The four-pillar media relations framework
Published by Susan von SeggernLast updated November 2026
What are media relations services?
Media relations services are the work of earning coverage from journalists, and Susan von Seggern delivers them through four pillars: sustained media outreach, press releasing, lead service monitoring, and events.
She developed the framework over decades of PR work while keeping up with new trends and methods. Hyper-local coverage and podcast pitching are not separate pillars; they run through the pillars, especially sustained outreach and events.
Pillars
The four pillars, in her words
- Sustained media outreach: identifying target outlets and contacts and pitching for coverage, including podcast pitching.
- Press releasing: announcing significant milestones via an exclusive or pre-brief model, followed by email servicing, and posting releases to a newswire if budgeted. She recommends Business Wire and has an annual deal with it that significantly saves clients money compared with one-off releases.
- Lead service monitoring:monitoring five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads, then pitching contacts whose interests match a client's expertise. Placements include Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, and Best Life.
- Events: large celebrity and media events, small media intro events, sponsorships, conference exhibiting or speaking, gifting events, and gift bag inclusions.
Comparison
Which pillar does what for event and corporate clients
| Pillar | For event clients | For corporate clients | Hyper-local role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustained outreach | Previews, lineup stories, calendars | Ongoing story pitching, podcasts | Neighborhood outlets on the list |
| Press releasing | Announcements, calls for participation | Milestones via exclusive or pre-brief, Business Wire | Datelines and place detail |
| Lead service monitoring | Organizer or talent as sources | Executives and experts as sources | Mostly national reach |
| Events | The event is the story | Media luncheons, sponsorships, conferences | Strongest local hook |
Read the deeper guides for event PR and corporate PR, or return to the hyper local PR Los Angeles guide.
Campaigns
What are public relations campaigns built from?
Public relations campaigns are built from a goal, a story, and a mix of tactics over a set period. In Susan's practice, campaigns are individualized: the four pillars are weighted to the client. A festival leans on events and outreach; a tech company launch leans on press releasing and lead services. Her site does not list fixed packages or prices.
FAQ
Framework questions
- What are Susan von Seggern's four PR pillars?
- Her media relations framework has four tactical pillars: sustained media outreach, which includes podcast pitching; press releasing through an exclusive or pre-brief model followed by email servicing and optional wire posting; lead service monitoring of five feeds daily plus journalist emails and Substacks; and events, from large media events to gift bag inclusions.
- How does lead service monitoring work?
- Susan monitors five lead service feeds every day, plus emails and Substacks from journalists who are looking for sources directly. When a request matches a client’s expertise, she pitches that contact. She has placed lead service coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, Best Life, and many other outlets.
- What is the exclusive or pre-brief press release model?
- It is a way of announcing a significant milestone. In an exclusive, one outlet gets the story first. In a pre-brief, selected journalists get the news ahead of release under agreed timing. Susan follows either approach with email servicing to media contacts and, if budgeted, posting the release to a newswire.
- How much does a newswire press release cost?
- Wire prices vary by service, word count, and distribution, so check the wire’s own rate card. Susan recommends Business Wire for its respectability and holds an annual deal with it that she says significantly saves her clients money compared with one-off releases through Business Wire or other wires. Wire posting is optional and used only if budgeted.
- Is there a public relations package I can buy?
- Susan builds individualized PR campaigns rather than selling one fixed package, and no package pricing is published. A campaign can combine her four tactical pillars, sustained media outreach, press releasing, lead service monitoring, and events, with podcast pitching and hyper-local coverage, in whatever mix fits the client.
- What raises or lowers the cost of a PR campaign?
- Generally, cost rises with the number of tactics, the length of sustained outreach, the size of the target media list, newswire distribution, and event production. It falls when a campaign is focused on one milestone or one audience. Because Susan’s campaigns are individualized, the fastest way to a real number is describing your goal on her contact page.
Planning an event or a company announcement?
Tell Susan von Seggern what you are launching, where, and when. She builds individualized campaigns, with event and corporate clients first.