Holiday stories

‘Tis the season to tie your story ideas to the holidays. Here are some ideas to get you started.

–Media everywhere are looking for inexpensive, unusual gift ideas. If your product or service would make a good gift, suggest it as part of a “round-up” story focusing on several products. (Use the word “round-up” because it’s journalist lingo.)

–Friday is the official start of the holiday shopping season. Can you suggest tips that will make shopping safer and hassle-free, whether it’s at the local shopping mall or over the Internet?

–This time of year, many nonprofits are needed more than ever to help deal with an increasing number of drunken drivers, teen suicides, battered women, and families with empty cupboards. What’s your nonprofit doing to gear up for heavier demand during the holidays?

–In mid-December, the media will start doing stories on New Year’s resolutions. What tips can you offer to help people set realistic goals and keep them? Or do you think the holidays–complete with overspending, overworking and overeating–are a lousy time to make resolutions that stick? If you do, let the media know your contrarian viewpoint.

–Consumer debt is at record levels. How can consumers keep spending under control when those little pieces of plastic are oh-so-easy to use?

–Job-hunters often take a break during the holidays. Yet that’s one of the best times to look for a job because the competition isn’t as fierce. Offer tips on what job-hunters should be during the holidays to find that dream career.

Some of these story ideas are perfect for television. TV reporter Shawne Duperon says the month of December is one of the very best times to pitch stories. That’s because it follows the hectic November sweeps period, when TV news crews are exhausted. They’re eager to get back into the regular day-to-day grind, and they’re looking everywhere for ideas. Learn how to identify the important Queen Bee at your local TV station–the one who decides which stories get covered and which don’t. Then learn the best times to call, how to pitch, and how to make your idea irresistible. “How to Get on the Local TV News Tomorrow” shows you how. It’s available as a CD, cassette tape or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading in a few minutes.