My thought was to suggest that in the world of "traditional media" (ie, not online) we collectively focus on local outlets -- local magazines, newspapers, radio, tv. (see this page.)
The idea was that it is very tough to get in national media just by a letter or email, no matter how compelling. But local media are always looking for material, especially if there is a local story attached (ex, an installation at a local school, a fund raising party, etc). You can call the editor of the local TV news, probably; whereas the odds of getting an editor at CBS on the phone are slim, unless you already know them.
Any thoughts?