Press Release Writing/Pitching

The Brief

Arizona Department of Child Safety needed media coverage for National Family Reunification Month, but faced a significant challenge: government agencies struggle to generate compelling news stories, and child welfare topics often focus on negative angles (abuse, removals, failures). The goal: secure positive TV news coverage that highlights AZDCS's family reunification work and educates the public about their efforts.

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My Strategy

Rather than leading with bureaucratic messaging about policy or statistics, I connected AZDCS's work to something already capturing public attention. Key strategic decisions:

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• Pop culture hook: Opened with a reference to "Tracker," a current CBS TV series about a man who reunites families—giving journalists an immediate, timely news peg and visual storytelling angle.

• Reframing the narrative: Positioned AZDCS locators as real-life versions of a TV hero, transforming perception from "government agency" to "determined investigators on a mission."

• Intrigue over information: Led with the most compelling, cinematic elements (working with CIA, Interpol, international searches) rather than typical government accomplishments.

• Proof through stories: Included three highly specific, dramatic success stories that sound like movie plots—kidnapped Kuwaiti children, refugees reunited across continents, celebrity connection.

• Scale demonstration: Mentioned "300 cases" to show the magnitude of their work without drowning the pitch in statistics.

• Easy access: Made it effortless for journalists with clear interview opportunities and story angles already outlined

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Results​

• Multiple local TV segments secured - The pitch successfully generated coverage across several local television stations, transforming a typically ignored government agency into compelling human-interest stories.

• Narrative reframing achieved: Successfully repositioned AZDCS from a bureaucratic child welfare agency to skilled investigators performing dramatic family reunifications.

• Public education impact: Reached broad audiences through TV coverage, educating the community about AZDCS's reunification efforts during National Family Reunification Month.