The media also realize this fact and traditionally publish stories on and around the summer holidays, providing a great opportunity for Myth Stoppers to promote beef. Media outlets usually designate specific people to cover holiday-related activities. It is important to present your story ideas to that person. Food, style, and weekend reporters traditionally will cover the holiday season, emphasizing their coverage on unique story ideas. Reporters are just like us - they want to get their work done, so they can enjoy the holiday, too.
Reporters are notorious for writing holiday stories two weeks prior to the event.
Make sure you contact the reporter early enough before he or she has already finished writing the story. For example, 77.9 million pounds of beef are consumed on Memorial Day, as compared to 62.2 million pounds on the average day. Compare the weight of beef consumed to a large object in your town, such as the weight of a fire truck or a statue in your town square. It's corny, but history dictates that the media love light story ideas around the summer holidays. The following chart shows percent of consumers expressing concern about beef issues.