Another Example Why Local Media Matters
Filtering different calls that come our way for projects I find myself many times feeling like a ‘broken record’. But as we see in a national story that broke loose here in Seattle the PR mantra for years that we have said still rings true, “local media mixed with national media can make for a huge snowball of media play”.
With all the huge talk about ‘Tweets’ and ‘Facebook’ we have said for the past year you still need to contact local reporters who are in place for local media. Producers of national media outlets , while they all have Tweet’s and Facebook still sift through local headlines and track stories. Again, that is just another form or medium to contact them through.
The case this week rings loud and clear with the four policemen gunned down at a local storefront here in Seattle, WA.
Why would a shooting at a local storefront really matter? Aren’t there shootings every day in local cities across America. Sure. There are a few reasons why this story became national news, but the point still is worth pointing out. Local news CAN get national play if the conditions are right.
I also caught the same story tonight on Evening news here: MSNBC and another here: Fox News.
Sadly, in cases like the WA shooter, it is often the tragic stories that get picked up. But it doesn’t have to be. Positive local stories go national every day. It just takes more strategic effort. So, what local stories are you making? What local reporters blog conversations are you entering into to become their local expert? With newsrooms turning news literally ever 7 minutes in some cases and short staffed…now is a great time to enter the race and make media happen.
