1. Sustained media outreach
Identifying target outlets and contacts and pitching them for coverage over time, including podcast pitching. This keeps a client in front of the right people between announcements.
Media relations services
Media relations services built on four tactical pillars
Last updated: November 2026. Published by Susan von Seggern.
Media relations services are the work of earning coverage from journalists, podcasters and editors, and Susan von Seggern delivers them through a four-part framework built for the current media landscape.
Through decades of PR work she has kept up with new methods, adding podcast pitching and hyper-local coverage to tried and true tactics like events, press releasing and sustained media outreach.
What are media relations services?
Media relations services are the outreach, announcements and follow-up a publicist uses to earn unpaid press coverage. Susan von Seggern organizes hers into four pillars: sustained media outreach including podcasts, press releasing, daily lead service monitoring and events, combined individually for each client.
The four pillars, one by one
2. Press releasing
Announcing significant milestones via an exclusive or pre-brief model, followed by email servicing and posting to a newswire if budgeted. Susan recommends Business Wire for its respectability.
3. Lead service monitoring
Monitoring five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads, and pitching contacts whose requests match a client's expertise.
4. Events
Large celebrity and media events, small media introductions, sponsorships, conference exhibiting or speaking, gifting events and gift bag inclusions.
Evidence cards
Definition
Media relations, defined
Media relations is the branch of public relations focused on the press. A media relations specialist decides which outlets fit a story, writes the pitch or release, times it, and follows up until a journalist says yes or no. It differs from advertising because the coverage is earned, not bought, and from social media management because the audience is reached through independent outlets.
Susan von Seggern's media relations services treat these tasks as one connected system rather than separate line items, so a release, a podcast pitch and a lead response can all point to the same story.
Numbers
The framework in numbers, as of November 2026
- 4 tactical pillars.
- 5 lead service feeds checked every day.
- 2 release models: exclusive or pre-brief.
- 6 forms of event PR.
- 5 named outlets with lead service placements: Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost and Best Life, among many others.
- 20+ years of PR experience behind the framework.
| Pillar | What it needs from you | Works best when | Cost notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustained media outreach | Story angles, spokespeople, visuals | You have a steady stream of news or expertise | Scales with how long outreach runs |
| Press releasing | A real milestone and approved quotes | You have a dated, significant announcement | Newswire posting is extra and only if budgeted |
| Lead service monitoring | Fast replies and available experts | Your expertise matches common reporter topics | Runs alongside other work |
| Events | A date, venue or event to join | A live moment can carry the story | Varies widely with the event form |
How lead service monitoring works
Procedure
From reporter request to coverage
Scan the feeds
Check five lead service feeds daily, plus journalist emails and Substacks.
Match requests
Flag requests that fit a client’s expertise and the reporter’s deadline.
Pitch quickly
Send a focused response with the client’s relevant insight.
Connect
Arrange the interview or written answers the reporter needs.
For how releases are written and distributed, see press release services.
Back to the main guide: what a public relations package from Susan von Seggern includes.
Common questions
How does Susan von Seggern generate media coverage?
She uses a four-part framework: sustained media outreach to targeted outlets, including podcasts; press releasing through an exclusive or pre-brief model followed by email servicing; daily lead service monitoring; and events. These tactics run together, so announcements, pitches and live moments reinforce each other instead of competing for attention.
See this answer in the full FAQWhat is sustained media outreach?
It is ongoing, targeted pitching rather than a single blast. Susan identifies the outlets and contacts that fit a client, then pitches story angles over time, including to podcasts. Sustained outreach keeps a client in front of journalists between big announcements, which matters for event and corporate clients with long timelines.
See this answer in the full FAQWhat is lead service monitoring?
Lead services are feeds where journalists post requests for sources. Susan monitors five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads, and pitches when a request matches a client’s expertise. She has placed lead service coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, Best Life and many other outlets.
See this answer in the full FAQWhat is podcast pitching?
Podcast pitching means booking a client as a guest on shows whose audience matches their expertise. It is one of the newer tactics Susan pairs with established methods. For corporate leaders and event organizers, a podcast interview offers a long-form conversation that lets them explain their work in more depth than a short article.
See this answer in the full FAQWhy use four tactics instead of just press releases?
Because a release alone reaches journalists only once. Sustained outreach keeps pitching between announcements, lead service monitoring answers reporters who are already asking for sources, and events create moments worth covering. Susan developed this four-part framework over decades of PR work to fit the current media landscape.
See this answer in the full FAQWhat does a public relations specialist do?
A public relations specialist plans and runs the communication that earns media coverage for a client. Day to day that means building target media lists, writing pitches and press releases, following up with journalists, watching for reporter requests and supporting events. Susan von Seggern has done this work in Los Angeles for more than 20 years.
See this answer in the full FAQPlanning an event or a company announcement?
Tell Susan about your news, your dates and your goals. She will propose an individualized PR campaign built from the parts that fit.