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How to Navigate Your Local Newspaper

Press releases are very important for rescue groups just like they are with other non-profit groups. And, like other non-profit groups, rescues can make many mistakes when sending press releases to a local newspaper. Releases get sent to the wrong editor or are addressed to an editor no longer working there.

That’s why it’s important, before you even begin to write a press release to familiarize yourself with your local paper. Read through a few editions to get a feel for who the editors and reporters are. Maybe there’s a reporter that writes a lot of animal stories. They could be a fellow animal lover which would make a great resource.

Generally, newsroom operations are overseen by a managing editor or editor-in-chief. Beneath this individual are the news, city, sports and lifestyle editors. And beneath these editors are the reporters for that section. Extraneous to this cycle are the photographers and copy editors.

Now this varies depending on the size of the newspaper. A larger metropolitan paper may have more editors, such as an executive editor above the managing editor along with editors for other sections such as Food, Business, and Editorial. A smaller paper may have even less editors. For example, the local news editor may also function as the managing editor.

Please keep this flow in mind. It’s important to make sure your release gets to the right editor. If you send your press release about your local adopt-a-thon to the sports editor, it will most likely get trashed.

Many PR novices think that the release will eventually get to the right person. Not necessarily. Reporters are very busy and generally don’t have time to pass around press releases in the newsroom.

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the local paper and written your press release, pick up the phone and call. Even if you have a good idea of who to send your release to, always call and ask to speak with the person. They may actually know of a better staff member who can help you. For example, a lifestyle editor might pass you on to one of his or her reporters. Also, that person may have moved to a different section or even left the paper. Plus, an actual phone conversation allows you to “sell” your piece to the paper, something e-mail has trouble translating.

Once you’ve found the right person ask how they want to receive it. They might want it mailed or faxed simply due to the volume of e-mail they receive. And ask if they want it in a particular format.

Then before you send your press release, read it over for spelling and grammar again. Reporters don’t like to spend time rewriting press releases.

And after you send in your press release, follow up on its progress. E-mails can and do get lost in reporters’ cluttered inboxes. And, big stories can push smaller stories out of the paper.

In this event, don’t hesitate to request that it go on the paper’s Web site, if they have one. It may not be as good as the actual paper edition but it’s still out there.

Continue to develop relationships with staff at your local newspaper. Reporters at local newspapers, particularly young ones fresh out of college, tend to move on to larger papers. Being able to navigate your local newspaper will help your group achieve press release success.