It might seem like what your local media is looking for is something of a guessing game… Do they want tension-rich stories with emotional weight? Or something light, happy, maybe even a bit silly? Honestly, it’s simpler than that.
Local media outlets are looking for entertainment and information that will benefit their audience. This means unique stories about people and events in the community, services or products that are relevant to them, or experts who have a local connection to a news story.
Still unsure whether or how you fit in to that criteria? Think broadly about this question: Is there a trend, story, or event taking place in your community about which you have a particular expertise or perspective? In the same way that national news networks cover events and stories impacting the nation, local outlets look for stories that impact their audience—and they’ll need people in their communities to speak expertly on how those issues affect that audience.
So what can you speak on that would benefit your community? Are you a seasoned financial planner who can help break down what these headlines mean for your community? Or a teacher who can speak on the experience of budget cuts in the education sector?
Whatever your expertise & skills, bring them to the table and leverage them to add benefit to your community at large! Then, when you have the airtime, you can bring up your book. Win-win, right?
It really is that simple. Know what you’re good at, then show the people! You’ve got this.
