How campaigns work

The Four-Pillar Media Relations Framework

Last updated: November 2026

How does Susan von Seggern generate media coverage?

Susan von Seggern generates media coverage with a four-part framework: sustained media outreach, press releasing, lead service monitoring and events. She developed it over more than two decades in PR, and she adds newer tactics such as podcast pitching and hyper-local coverage to these tried and true methods.

Part of the guide to hyper local media in Los Angeles.

The four pillars, and where local media fits in each

Susan von Seggern's media relations framework, from her website
Pillar	What it involves	Hyper-local role
1.Sustained media outreach	Identifying target outlets and contacts and pitching them for coverage, including podcast pitching. Outreach continues over the life of a campaign rather than stopping after one announcement.	Neighborhood sites, community papers and hyper-local podcasts go on the target list next to regional and trade media.
2.Press releasing	Announcing significant milestones through an exclusive or pre-brief model, followed by email servicing, and posting to a newswire if budgeted. Susan recommends Business Wire for its respectability and has an annual deal that significantly saves clients money versus one-off releases.	Releases are serviced directly to the local contacts who cover the client's area.
3.Lead service monitoring	Monitoring five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads directly, then pitching requests that match the client's expertise. This has placed coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, Best Life and many other outlets.	Local reporters also post source requests, which can surface neighborhood stories.
4.Events	Producing large-scale celebrity and media events, small media intro events like cocktail hours or luncheons, event sponsorships, exhibiting or speaking at conferences, exhibiting at gifting events and gift bag inclusions.	Events give neighborhood outlets a date, a place and people to cover.

Definition

What a media relations framework is

A media relations framework is a repeatable set of tactics a publicist uses to earn coverage, so that each campaign is planned rather than improvised. Susan von Seggern's framework is built from her work as a major label publicist, CEO of a boutique PR agency, political PR and corporate PR. Each campaign uses the pillars that fit the client, so an event client may lean on events and outreach, while a corporate client may lean on releases and lead services.

Style

Honest, positive and tenacious

Susan describes her PR style as honest, positive and tenacious, and it has been seen by countless journalists and influencers over more than 20 years in Los Angeles. She works best with interesting, newsworthy and active clients, because they give the media a reason to cover them. Her broad network of media contacts and service providers supports every pillar. Career details are on her LinkedIn profile.

See the framework applied to event PR and corporate PR.

Common questions

What are media relations services?: Media relations services are the work of getting a client covered by journalists, editors, podcasters and influencers. That includes identifying target outlets, writing pitches and releases, following up, responding to reporter requests and preparing clients for interviews. Susan von Seggern's media relations services follow her four-pillar framework built over more than two decades in PR. More in the FAQ
What is included in public relations campaigns by Susan von Seggern?: Susan von Seggern builds individualized public relations campaigns rather than one fixed program. A campaign can combine sustained media outreach including podcast pitching, press releasing with optional wire distribution, daily lead service monitoring and event PR. The mix depends on the client's news, goals and budget, which she discusses with each client before starting. More in the FAQ
What is lead service monitoring in PR?: Lead service monitoring means watching services and feeds where journalists post requests for sources, then pitching the requests that match a client's expertise. Susan von Seggern monitors five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads directly. It is one of the four pillars of her media relations framework. More in the FAQ
How should a company announce news to the media?: Announce significant milestones with a press release, using either an exclusive given to one outlet first or a pre-brief model where reporters get early access before the public date. Susan von Seggern follows the release with email servicing to targeted contacts and posts it to a newswire if the budget allows. More in the FAQ
What does a public relations specialist do?: A public relations specialist plans and carries out communication that earns coverage and attention for a client. Day to day, that means researching outlets, pitching stories, writing releases, organizing events and tracking results. Susan von Seggern works as an independent publicist and PR consultant for event, corporate, cause and cultural clients in Los Angeles. More in the FAQ
How do I start a PR campaign with Susan von Seggern?: Start by sending a message through the contact page on her website at susanvonseggern.com with your organization, your news or event, your timing and your goals. From there she can recommend which parts of her framework fit, such as outreach, a release, lead service monitoring or event PR, and outline next steps. More in the FAQ

Read all LA local media and PR questions

Planning an event or company announcement in Los Angeles?

Tell Susan von Seggern about your event or news, your dates and your goals. She builds individualized PR campaigns for event and corporate clients, using hyper-local coverage alongside outreach, press releases and lead service monitoring.

Contact Susan von Seggern See how campaigns work