3. Pick the outlet with the best match for your target audience
Once you know your audience and know the media outlets that reach it, you know which media will be most receptive to your information.
Ask yourself if the people who read the newspaper or website you are considering are the same people who would be interested in your information. That is what the reporter will do. If it is a match, you have greatly increased the odds of placing your information.
4. When to send your news fact sheet or news Release
It is important to get your news release to the right person at the right time. If you miss the deadline, your chances of getting the story printed or aired are shot. Take the time and find out what the deadlines are for the outlets you want to contact.
Different media outlets have different deadlines.Daily newspapers, for example, have deadlines the day of or perhaps the day before publication.
Special sections of large daily newspapers may have deadlines several days before publication. Weekly newspapers may have deadlines as far as 10 days before publication. Magazine deadlines range from one to six months prior to publication.
TV news deadlines are usually half a day before the news airs, unless it is live, breaking news which is being aired as the event is occurring. Examples of breaking news are natural disasters like floods, hurricanes and blizzards where the reporter is live at the scene. (see crisis media relations). Radio generally gets news from the wire services like the Associated Press who are always on deadline.
Website or internet deadlines vary with each media, but generally news website information goes up after it finds its way on air or into print.
The easiest way to find a deadline is to call the station and ask, or check a media directory for your city or state to find the information. In Denver and Colorado, go to www.coloradormediadirectory.com.
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