The Media Authority Builder

Sample Output

Section 1: Angle Bank (excerpt)

EVERGREEN

1. "The six‑month rule: why new widows shouldn't make any big money moves — and the three deadlines that are exceptions." Audience cares: nearly everyone knows a widow pressured into a fast decision. Your non‑obvious insight: the real danger isn't procrastination, it's the opposite — well‑meaning urgency from family and salespeople. The three real deadlines give the story news utility.
2. "The financial red flags that someone is targeting a new widow." Audience cares: elder‑financial‑abuse stories perform consistently, and yours comes from the protective side. Non‑obvious insight: the most effective predators aren't strangers — they're "helpful" acquaintances with products.

CALENDAR 3. November (National Family Caregivers Month): "The conversation to have with Mom before tax season — a checklist for adult children of recent widows." Pitch in mid‑October. 4. Tax season (pitch in January): "The widow's penalty: why the surviving spouse's tax bill goes up the year after loss, and what to do the year before."

NEWS‑REACTIVE (standing, pitch within 48 hours of the hook) 5. Social Security or survivor‑benefit rule changes: "What this means for the recently widowed" — you translate the change for the group with the least bandwidth to read it.

Section 2: Target Media Map (excerpt)

• Tier 1 — Raleigh‑Durham: Triangle Business Journal (guest expert columns and quotes; pitch the assigned money/wealth reporter), WRAL and Spectrum News local money segments (pitch the producer, not the anchor; TV wants the caregiver‑checklist angle — it's visual and shareable), News & Observer money desk (you have a prior quote — that reporter is your warmest door; re‑open it).
• Tier 2 — Trade: Financial‑planning trade press covers niche practices like yours as practice‑model stories ("the advisor who built a widow‑first practice") — a different pitch: you as the story, aimed at practice‑management editors. Wings for Widows' own channels count here.
• Tier 4 — Source‑request platforms: create a standing saved search for "widow," "survivor benefits," "grief and money." Your two‑year‑old N&O quote came this way — this tier is your highest‑probability channel per hour spent.

Section 3: The Pitch Kit (excerpt)

Cold pitch — Triangle Business Journal, angle #1:

Subject: Story idea: the 6‑month rule for new widows (and its 3 exceptions)

"Hi [Name] — after a spouse dies, the pressure to 'do something' with the money starts almost immediately — from salespeople and from family. The advice that actually protects people is the opposite: make no major moves for six months, with exactly three deadline‑driven exceptions (survivor benefits, health coverage elections, and estate filings). I'm a Raleigh CFP who works exclusively with recent widows — I built the practice after watching my mother navigate this badly advised. Happy to walk through the three exceptions, the red flags of widow‑targeted sales tactics, or a first‑90‑days checklist your readers could keep. — [Name], CFP, [practice], [phone]"

(118 words, angle‑first, credentials in one line, three concrete offers.)

Section 4: Interview Readiness (excerpt)

• Soundbite: "Grief is a fog. The job in the first six months isn't to make great decisions — it's to avoid irreversible ones." (17 words)
• Bridge for "What should widows invest in right now?": "That depends on each person's plan — but here's what I tell every new widow before any investing conversation…" (redirects to the decision‑free zone — and keeps you off specific recommendations, which your firm policy prohibits on the record).
• If pushed for a market prediction: "I'll happily be wrong with everyone else who guesses. What I can tell you is what a survivor can control…"
• Log every appearance with your compliance officer per firm policy, same day.

Section 5: Amplification and Compliance (excerpt)

The week it runs: add to your site's "Featured In" page (link, don't republish the article — copyright); email the clip to your full list in GoHighLevel and tag clickers engaged-media for a soft follow‑up sequence; send a personal thank‑you to the reporter (reporters keep reliable sources); add the outlet to your speaker bio. Compliance: "as seen in" usage must stay factual and unendorsed — the outlet quoted you, it didn't recommend you; have compliance review the Featured In page once, then reuse the approved pattern.