Getting Good Press
by Paul Randolph
April 1, 1999
During the Christmas holiday, our church was featured on the front page of Philadelphia's leading daily newspaper and two suburban papers. We also appeared on two network television stations' newscasts in the fourth largest media market in the country.
What's more, it took me less than 30 minutes to write and send a fax to nine local newsrooms to get the coverage.
"That must be a mega-church," you're thinking. Hardly. Our average attendance is under 200. What helps is knowing how news media work and how to get them to notice what you're doing. Here's what I've learned through my own educational background in broadcasting and from some media professionals.
What will not get coverage is sending a letter written in extended paragraph form two to four weeks prior to an event. This might get your event announced—in the newspaper's religion section or radio's community bulletin board—but it won't get your event covered.
To have your story reported, you need to understand how a newsroom works.
The inside story
With both TV and newspapers, the first person who decides what gets covered is the assignment editor. This person is the gatekeeper who determines where reporters and camera crews are sent. Then a producer or editor decides from these stories which will actually appear.
Whether they cover your church depends on many factors. Religion is low on the priority list of most newsrooms. Crime, fires, politics, international news, sports, and weather get top consideration. You have to know how to get your event noticed, or it will not stand a chance. This means:
1. Contact the assignment editor, by name if possible.
2. Keep it short. This individual has a demanding and stressful job. A TV newsroom will receive more than 40 phone ...
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