How to Get Local Media Coverage (and Use Local Radio as Your Training Ground)

If you're building a brand, local media coverage is the most underrated opportunity you have. Local newspapers, radio stations, TV morning shows and community sites are hungry for local stories and far easier to reach than national outlets. They're also the best place to practise. Here's how to get local coverage, and how to use local radio as your training ground for bigger stages.

This guide is part of our PR strategy playbook.

Why start local

• Easier to land. Local outlets need a steady stream of local stories and guests.
• Lower pressure. You can make mistakes, learn and improve without a national audience watching.
• Real business impact. For a local business, the local audience is your customer base.
• A springboard. Local clips build credibility with producers at bigger outlets.

Use local radio as your media training ground

Before you aim for national TV, approach your local radio station. Radio interviews are conversational, forgiving and often longer than TV hits, which makes them ideal practice.

Here's the part most people skip: after the interview, ask the producer for feedback. How was your pacing? Were your answers too long? Was your message clear? Producers hear hundreds of guests; a few minutes of their honest input is better than most paid media training. Refine your delivery, go again, then move up to TV. When you're ready, read how to prepare for your first TV interview.

Step 1: Map your local media

Make a list for your city and region:

Outlet type	Who to contact
Talk and news radio	Producer of the morning or afternoon show
Music radio with local segments	Community or morning show producer
Local TV morning and news shows	Assignment desk or segment producer
Daily newspaper	Reporter on your beat (business, food, tech, community)
Community and neighbourhood papers	Editor
City lifestyle magazines and sites	Editor or contributor
Local podcasts and newsletters	Host
Campus and multicultural media	Station or program manager

Listen to or read each outlet for a week. Note the segments that could fit you.

Step 2: Find your local angle

Local media covers local impact. Strong angles:

• A local business solving a local problem
• Jobs, expansion or investment in the area
• A community event, fundraiser or free workshop
• Local data ("our survey of 200 local shoppers found…")
• Expert commentary on a national story, localized ("what the interest-rate change means for Calgary small businesses")
• Seasonal tie-ins: winter driving, tax season, holidays, back to school, Stampede

Step 3: Pitch the right way

Keep it short and specific:

Subject: Calgary founder on why local shops are switching back to radio ads

Hi [Name], I noticed your segment on [topic] last week. I run [company], a Calgary [descriptor], and we're seeing [trend] with local businesses. I can share three practical tips for your listeners and am available [times]. Happy to send background.

Follow up once. If there's real news, include a press release below your pitch.

Step 4: Nail the interview

• Prepare three key messages and return to them.
• Keep answers short: aim for 20–30 seconds on radio.
• Use stories and one strong number, not jargon.
• Mention your website once, naturally, near the end.
• Be early, whether by phone or in studio.
• Send a thank-you and offer to return as a resource.

Step 5: Turn coverage into momentum

• Post the clip or article and tag the outlet and host.
• Add it to your website's press page (what that page needs).
• Use "as heard on" or "as seen in" in sales materials, with permission where appropriate.
• Pitch the next outlet, referencing your recent appearance.

Over time, a string of local appearances builds exactly the kind of track record that makes you credible to investors (what they'll find when they search you) and to national media.

Earned and paid: using both

Earned local coverage and paid local advertising reinforce each other. Listeners who heard you interviewed respond better to your ad, and your ad makes your name familiar when a producer is choosing guests. Our guide to radio advertising in Canada shows how to plan paid radio that complements your PR.

For more on building authority, read 13 personal branding mistakes to avoid and how to publish thought leadership.