How to Contact Media
It is important to share ACPeds’ resources and other information to the media in order to reach a larger audience as well as potential new members. If you are comfortable working with the media, there are a number of ways to help ACpeds receive media coverage.
Submit an opinion article to your local newspaper
Print and online news outlets will usually publish opinion pieces from local readers. Letters to the editor are usually 200-250 words, and opinion editorials are usually longer, running around 500-800 words. It is important to check word limits with each specific outlet before submitting your article, as limits vary.
Drafting the letter or op-ed
Work with ACPeds staff member Rachel Sink to draft your piece. You can request Rachel put together a first draft for you to use as a starting point, or draft the piece initially on your own. ACPeds staff will be happy to offer feedback on your draft if you wish.
There may also be times an ACPeds staff member will reach out to you to suggest a topic that is a good fit for an opinion article, and may ask you to author or sign a piece.
If ACPeds has written the initial draft, please make sure to edit the piece accordingly so that it is personalized and you are in agreement with all content.
Submitting the letter to the editor (200-250 words) or op-ed (500-800 words)
Letter to the editor
Check the relevant outlet’s opinion page. Many outlets have a submission form page for letters to the editor. In the submission form, copy-paste your letter and fill out the relevant additional information, including name, address, and phone number.
*Note: if there is a submission form, ACPeds staff will be more than happy to submit the letter on your behalf. Simply email the final letter, along with the preferred outlet, address, and phone number to admin@acpeds.org. If the letter needs to be emailed, we kindly request you send the email yourself.
If the outlet does not have a dedicated form, there is typically an email address dedicated to receiving letters from readers. You can send an email with the letter copied and pasted into the body of the email. Do not send a letter as an attachment, as this may result in your submission being sent to a spam folder. This email address can usually be found in the opinion / letters to the editor section, or on the “contact us” page. If there is not a dedicated email address, email the letter directly to the opinion editor. You can find the opinion editor’s information in the “contact us” section.
Here is a template you could use:
To whom it may concern:
I am submitting a letter to the editor for consideration to be published in [OUTLET NAME]. The letter discusses [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TOPIC].
Thank you for your consideration.
[FULL NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER]
[COPY AND PASTE THE ENTIRE LETTER AT THE BOTTOM]
Opinion Editorial
Opinion editorials, or op-eds, will need to be sent directly to the opinion editor of your preferred outlet. It is important to only send an op-ed to ONE outlet, rather than multiple outlets in your region. Many outlets will not run an op-ed that has been previously published in another newspaper.
Simply copy and paste the op-ed into the body of an email and send it directly to the opinion editor. If you have a preferred headshot, please also attach the headshot along with the opinion article. You can also attach the op-ed, as long as it is saved as a PDF.
Here is a template you could use:
Dear [EDITOR NAME]:
I am submitting an op-ed for consideration to be published in [OUTLET NAME]. The article discusses [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TOPIC].
Thank you for your consideration.
[FULL NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER]
[COPY AND PASTE ENTIRE OP-ED AT BOTTOM]
Following Submission
After you have submitted your letter or op-ed, it is possible an editor at the outlet will call you directly to confirm the piece. This is not common, but it is good to be prepared for a call.
In the weeks following submission, be sure to monitor the outlet to look for publication of your piece. If after two weeks, your piece is not published, you can call the editor directly to inquire if and when it will be published, or you can re-submit the article using the same methods as previously mentioned.
Be sure to monitor the outlets you have submitted to, and share any publication with ACPeds staff.
Share a press release with your local news outlet
[INSERT IMAGE] Announcement, newspaper headline
ACPeds will send out press releases on new position statements and other trending news on a regular basis. These press releases are sent to a large number of national and industry and trade outlets.
Local outlets are more likely to run a piece if there is a local tie. This means if they receive a press release from a member of their community rather than ACPeds staff, there is a higher likelihood of publication.
Submitting a press release
Most outlets have an email dedicated to receiving news. These email addresses are general, often news@outlet.com or releases@outlet.com. You can find these email addresses on your local outlets’ “contact us” page.
Simply attach the press release (in PDF version) to your email, and copy and paste it into the body of the email as well. You may also want to include a brief note before the press release.
Here is a template you could use:
Dear [EDITOR NAME]:
I am sharing with you a press release from the national organization, American College of Pediatricians, of which I am a member.
Thank you for your consideration.
[FULL NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER]
Following submission
If you are comfortable, you can call the newsroom directly to ask them if they received the press release and have any questions. The newsroom will receive many press releases and this process brings further attention to your email.
Be sure to monitor the outlets you have submitted to, and share any publication with ACPeds staff.
Note: To convert a word document into a PDF, simply click File → Save As (or Save a Copy) → and in the file format drop down menu, choose “PDF)