You don't need a press shop or a big name to make news. You need a story a reporter can actually use — and the nerve to send it.
Reporters are busy and understaffed. Make their job easy: a clear hook, a real local angle, a quotable line, and everything they need in the first three sentences. Tie your news to something already in the cycle and you've doubled your odds.
Then build the relationship. Send the tip even when it isn't about you. Be the source who's useful, not the candidate who's needy. Earned media is a long game — and it's free.