• Learn to read your newspaper with eyes of a media pro. Familiarize yourself with names and styles of reporters who regularly write about topics where news about your business might fit in. Remember, most reporters have “beats,” which means they are basically writing about same topics over and over. You won’t see many automotive columnists writing pharmaceutical stories.

• Adjust any negative, self-defeating attitudes you might be harboring about coverage in small community newspapers. All time, I hear people say they don’t want to waste their time pursuing media coverage in small newspapers. “Nobody reads them,” they say. But, this is wrong! As Richard Laermer, powerhouse PR exec says in his book, Full Frontal PR: “The big secret is that most journalists read small news outlets to find great stories before they hit mainsteam. Do you think,” asks Laermer, “that these reporters dream up all those stories on their own?” In fact, community journalism is big business in cities and towns all over country. The best evidence is sky-high cost of advertising in these newspapers. It isn’t cheap – which is a sure sign that people are reading these newspapers. Getting media coverage is not a snap, but it is far from impossible, if you deal with realities and go from there.