Understand That It’s Not Personal

Newsrooms receive dozens of pitches and advisories every single day. From charity fundraisers to grand openings, the list of potential stories is endless. The reality is that local news outlets don’t have unlimited crews and resources. They have to make judgment calls based on:

• What’s happening that day (breaking news almost always takes priority)

• Which stories fit their coverage goals and audience interests

• Which assignments are most practical to staff

If your event wasn’t selected, it doesn’t mean your story was unworthy. More often, it was simply a matter of limited bandwidth. Recognizing this helps you keep perspective and avoid unnecessary frustration.

Provide Your Own Video or Photos

One of the biggest missed opportunities I see is when PR professionals don’t gather their own visuals. You can dramatically increase the chance of coverage by providing photos or video clips after your event.

Tips to maximize usability:

• Shoot horizontal video rather than vertical. This format works best for broadcast.

• Capture short clips (10–20 seconds) showing the event atmosphere, speakers, or other highlights.

• Take a variety of still photos, including wide shots of the crowd and close-ups of key moments.

When you send these assets with your follow-up materials, you make it easy for an editor to create a short story without sending a crew. Some outlets even rely on contributed visuals for smaller community stories.

Note: newsrooms have different editorial processes and some may not use your assets, but many do. It can't hurt to send them anyway.

Send a Follow-Up Press Release

A media advisory letting journalists know about your event or news conference isn’t enough. After your event wraps up, send a full press release recapping what happened:

• What was announced or celebrated

• Who attended

• Key takeaways or milestones

• Notable quotes from organizers or participants

Attach your photos and video clips so everything is in one place. The easier you make it for a journalist to see the value and assemble the information, the better your odds of coverage.

Be Available for Follow-Ups

If a reporter or producer wants more information, you need to be ready to respond quickly. Always include up-to-date contact information in your release. If a journalist can’t reach you on deadline, they will move on.

Even if you don’t get immediate questions, stay alert for inquiries in the day or two after your follow-up release goes out. A timely reply could be the difference between no coverage and a story being published.

Ask for Feedback

If you have an established relationship with someone in the newsroom, consider reaching out politely to ask for feedback. Wait until at least the next day or two after your event, never during their newscasts or peak deadlines, and phrase your question respectfully.

You might say:

"Hi [Name], I know you had a lot going on this week, but I’d love to hear your input about why your team wasn't able to make it to our event. If you have any suggestions for making our future pitches more compelling, I’d really appreciate it."

Sometimes you’ll learn valuable insights about timing, framing, or how to improve your outreach in the future.

Use Your Owned Media Platforms

Just because the media didn’t cover your event doesn’t mean you can’t still generate impact. In fact, this is where your own channels become invaluable.

Consider posting your photos, videos, and a recap to:

• Your organization’s blog

• Social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X)

• Email newsletters

• Podcasts or video channels

This helps you reach your audience directly and often sparks engagement that can lead to new opportunities. In some cases, the reaction and conversation on social media become newsworthy in their own right, prompting outlets to circle back and cover the story later.

🎥 🗞️ ✅

Media coverage is never guaranteed, even with the best preparation and outreach. By understanding how newsrooms operate, proactively supplying your own content, staying available, and leveraging your owned media, you ensure that your event gets the visibility it deserves, no matter what ends up on air.

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