1. Mail a media alert or press release two weeks prior to your event to: TV3 Winchester
c/o News Department
633 Millwood Ave.
Winchester, VA 22601


2. Make sure your press materials state the time, date and exact location of your event. If more than one event is taking place, give a time and description for each of them.

3. If you're writing to request that an individual be profiled, make sure you include as much as you can about his or her background and why you think he or she is newsworthy.

4. Keep in mind that television is a visual medium. Make sure your event is as visually interesting as possible. For example, "Four Hundred Children Deliver Birthday Card to Governor Tim Kaine" has a better chance of being covered than "Local School Writes to Governor."

5. If your event is less than a week away, you can fax your press materials to the news desk at (540) 504-0651 or submit the electronic form below.

6. Because more crews are working during the week, weekdays between 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. are usually a good time to schedule your event.

7. Since we lay out our plans each morning, we likely will not know if your event will be covered until the day of the event. Given the large volume of story ideas we receive, in most cases you will not be notified whether we plan to attend.

8. Coverage plans are always subject to change without notice in the event of “breaking news” or an emergency.

9. If you have a celebrity coming to your event, make sure you list a "window" of time they're expected to appear. For example, “Chevy Chase is expected to meet with students at the Boys and Girls Club from 2-3 p.m. “

10. Try to make your event topical. For example, if your event occurs around a holiday such as Thanksgiving or Kwanzaa, try to do something that connects your event to the holiday. Also if you can tie your event to the major news of the day, it increases your chances of getting coverage. While following all of the above suggestions will not guarantee that we’ll be able to cover your event, it will greatly improve your chances. We’re committed to showing as much going on in the northern Shenandoah Valley as possible, but we cover a lot of area with few people. Once thing is for certain, we can’t cover any event we don’t know about.

If you’d like to submit a story idea by Internet just fill out the form below. All personal information is kept strictly confidential. Ideas submitted here are thoroughly researched before determining their validity. You may be contacted by a reporter for more information.