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How do I pitch a splash pad story to local media?
Quick answer
Lead with a hook — a heat-wave, a new opening, an equity gap, an outbreak, a community win. Pitch the right reporter (city hall, parks, family beat) by name with a 3-paragraph email: news hook, why now, who you can connect them with. Include data and a quote-ready source.
Reporters get hundreds of pitches a week, so the angle matters more than the cause. Strong splash pad story hooks: heat-wave ER visits, a long-promised pad finally opening, an equity-mapping report, a Cryptosporidium outbreak, a council vote, a kid-with-disability access story, or an unusual community-fundraising win. Identify the right reporter — local-news outlets often have a city hall reporter, a parks-and-rec or environment reporter, and a family or features writer. Find their byline, email, and recent stories on the outlet's site. Pitch in 3 paragraphs: (1) a one-sentence hook with the news angle; (2) why this matters now and what the data says; (3) who you can connect them with — a parent, a parks director, an academic, a kid (with parental consent). Attach one image or data graphic. Follow up once after 48 hours, then move on.