When you prepare to speak to a group, one of the things you will instinctually do is figure out what is most important to them and address that topic. That, in terms of journalism and news coverage, is “finding the angle.”
To get the most media coverage and publicity for your engagement, you must take that a step further and find the “local angle.”
Look at it like rings in a tree. The outer ring is the universal message that everyone can relate to. The next smallest ring has a message that a more focused group can relate to. As you get closer to the heart of the message, the rings keep getting smaller because the “angle” is getting more focused. The audience you will deliver your message to will be the smallest ring, closest to the heart. The next larger ring will be each community you are trying to reach. National media deals with the largest rings of all while the local media is more concerned with the smaller ones.
Your local angle should have the ability to relate to the largest audience the LOCAL media covers. That can be an entire metro area or an entire county of individual rural towns.
Finding the local angle will involve going to the websites of the local media and seeing what the main stories they are covering for that community. And don’t forget to look at archived stories! Also remember that what the newspaper is covering may not match what the TV station is. Once you figure out what the “hot” topics are, your next step is to figure out how your message applies to those topics.
When attempting to get an interview with the local media, your best bet is to refer to those local hot topics FIRST and then work your “angle” into it. Find out who the reporter is that covered the story. Frequently there are “bylines” to the story in the newspaper and on television or on their websites, but not always. Call the newsroom and ask specifically for that reporter. Chances are if the topic is still hot, that reporter will be looking for new angle to it. Your job is to make that reporter believe that you are the answer to their problem.
Reporters are, with no better way to put it, arrogant creatures. They are intelligent and confident. The savviest publicists know how to make those reporters believe it was all their idea. As an example of one approach, the hot topic in a community is that a large factory has just shut down resulting in huge job losses. When calling the reporter, acknowledge that you know how busy they are in covering the shut down. Get them engaged in talking about that topic. If you are a life coach that will be speaking at a business luncheon, make the point of referring to that shut down, how it has impacted the community and how your message of success applies to community members during that trying time.
And remember! Local angle is not always about the negative. If the community is celebrating a success, such as their high school team winning a championship, you have the opportunity to talk about that success.
Another thought on local angle is giving each media outlet an “exclusive.” This does NOT mean you have to limit the interview to just one television station. This simply means that you will find a different local angle for each station. It absolutely will not hurt to tell a reporter that, yes, you talked to Channel 3 about how those who lost their jobs can find new ones, but for their station you would like to focus on how local government can attract new companies to the area.
Sometimes, knowing what local charities those stations are involved in can be enough of a local angle in itself. If one station does a big food drive every year, mention it! If another station does a toy drive at Christmas, mention it! The more you build up those stations or newspapers in YOUR story, the better.
While what you are wanting is coverage for YOU, keep in mind that, when attempting to get an interview or media coverage, it is NOT about you. Local media could care less about you and your ambition. Their focus is on the local community and providing the best information they can to them.
The bottom line is this…
Finding the local angle is all about instinct, but selling your message WITH a local angle takes skill that must be practiced over and over. And the more you do it, the better you will be.
