If you want the media’s attention, give away donuts

The Peoria Journal Star’s Steve Tarter has an article about how the local Lester Donut’s chain has closed all but one of its stores, and is not selling anything at it’s lcat store, but is only giving donuts away one at a time.

First: I am sorry to see any local business going out of business. Well, not really. There are SOME local businesses I’d like to see ridden out of town on a rail, with its owners and managers covered in hot tar and chicken feathers. But Lester’s Donuts is not one of them.

Second: The media picks and chooses which “local business looks like it MAY close” story to report. About a year ago, I was trying to get ANY local media outlet to report that my then employer — for the former SVI Media — had changed hands yet again and they they were outsourcing their call center to the Philippines. Weeks later, they all printed the same press release (exception: WMBD1470 did a brief story) . No stories about the company history, no interviews with employees about the impact on their lives. Nada.

Next time I try to tip off the media, I’ll hand out free donuts.