Your unique passion can get press that matters

Getting in the press has never been easier. You can literally create your own website tomorrow, write or talk about what’s going on in the world, and declare yourself part of the press. These low barriers to entry mean that getting press that actually makes a difference is harder than ever.

There are many factors to getting media coverage that achieves real outcomes. Two of the most important are knowing what makes you come alive – your passion – and how to turn that passion into a unique voice in the crowded media space. Our founder recently interviewed a Washington Post columnist, a former presidential speechwriter, and a former CNN campaign reporter about how they turned unique passion into long-standing media careers.

If your time is short, below are the key details about their unique passions, and our four tips to find the right outlets for your unique passion.

Big Mama, GOP politics, and the right contacts

Michelle Singletary is the award-winning personal finance columnist for The Washington Post. She’s a TV show host and the author of four books. But her passion started with “Big Mama,” the financially wise grandmother who raised her. She says her passion is “helping people become better stewards over their finances,” and that her uniqueness comes because she’s “not writing for the industry,” but rather “for real people.”

David Frum is a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush. His passion is the direction of the country, which is why he left the GOP establishment after the Bush years. What made him unique at the time was being an intra-party critic – before such critics became a cottage industry. Today, Frum is the author of 10 books and an Atlantic columnist. He said the best way to get good press is to “Find something that nobody’s talking about. Research the hell out of it. Then write on it.”

Chris Moody travels the country in an RV with his wife. He rose through the ranks of political reporters before getting laid off from CNN in 2018. He now makes a full-time income writing freelance articles for outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post. His passion is politics, and what makes him unique is an excellent network of long-standing contacts. He covered the 2012 election for Yahoo News because he “built a number of contacts” in GOP and conservative circles which were highly valued. Today, people with whom he used to swap tips and get drinks are the editors to whom he sends stories.

Turning your unique passion into great press

What makes you come alive that nobody else has solved or is talking about? Once you know that, get the best press by finding media outlets which:

• Are trusted by your target markets.
• Don’t already have the solution you’re offering.
• Have the tone and style you want for your brand.
• Are the right medium for you – the written word, podcasts, radio, TV, etc.

Making a difference through the press may take time and patience. Singletary didn’t get her first TV show until her column was almost 15 years old, and two of her most prominent awards have come in the last two years – more than 25 years after starting her column. Moody started at The Daily Caller, a then-new conservative outlet. He ended his traditional career as a senior CNN reporter, and today continues to publish with the nation’s top news outlets.

You can get the press you want to make the difference that’s important to you. Start with your unique passion.