When calling a reporter, either to follow-up from a pitch, or to run a segment or story idea by them, be sure you call at the right time. While everyone has their opinion on the best day of the week, (I haven't found one day to be that much better than others) the timing of that call is a bit more of a sensitive matter.

TV and print productions are on very different schedules. You can typically call a monthly magazine anytime (except on deadline day when the next issue is going to press), but TV and daily newspapers have daily deadlines to meet. Some general guidelines include:

Television Producers: Check to see which shows the producer works for during the day or night. If they are the producer for both the 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. newscasts, the best time to reach them is going to be between 4-5:30 a.m. and then after 12:45 p.m. Keep in mind the morning producers are typically gone by 2 p.m. as they arrive so early. Most news teams will meet right after their broadcast for 30-60 minutes to talk about the next day's show, so try to decipher what their day looks like and you'll have better luck reaching them; just remember that each station is slightly different. As for leaving a voice mail message, try calling a few times, at different hours, before doing that - leaving a voice mail should be a last resort.

Print Reporters: Daily newspaper deadlines are usually around 3 or 4 p.m. local time, so the best time to reach a reporter is most likely in the morning and late afternoon/early evening - if they are still there.

All of this said, in this day-in-age, many reporters may work exclusively on email, so if you try time-and-time again to reach them via phone to no avail, draft a follow-up email instead. Some reporters work very odd hours, covering stories either early in the morning or later at night.