What's in store for this edition:
When you have news, but you’re not sure how to share it.
News to Share?
Do you have big, truly newsworthy news and aren’t sure what to do next?
Are you wondering how to get interviewed or covered by the media?
Always start by making your pitch about the audience.
Don’t make it about your company or even the reporter. Focus on why the viewers or readers should care.
Pitch Messaging
Figure out the main story you want to tell about your event that will interest reporters and your audience. I tend to think more about the audience first: What is going to move them? Why is this good timing for them?
When writing a pitch I always ask myself:
“So what? Why should anyone care right now about this?”
If you can’t answer either it’s not newsworthy, not the right time, or needs a bit of reworking.
Here’s an example:
A weak pitch: “We’re a nonprofit with a fundraising event in December for a worthy cause.”
Why it doesn’t work: The reader hears, “Another fundraiser asking for money”
A strong pitch: “Last year, supporters helped raise $17 million for ovarian cancer research—funding breakthroughs that helped hundreds of women. Join us this September to push new treatments forward and help even more moms.”
💫ProTip: Write two versions of your pitch and ask, “Which one would I support?”
Soundbites
Soundbites are those succinct, memorable lines that contain emotion or insight.
Create a sound bite that can be used in your pitches and something reporters would love to use.
Example: “There’s no routine screening for ovarian cancer, that’s why awareness is our first line of defense.”
Give them something to show
TV needs visuals. What can you offer that’s interesting to watch besides a talking head? What do you have that is interesting visually for the viewers?
Ideas for visuals:
A busy factory floor
An active classroom
Someone breaking ground on a new building
Volunteers busy preparing for a fundraiser
Heads being shaved for cancer research
Candy being made for a community fair
Ice cream being scooped for national ice cream day
The ideas are up to you!
Reporters will love you more if you have good shots ready for them.
Press Kit Development
Press Kits make a reporter’s life much easier, that’s why we love them. If you make a reporters life easier, they’ll more likely want to work with you again, and who doesn’t want that?
What should a press kit contain?
Press Release of the event or announcement
Background on company’s history, including milestones, and biographies
Fact Sheets with essential statistics, company details, and event specifications
High-resolution, professional photos of key participants, venues, and previous events (300 dpi minimum)
Contact information of your organization’s press contact that includes email and phone number, making it easily available
Branded graphics, logos, and promotional materials for quick access
Video content for broadcast media (B-roll footage)
Timeline
Begin promotion 3-5 weeks before the event for optimal media planning cycles. Give yourself and reporters plenty of time. I like to create a detailed countdown schedule with key milestones and deadlines so I can be organized. Give it a try!
Remember 3 things:
Have your timely hook that puts audience first
Give reporters visuals and quotable line, and
Have the press kit clean, fresh and clear.
Do these three things well and you’ll be doing press interviews very soon!
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”
Do this now: Define your story by writing one simple sentence that explains why this event matters now and to whom it affects.
Term to Learn
Newswire is a wire service company that distributes press releases directly to journalists. Wire services are also known as press release feeds or press release distribution services. Unless you are a major corporation or are distributing mandatory financial news you likely don’t need this service.
FAQ
Q: What is going to make the biggest difference for getting event coverage?
A: Your hook! That’s why the readers/viewers will care, it’s your message perfected and designed to catch the attention of your target audience. Next in line for making a difference is a killer written pitch, that is sent to the correct reporters.
Get PR techniques from recent news.
Newsworthy
Beer and Ice Cream
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Do you want to keep your brand on the minds of your audience or potential audience?Fresh, fun and smart collaborations are great way to stay culturally relevant with new audiences.
Everyone “splitting the G”, a recent viral trend, shows that younger generations are engaging with Guinness in fun ways. This collaboration between Guinness and Van Leeuwen is a smart way to keep Guinness and ice cream on the minds of consumers. I mean, now I want a Beer Float, and I don’t even drink beer!
Essential strategy:
Joint press release is essential for collaborations
Marketing, social media and public relations departments should all be involved
High quality images are non negotiable
Get creative and make it visually interesting, unique, fun
Useful PR Resources.
🧰 TOOLKIT
Chat GTP-5
ChatGPT‑5 is OpenAI’s newest, smartest version of ChatGPT—built to think more deeply, write more clearly, and deliver more reliable answers across tasks from coding to comms. It routes between fast and deep reasoning automatically, reduces hallucinations, and adds useful touches like preset personalities and improved voice—making it easier for marketers and PR pros to draft pitches, sharpen messaging, and research angles in minutes. For Attention Seeker readers, that means faster ideation, better first drafts, and a more trustworthy AI partner for strategy, content, and client deliverables.
The description above is from Chat GTP-5 when I gave this prompt:
Write me a one-sentence opening introduction about Chat GPT-5 for the readers of my www.attnseek.com newsletter. I will feature you in my toolkit. You can follow up with one or two sentences explaining more about how my readers could use or benefit. Do you have any questions?
Still loving those em-dashes I see. 😂
How do you use Chat GTP? Have you tried 5 yet?
Attention Seekers of the Week
Kittys are running for mayor of bike path in Sommerville, Ma. Dogs, birds and a snake have even entered the race. They are all attention seekers if you ask me, cute ones at least!
School’s starting for many. Lots of parents are celebrating this week. What about you?
Until next week, keep your shades on and stay cool.
Your fellow Seeker,
Keren
🕶️
