By Michelle Garceau – Director, Media Relations

The months leading up to a presidential election can be a challenging time to secure earned media coverage. While media does focus heavily on the election, this should not be a reason to hold off on your broadcast media outreach. Let’s be honest… aren’t politics always in the headlines these days, presidential election year or not?

Whether your story is related to the election, election-adjacent or unrelated, PR professionals may wonder if it is best to put their outreach efforts on hold until well after Election Day. Yet, with the right planning and strategy, your broadcast outreach campaign can be set up for success.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Be aware of the news environment. The months, weeks and days leading up to Election Day can be filled with some key newsworthy events. Keep them in mind as you plan and accept that breaking news is always a priority for reporters and producers. Be cognizant of the media’s needs during this time.

Be a planner and account for longer lead time than normal to work around any election-related news ensuring your outreach does not conflict with any key newsworthy campaign events.

Be connected and be local. If there is local information, find it and use it. Know what the key issues are, and if your client fits in that category, use the connection to garner interest. Reporters want something that is connected to the news of the day and relevant to their audience. Localizing your story helps drive coverage.

Be resourceful. Not every reporter covers politics. It’s important to utilize beat reporters. Dig deep to research reporters with a special interest or one who may have a personal connection to your topic.

Be flexible. As with any breaking news situation, be prepared to adapt to any situation. Things may change with a reporter, and you will need to accommodate to meet the needs of the media.

Finally, be strategic! The key to cutting through the campaign clutter is to partner with a team that specializes in broadcast, a team that is in constant contact with producers and reporters, have strong relationships, are nimble, and can adapt accordingly to secure coverage.