DTL is a statewide effort, and the more reporting that news media around the state do about the initiative, the better. But Pennsylvania is a large state with lots of small cities and at last six distinct media markets. You can help us spread the word about this effort by contacting your local media outlets—newspapers, digital sites, radio and television sites.
How do you go about that? Well, if you know the name of a reporter in a given newsroom, contact him or her. Emails or Twitter handles are usually provided at the bottom or top of stories.
It never hurts to start with a compliment, so tell the reporter something about a recent story that you liked. Then ask for their advice on how to get coverage for an important reform effort that you are part of.
Be polite. Don’t demand that the person you’re talking to must do the story. Understand, reporters a) often have beats that determine what they do or b) need to get any story idea approved by an editor.
Just ask the reporter how you might go about getting that news outlet to cover an initiative you think is interesting and important. Explain how you’re involved and why you think it’s newsworthy.
If you don’t know the name of anyone at the news outlet, check the website for the name of a newsroom manager with the power to assign stories. At a newspaper, it’ll be something like city editor or managing editor. At a digital site, it might be managing producer. Bigger newsrooms might have someone serving as political editor. At a radio or TV station, your best contact is probably the news director.
Feel free to share any DTL materials you’ve received from us with journalists you contact. You can also point them to our website and our social media channels.