by Most legal disputes in the US settle before trial.
But even a single day in the court of public opinion can have a long-lasting impact on a company’s reputation and an immediate impact on its settlement negotiations. Positive public opinion often strengthens a company’s negotiating power during a settlement, and vice versa, negative public perception can hurt and weaken its position.
A critical factor in shaping that perception is a media relations and communications strategy. Many companies tend to shift focus toward legal, industry, and national media. One media segment is frequently underestimated – the local press.
Why Local Media Shapes Litigation Narratives
In many cases, local media serve as the first point of coverage and narrative formation. One can argue that the first wave of news coverage, especially if it first develops locally, is the most important because it sets the foundation for how the litigation is viewed and the company is perceived from that point on. That means that these early stories, even though they may reach fewer people, often influence how larger national and industry publications interpret the issue at hand.
Yet despite this cascading effect of the local coverage, organizations often fail to prioritize local media preparedness and engagement, leaving a blind spot for how their story is initially framed and understood.
How This Plays Out in Practice
When a lawsuit is filed, most communications teams instinctively look upward — to national wires, cable news producers, and the national journalists who cover business and law. National coverage is consequential, they say. It signals that the story matters.
However, national coverage is often built on a foundation of local reporting as opposed to being written from scratch.
Here are three steps that companies can take to prepare to engage with the local media.
How to Engage Local Media Effectively
1. Map the local media landscape.
Identify the outlets and voices that shape public understanding in the jurisdiction where the case is being heard. This includes:
- Local newspapers and investigative desks
- Court and legal affairs reporters
- Editorial and op-ed editors
- Influential local columnists, radio hosts, and community commentators
These journalists often know the local courts, the attorneys involved, and the broader community context surrounding the dispute.
2. Build the core narrative and connect it to your presence in the community.
Before engaging with reporters, distill the case into a clear explanation that answers five questions:
- What happened?
- Why is this case being brought (or defended)?
- Why will the public care?
- What impact has the company had locally so far?
- What is the company’s connection to the community in which it operates?
This should be simple, direct, and authentic. Local reporters are often working quickly and covering multiple issues at once. A compelling and genuine point of view helps ensure the key facts are contextualized from your point of view.
3. Prepare a litigation media kit for local reporters.
When a complaint is filed, coverage can appear within minutes or hours. Preparation allows reporters to quickly understand the substance of the case.
A media kit can include:
- A summary of the case
- Key documents from the complaint
- A timeline of events
- Quotes from attorneys or plaintiffs
- Background information that explains the broader issue involved
Providing reporters with these materials helps ensure that early coverage reflects the underlying facts and your point of view rather than interpretation based on incomplete or misunderstood information. However, this must be done in close coordination and with the approval of legal counsel.
The Strategic Advantage of Local Press in Litigation PR
When media coverage runs within hours after a development in a case, speed and strategy are equally critical. Getting ahead of coverage by providing reporters with the documents and facts they need — along with a summary of what you want them to learn — is crucial to shaping public perception of any legal dispute and enabling your stakeholders to hear your point of view.
National media reaches the masses, often on the foundation of context and storytelling by local reporting. Together, they form a feedback loop that can either reinforce or undermine a company’s position during settlement and litigation PR. Organizations that recognize this dynamic and prepare for it with as much rigor and effort as they put into their legal strategy are far better positioned to influence how their story is told and get their point across. Doing so successfully can be a turning point in the outcome of a case and a key factor in settlement negotiations.
Those that fail to do so risk losing control of the narrative at the very moment it matters most.