Last week Karin Ronnow, Bozeman Daily Chronicle City Editor, shared her perspective on local news coverage. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle is the only local paper serving Bozeman's 30,000 residents, with daily editions featuring local, national and international news stories.

Q: What emphasis is placed upon local news at your newspaper?
A: "We are the source of local news for our readers and it is our primary focus. There are TV stations that operate in town but they are heavy on network feeds."

Q: How does your newsroom find out about local news?
A: "We have seven reporters, all of whom are responsible for finding out what's happening on their beat. We have a police scanner that is constantly on and we keep a running list of what is going on in the community. We are heavily reliant upon our readers and anyone who calls to give us ideas. We want people to call and tell us what is going on in their school, church and neighborhood."

Q: How much do you depend upon local businesses to alert you about what's going on with them?
A: "Press releases tend to be the way that businesses handle news. They are helpful if, for example, the company signed a gargantuan contract with the Department of Defense. But the one thing that businesses need to keep in mind during the process of both compiling and distributing their news is that this release contains their spin. We take the information in the press release and use it as a starting point."

Q: What advice do you have for a local business when they are submitting press releases?
A: "What I tell people is to concisely list the five W's: the who, what, where, when, why and how if they've got it. It is also helpful to include contact names and phone numbers of CFO's, Directors, etc. We aim to provide a well-rounded palate of information and allow the reader to draw their own conclusions. Businesses may, and often do, have other objectives. The more people we talk to, the less we feel controlled by the information we are fed by their press releases."

Q: Does having a local contact for a franchise or large multi-unit company influence whether you do a story?
A: "I will let you in on one of my pet peeves. When we call the local franchise after something happens there, they often say 'We can't comment. You have to go to corporate for a statement.' But I want to hear from the people in my local community. When I call the headquarters in Delaware, they have never been to Bozeman, they don't know the people who work here and they don't know the community. It would be smart if headquarters would just make a call to their franchisees to plot out what they can say to reporters."

Q: What criteria do you use to determine what makes a press release newsworthy?
A: "The longer you are in this business the more refined your sense becomes. Companies sometimes underestimate the strength of the stories from the people within. We do a lot of people stories. Human interest stories reflect well on the paper, the people featured, and the companies within the community. For example, we may do a story on someone who worked for a company for 40 years and is retiring or someone that had a personal situation and their fellow employees rallied to support them. We cover things like changes in ownership, events that have financial implications to stockholders, shoppers, creditors, and suppliers. Stories that affect people."

Q: Do awards, events and grand openings get pick-up?
A: "I know from the perspective of a business owner these events are landmarks. But for us, and the reader, the story is not about the guys with hardhats and shovels, it is about what they are building. We want our readers to know that the store is coming, that they've hired so and so to be their local manager and somebody else to be the general contractor, and this is who you should talk to in the next coming months. A story presented like that provides human contact, and not just a name on a plaque."

Co-sponsor a special event, such as a 10 kilometer race for the community. In the case of a large-scale event, there may be up to a dozen participating cosponsors.

A dual relationship is best for keeping the event manageable and maximizing focus on the partners. Thus, a joint promotion between your business and an athletic shoe store would be ideal for the 10K race, with you furnishing juice stations on race day and the store providing any special gear needed to mark and man the raceway course. Both partners contribute for trophies and prizes, which include racing shoes and a free product or service at your business.

A neighborhood newspaper, hometown weekly, or access cable, can cosponsor, with its name prominently displayed on race day. This guarantees local media coverage before and after the race.

Q: With so many local media outlets and mediums to choose from, how do I select the right news for the right media?

A: Different news calls for different news mediums. Let's say, for example, that you are holding a day-long, grand opening event. At this event you will feature substantial discounts, door prizes, a clown for the children and food for the adults. It may be appropriate to solicit the coverage of a local radio station. Call in the TV crews for a charity benefit event, such as a triathlon series sponsored by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation or a blood drive supported by the American Red Cross. If your news announces the achievements of a staff member or outlet within the community, the local periodical would be more suitable. When your outlet or organization receives an award with your industry, look to industry journals and business associations for news coverage.

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