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Getting Good Press

How the media can help you reach out.

1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Cor. 9:19-23

Media coverage has increased community awareness of our church in a way that religion-page announcements never accomplished. It's a great way to reach out. But to have your story reported, you need to understand how a newsroom works.

1. Get your event noticed. With both tv and newspapers, the first person who decides what gets covered is the assignment editor. Then a producer or editor decides from these stories which will actually appear. Here are several key steps:

  • Contact the assignment editor, by name if possible.

  • Keep it short. A two-page letter in paragraph form "goes right into the trash," according to one assignment editor. "I just don't have time to read it."

  • Send it a day or two before assignments are made.

  • A fax or e-mail is better than regular mail.

2. Format your fax. Send your fax on church letterhead, and lay out the most important information—who, what, when, where, why—in an uncluttered way. Include a single paragraph describing the ...

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