How to find an angle for your story in the local newspaper

So, you know how radio and television are different, and you know who to pitch your story to. However, what you do not know is how to make your story one worth their time. If you want to get on the radio or television, you have to have something worth talking about. Talk show hosts, whether they are radio or TV, need their listeners and viewers to stay interested, so the topic has to be relevant.

If you need ideas, or angles for a story that will grab attention, look at your local newspaper. In TV and radio, many of the stories, and topics discussed are going to mirror what is in your morning newspaper. So, if you become a topic that mirrors this, you will get on the show a lot easier than someone else.

If you are trying to get on a new radio or news television show, you are going to have a great chance if you pitch your idea to them before their morning meeting. Every newsroom has one, and this meeting is going to have 10-20 people in it, and they are looking through the paper to determine what people are talking about that day. What is interesting to the general public?

If you have an idea of what they may be talking about during this meeting because you looked at the paper, and if you have a way to tie yourself into it, and offer yourself, there is a great chance you will be on the show. For example, if you read in the paper that more and more people are having their identity stolen, and you sell security systems, you could call a reporter and say, I have 5 tips for how to protect your home and identity. That morning when they are in their meeting, and they are talking about how bad getting your identity stolen is, the reporter is going to say, "Hey someone left me a message this morning, and they have tips for protecting your home and identity." This is going to spark interest, and they will likely call you.

So, you need to look at the morning paper. Find an angle, and then leave a message that says, "I saw in the paper this morning that. and I do this. and have 3 tips for ." The chance is they will jump at the chance because it is something their viewers and listeners will want to learn.

If you are trying to get on a show that plans several months in advance, you can still look for an angle in your local paper. You just want to look for trends instead of a current issue. For example, if the morning paper talks about a new gas station being built, and you own a car lot, look for a long term angle to look at. Instead of saying, "I saw that this gas station is being built and prices are really high, I have tips for how to get better gas mileage." You can say, "Gas prices are going up, and even with more stations going in, and more competition, they remain high. I have 5 tips for how to improve your gas mileage." You find a local angle, but you tie it into a national trend, and so, even if they book you for 3 months later, your story is still going to be more relevant than someone else.

Now that you have learned how to find an angle for your pitch, it is time to learn your role in the world of television and radio, and how to find that role.