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Press
Releases
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Managing
the Media
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media
relations
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Perhaps
the cornerstone of public
relations is media relations,
which is
"the creation of relationships with journalists with
the goal of persuading them to include your organization's
message in their coverage."
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Successful media
relations is achieved through a sustained campaign of
contact with journalists, utilizing a set of strategies and materials
such as
Journalists
are inundated with information and "story
pitches" from dozens of organizations every day.
To get your story told, it is essential to know what each journalist
covers and the types of stories they are looking for.
Understanding
Media Types
Let's talk about the different types of media to contact
about your business, project, or event. Our consultants have thoroughly
researched and networked with local/national media reps, and therefore,
understand their unique nuances prior to contacting them on your
behalf.
Print Media
Print media includes newspapers, magazines, journals and newsletters.
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Newspapers
- You'll want to contact lifestyle and business reporters, who
generally begin working on their story one day to two weeks
before it's published.
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Local magazines,
journals and newsletters - They publish on a weekly or monthly
basis and their reporters could begin work on stories as much
three months before they actually appear
Electronic
Media
Broadcast media
includes television, radio, and internet.
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Television
may be a more difficult media outlet to place your story, since
local stations tend to cover more "breaking" news.
We recommend that you start by contacting radio if you're interested
in broadcast coverage.
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Radio stations'
peak times for radio news programs, called "drive time,"
occur in the morning between 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., when listeners
are driving to work, and evenings from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.,
when listeners are driving home. Drive time is when radio stations
announce the most news items and interview the most guests.
A broadcast reporter or producer will often tape or develop
a story the same day it airs. Radio can be easier than television
to approach, because they have more air time to fill.
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The increasing
use of the Internet by the media has resulted into the proliferation
and development of new Internet-based communications entities
and divisions that can effectively cover and report the "news
feature" as well as the "breaking news story."
The emergence
of broadband internet access, along with streaming audio and
video capabilities, coupled with non-intrusive braodcast e-mail
communication, make the internet an especially attractive vehicle
for media relations.
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