading your answers out loud can help you work out any kinks and become more comfortable with answering the questions.

Remember that journalists often have limited time to collect the information they need. Make sure your pitch, as well as your interview answers, are insightful but concise.

7. Cultivate Relationships With Local Press Contacts

Once you’ve provided a quality local news story to a journalist, bolster your chances of future exposure by cultivating mutually beneficial relationships. Thank them for running your story and find ways to help them further their goals. Here are five ways to build mutually beneficial relationships with local journalists:

• Say thank you: Once your story has aired on a local news network or been published, call each journalist who gave you press coverage and thank them personally. Simply remind them of your story and thank them for considering and publishing it. Answer any questions that arise afterward and offer to be a resource for future stories.
• Connect on social media: Most journalists list social media handles in their author bios. These are the preferred social channels by which they want people to connect with them. Follow or send them a connect request.
• Engage with their content: Once you’ve followed or connected with key journalists on their preferred social media channels, help them by sharing, liking, and commenting on their social media posts and local news stories when it feels authentic to do so.
• Facilitate introductions: If you see your key journalist is covering a story series, for example, and you know contacts who can speak to their next piece on the topic, offer to connect the journalist to your contact (with your contact’s permission).
• Provide quality stories: Finally, go back to step one and repeat this process in the future to offer journalists quality local news stories their audiences will value.

Press Release Tips for Landing Local Coverage

There are many different events in the life of a business that could be press release-worthy, but there is no guarantee that every story will be picked up by local journalists. Follow these tips to increase the likelihood that your announcements will earn you additional media coverage and get more exposure for your brand.

• Promote upcoming events: Many business announcements come in advance (or on the heels of) major events. Find out how to write a release for your event using our free event press release template and step-by-step instructions.
• Turn bad news into something positive: Knowing how to write a crisis press release can ensure your company doesn’t get hurt when you have bad news to share.
• Get attention with new hires: Bringing in a big name or adding a top-level exec to your business is a great way to land local press coverage. Learn how in our guide and free new hire press release template.
• Use video: A video press release is a great choice for executive insights or interviews, testimonials, case study summaries, celebrating milestones, sharing your brand’s story, or offering a sneak peek with a how-to overview of a new product or service. It’s also super-easy for journalists to embed into their own stories, and video produces far more online shares and engagement than other types of content.

What Journalists Want in a Press Release

While ultimately getting local press coverage can land you more customers, the main audience for your press release is the journalists you hope will cover your story. By tailoring your press release to an audience of editors and reporters, you’re working the best angle for how to get on the news.

Here are a few things editors and publishers are looking for in a press release:

• Error-free copy: Editors prize stories that are publication-ready, which includes being free from typos and grammatical errors. Check spelling and police your work for any punctuation errors, and use an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered grammar checker like Grammarly to improve your copy and ensure it is error-free.
• Covers all the bases, quickly: A press release should capture the five Ws—who, what, when, where, and why—of the story you’re trying to tell. It should be concise and free from superfluous details.
• Includes quotes: If you read a magazine article or a newspaper story, chances are you’ll see quotes. Make sure you incorporate quotes from key figures in your press release. This humanizes your story, gives editors and writers someone to point to for who said what, and helps local media create more engaging copy.
• Written in the third-person: When writing your press release, refer to yourself and your company in the third person. There is no place for “I,” “we,” or “our” in a media-ready press release. Instead, refer to your company by name or as “the company,” and refer to individuals in the company by first and last name on first use, then last name on later reference. Remember: the company is announcing something—“we” are not.
• Free from kitschy writing: Your company has a personality, and while that personality is an important part of your brand, your press release isn’t the place to showcase it. Write in a formal, fact-based voice, and avoid being cute or overly informal. You don’t want to be boring, but at the same time, you don’t want an editor to discard your release because it sounds more like a radio commercial than a news story.
• Includes photos or graphics: Adding visuals makes it easier for journalists to cover your announcement, which in turn improves your chances of landing local press coverage. For example, if you’re announcing a new location, attach a mock-up or architectural rendering. For a promotion, send a headshot of the newly promoted staffer.

Finally, remember this axiom: To an editor or publisher, the best press release is one they don’t have to touch. It’s written like a news story that they can simply copy, paste, and publish verbatim without much editing or proofing. This will help ensure your press release gets picked up by publications both online and in print and helps grow your brand presence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get the local news to cover my story?

How do I get my story out there?

What kind of business stories get local press coverage?

Bottom Line

Learning how to get a story on the local news is a worthwhile investment of your time that can yield great rewards. Businesses that get publicity increase their exposure and generate more sales. Best of all, press coverage is free, so unlike other forms of marketing and advertising needed to produce similar results, there’s little to no financial investment. To supercharge your exposure and land guaranteed placements, use a PR distribution service like Newswire.

Visit Newswire