Winning the interest of newspaper, magazine and television editors requires determination, persistence and patience... and, evidence that ones news is newsworthy.
Evidence of the newsworthy-ness will come in two ways:
- By the benefit of participation on traffic safety, with the potential to reduce ones crash risk (ala "spend 10 minutes that may save your life").
- By the study's results that have an impact on traffic safety, as derived from thousands of submitted near-miss reports. It will also be news in itself that so much traffic safety data was obtained directly from the driving public.
Your help is needed for the first type of evidence!
So far, the idea that a self-examination of near misses can increase ones safety consciousness when behind the wheel, while seeming logical, is only an hypothesis. It will only be "proven" by your testimonials, the type of evidence that can get news of this initiative reported in every media outlet in the country!
The best way to reveal this evidence to the media is directly from you, and from many of you! Simply tell them why you think more people should learn about the benefits that you have experienced... along with an offer to be interviewed about your participation. Editors envision stories around quotes, so be sure to give them something that would sound good in print.
Find an email address here (still coming)!
I will be making it easier for you, by supplying the "best" email contacts for all major city newspapers and relevant magazines (and ezines). When possible, choose your cities newspaper (and be sure to say that you live in their city!)
"Earning the public's trust in an idea often means stepping out on a limb, articulating the merits, energizing stakeholders, and breaking down barriers."
