How to Grab the Media’s Attention By Laura S. Wharton Wharton Communications Having been on both sides of the editorial desk, I’ve learned more than a few tricks to getting attention from the media. Here’s a short list of ways to get attention from the media: 1. Be concise. Reporters and editors are generally short on time between deadlines. The best way to get your message across is to be concise in your writing and in your interviews. 2. Be real. Reporters on the whole are savvy and intelligent. Keep the fluff to a minimum, and promote the benefits of whatever you are selling or saying instead in an authentic way. 3. Keep the canned stuff in the can. If you are interviewed, offer meaningful insight with conviction and authority. Your opinion carries more weight than you might think, and in most instances will not damage your company’s reputation. 4. Share a “scoop” if you know one. If you are good at trend-spotting in your industry, you’ll be sought for more interviews and quotes. Reporters will treasure you as a resource if you feed them trends and scoops. 5. Have something to say. When I was the lifestyles editor of a regional daily newspaper, my in-box was flooded with press releases touting services or products. What caught my attention were real story ideas that were fresh and newsworthy. Newsworthy stories include: awards won, including projects awarded to service organizations new office location new hires, or big purchase orders community angles new product or new edition of an existing product charitable events and sizeable donations There are other topics, but these ideas will get you noticed.