Large news organizations have many employees who perform many specialized jobs. But when it comes to increasing your visibility in the media, the key contacts you need to know are reporters and editors.

Reporters

Reporters are responsible for coming up with story ideas, researching them and interviewing, for them and writing the stories in an interesting way. They are often assigned a beat?a field or subject on which to report, such as Politics, Entertainment or Health. Some media outlets may even have a Youth beat. If there isn't one, take note of who usually covers youth-related issues?perhaps the reporters on the City, Education or Social Issues beat.

In most newsrooms, reporters are given story ideas by their assigning editors. They're expected to follow up the idea by identifying and contacting sources and doing background research.

Reporters are also open to suggestions for story ideas from readers, viewers or other sources. Journalists always want to beat other news outlets to a good story, so they're particularly interested in new ideas or unexplored angles.

Editors

Editors are the gatekeepers who have the power to decide which stories are newsworthy and which are not.

Editors oversee reporters, and they're responsible for the content of the newspaper or news show. It's their job to keep track of what's being covered, and how.

Most newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations have assigning editors who assign story ideas to reporters. They often determine what angle reporters should take, and even who they should interview.

Editors also evaluate what their reporters write, and have the power to approve it before it gets published or goes on the air.