MEDIA PITCHING CORNER
Positive news coverage of credit unions not only promotes consumer awareness and education, but also benefits advocacy efforts by providing consistent messaging that is highly visible to elected officials and the constituents they represent. To earn positive coverage, you have to make the right pitch, though. The following are two ideas:

Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day might be an ideal time for pitching local media on your credit union’s promotion or events related to the holiday. A short news release and a phone call to your newspaper’s local news reporter should be enough for this pitch. Remember to have someone available for interview before you contact the media.

Income Tax Preparation
It’s never too early to start thinking about tax time. If you have special program or are offering a class for tax season assistance, send a news release or a pitch to local radio stations. Or consider sending tips on what people can do with their refunds or how they can minimize their refunds to your local newspaper.

The Public Affairs staff is here to assist you with all aspects of media pitching—from media rosters to drafting press releases.