Local news outlets do better in the ratings when they spend more time covering communities and rely less on "video news reels" (or ready-made publicity tapes, also known as
VNRs.) This is according to a recent study from the Project for Excellence in Journalism, a think-tank affiliated with the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Lessons for
publicists? Carl Gottlieb, deputy director of the Project, says "don't send [news directors] shlock." Journalists and consumers know when a piece is obviously self-promotional, he
adds, and stations that run VNRs without editing them tend to produce lower-quality newscasts.
That's not to say if you're blatantly self-promotional local TV news won't bite. Hot new products, especially in the technology sector, tend to get snapped up by news
directors. You might also pitch topical ways your company is involved in community service. For example, if recent findings indicate a higher-than-average illiteracy rate in your
area, try suggesting your company's involvement with an after-school reading program. Gottlieb also cautions that local news is fast-paced and sandwiched between more commercials
than ever, so if your company is mentioned it will be fleeting. "The important thing to remember is the story won't be about you," he says. (Gottlieb, 202/293-7394, http://www.journalism.org)