News Local 12
Does your morning local news include a lot of violence or crime?
I live in San Antonio, TX, and it seems like every morning, I hear of something awful that happened overnight. This morning, they’re reporting that an old man got run over and killed, a mother was arrested for trying to stab her 12 year old son to death, a pizza delivery guy got beaten nearly to death, and there were 3 armed robberies of convenience stores.
And that’s a SLOW news day around here……….
lots of shootings and bodies in the river here
News Local 12
Want to get on the air? Try writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper!
Why? When I was a local radio and TV reporter, one of the newsroom daily duties was reading the Letters to the Editor sections of the area newspapers. It is a good place to find potential news sources, identify little-known local experts and get ideas for different story angles about the news of the day.
We liked to check the letters because it was clear a letter writer cared about a topic. After all, they took the time to write about it. You could also determine a little about their personality from how they expressed themselves and their ideas.
Perhaps the writer was an expert who disagreed with the expert quoted in a recent article or someone who had had a different experience from the one featured in a news report. Here they were going on the record in print with a particular opinion, a compliment or a criticism, offering new information or a new perspective.
Best of all, they put their name on it. Today, you often see an email address after their name where you could contact them. How easy is that? (Before the Internet, I would telephone every “John Brown” in the phone book looking for a particular letter writer.)
Will the editor print the letter you write? Maybe. Maybe not. Here are some tips: Read the letters section often to get a feel for what the editor publishes. Notice the structure, length and style of the letters and use that as a guide when you write.
Make your letter short, direct and catchy. Reference the article you agree or disagree with and briefly explain why. Show why you are “in the know” about this subject by including your background or experience with a simple sentence like, “In my 20 years delivering the mail,” or, “When I was a high school teacher in the 80s.” Add a missing fact, an unanswered question or give a quick anecdote that supports your point of view.
The editorial section is one of the most widely read and respected parts of a newspaper. You will be surprised how many people around town tell you they saw your letter. It is possible the newspaper may even call you for their next story on the topic. Local radio or TV stations may want to interview you or add your name to their contact list as an expert for future news stories.
Am I sure local radio or TV reporters will call, if your letter gets printed? No. Serious publicity-seekers would never make writing letters their only PR strategy. Still, getting your name in the paper could open doors in unexpected ways.
If you care about something in the news, want to add to the community’s understanding of an issue and/or want to do a little light-handed self-promotion, weigh in with your own ideas in your own words. Write a letter to the editor and see what happens.
Media Momentum Coach Janet Vasil uses her more than 25 years experience in news and information programming as a radio/TV Anchor, Reporter and Producer to help Women Entrepreneurs, Authors, Service Professionals and other Experts step into the spotlight, reach out to the media and profit from free publicity on-air and online.
For more information about how Janet’s consulting services can help you Get Seen, Get Heard and Get Results, visit http://www.YourMediaMoment.com
Why was Anna Townsend from Local 12 cincinatti news Fired?
I am very mad that Local 12 fired one of my most favorite new’s anchors. I really would like to know why they did. The company did not release a reason. The public needs to know, she did not deserve to be fired. Can anyone help?
She hasn’t commented on why she got fired and neither has that station,All that is known is that she’s been replaced by Liz Bonis.
Twilight meets local news
