Pitching national news media can be challenging, frustrating and time consuming. Identifying and getting to the right reporter or assignment editor is tough enough, but even with a good, well-targeted story there’s still a lot of competition.

Now, you can take things into your own hands at CNN through iReport, which offers opportunities to write your own story and possibly get television network coverage.

“Welcome to iReport, where people take part in the news with CNN. Your voice, together with other iReporters, helps shape how and what CNN covers everyday,” is the way viewers are greeting upon arriving at the website.

The Assignment Desk section tells you what sources CNN is seeking at a given time, although your story can be about something entirely different.

Still, it helps to know what the network is interested in hearing about at a given time, and you at least can take some comfort in knowing the site is being monitored by people who report the news.

There also are some helpful tips about the ingredients of a good story, as well as advice about photos, videos and recording the sound of your story.

If CNN runs a story you submitted through iReport, I’d enjoy hearing about it.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.