14 ways to reach the media

Having trouble getting the press’ attention? Be a first responder. Help reporters when there’s nothing in it for you. And rewrite that Twitter profile—even if you are a yoga-loving birdwatcher.

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There! You’ve written that pitch and uploaded that YouTube video about your new gizmo.

Now, how to get the attention of the press? Should you tweet reporters? Track them down on LinkedIn? Send an email? Pick up the phone?

For those who are having trouble figuring out how to get the attention of overworked reporters, a panel of journalists praised Twitter as an unobtrusive way to reach out.

In a discussion titled “Tweet me, link up with me, join my circle, or friend me on Facebook,” four journalists offered suggestions on how to get your big idea in front of them.

In some ways, it’s easier to reach a reporter or editor than ever, panelists say. But irrelevant tweets are no better than shot-gunning press releases to every media outlet in the English-speaking world. It still takes savvy to get journalists’ attention.

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