How to Get a Story About You or YOUR ORGANIZATION in USA Today

I am often asked by clients to target USA Today for media coverage, and with justification: USA Today coverage might have a significant effect on businesses and organizations. Here's why:

1. Circulation of USA Today: USA Today may be the largest U.S. daily newspaper, with a Monday through Thursday circulation of over two million, and a Friday circulation of 2.7 million.

2. Additional Media Coverage Resulting from a tale in USA Today: Many media outlets -- TV in particular -- follow USA Today stories closely and do TV segments based on USA Today articles. So, if you're featured in USA Today, there's a good chance you'll receive coverage in other media outlets.

What are USA Today journalists searching for?

Here are some tips:

1. Visit the hot news story. Sometimes, there' read more that the news headlines is focusing on heavily (Hurricane Katrina, the Runaway Bride, etc.). Many times t here are ways for your business to tie in to the news of your day, which is virtually all the media really wants to cover. For example, Hurricane Katrina is a hot news story during this writing. In a USA Today story on gas prices related to Hurricane Katrina, your small business, gasbuddy.com, was quoted. In check here related to the financial impact of Katrina, a small business, Stone & Youngberg, a company that deals in municipal securities, was included as a source.

2. Tie your organization or organization into a current trend. USA Today rarely profiles individual businesses or organizations. However they will often include you in a larger trend story. For instance, if you make diamonds for babies, you may not get your personal business profile, but you may be included in a larger trend story about companies offering "Baby Bling," in accordance with Lifestyle Editor Kim Willis.

3. Offer several sources, notes Small Business Reporter Jim Hopkins. You could have an excellent trend idea, but whether it's hard for the reporters to find sources, the story idea may die. Offering sources is one method to make the story happen -- and you will control the names you give.

So if you are looking for great media coverage, consider focusing on USA Today.

Copyright 2008 - Margie Fisher

Margie Fisher, President of Zable Fisher Public Relations, is the author of the Do-It-Yourself PR Kit. For more info on the Kit, the Pay for Results Publicity Program, also to join the complimentary PRactical P.R. newsletter,