The best way to make friends in the media is to offer them a unique story idea, related to a reporter's beat, with a strong local tie. Stumped about what's newsworthy beyond your annual show or trial? Below are some topics that might spur ideas about what to pitch.

Various Ideas

• Does your club provide opportunities for community involvement such as obedience training classes, visiting hospitals and/or senior citizens with therapy dogs, or hold match shows or field trials?
• Do you have any outstanding junior handlers in your club?
• Is your club involved in rescue? Does it have a separate non-profit foundation for fundraising to highlight? How many dogs has your club placed or saved?
• Has a rescued or adopted shelter dog gone on to win obedience, agility or field titles?
• Has a local dog done something heroic? Can you honor that dog, or nominate it for an AKC Humane Fund Award for Canine Excellence (ACE)? Learn more about the program here.
• What are your Canine Ambassadors doing? Hosting an assembly or running an art poster contest at a school?
• Has a member of your club been awarded a Community Achievement Award? If not, nominate them at: http://www.akc.org/pdfs/CAANominationForm.pdf
• Has your club donated gifts or time to local community groups, such as the public library?