Get to know the specialized reporters who fit. Note which general assignment reporters cover stories in your area and get to know them. Become familiar with feature writers, who could make your story more palatable to read for the average reader than many of the above. It's also useful to meet with the paper's editorial board who can look to you as a resource. Weeklies are great places for stories.
Communities usually support one weekly in the area more than the others.
Identify which that is and develop relationships with the people there. Weeklies have the reputation of being more beholden to advertisers than large papers are. The editor of the paper and a reporter are probably all you need to know. Few magazines have on-staff writers who do more than department notes. Most of the writing is done by freelancers.