First-place media pitching: tips on getting coverage in the news--first.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Author: Dean, Amy
• Date: 01 March 2013

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You grab a cup of coffee, sit down at your computer and point your browser to your favorite news website. Your eyes focus on the headline and your gut wrenches. Your competitor is lapping up the limelight. Then, your phone rings. It's the managing partner asking why your firm wasn't included in the story.

Most of us have experienced this scenario. Attorneys are some of the most competitive people on the planet. Winning is what wakes them up in the morning. One of the last things they want to see when they roll out of bed and reach for the newspaper is their competitor beating them at the media coverage game. And, let's face it. You want the media hits as badly as they do.

The desire to win will serve us all well in this highly competitive media market. Most media outlets have been stripped down to the bones. Thousands of companies are clamoring for the attention of a select few reporters who are covering multiple beats. Today, media relations is like being one of a million arrows trying to hit the same target at the...