Media Tips and Tricks

To find email addresses to send your press release to, visit websites of local, state, and national media sources (TV stations, radio broadcasters, online news, and newspapers) to get the names of journalists. Journalists will often include their email in their byline, and if not, they usually include it in their Twitter bio.
Remember that journalists are drowning in pitches! To get your story picked up, try to build a relationship with reporters.
- Use connections and personal ties with reporters when possible.
- Personalize your outreach. This can look something like “Hi there, I saw your recent coverage on [insert a recent piece] and found x,y,z to be interesting.”
- Don’t be afraid to DM reporters on Twitter! Many check their Twitter messages regularly and look there for leads.
- Follow-up is key. If you haven’t heard back after a few days, reach out again with a personal note or phone call.
When possible, determine which reporters in your target region cover civic/voting-related topics, and reach out to them directly with your press release. Reporters often ignore large BCC-style emails.

Journalists’ goal is to tell a great story that is relevant and newsworthy. How does your story meet their goals? Make sure you have a relevant hook.
Make your press release as helpful as possible! Be sure to provide some “Tweet this” links and calls to action. This makes it easy for reporters, viewers, and supporters to easily share your headlines and quotes.
Be specific about your plans for Vote Early Day.
- When and where is your event taking place?
- Can anyone join?
- What do you hope to accomplish?
- Tie in your community. Why is voting early important to your geographic or demographic group?
Be sure to include a call to action. This can include RSVP info for your celebration or a link to Vote Early Day’s online voter tool where people can find their options to vote early and make a plan to vote.
Include a high-quality image to make your content more visually engaging.