A lot of young public relations practitioners of PR New York firms have been creating and distributing one general news release to a multitude of media in the hopes of gaining coverage in newspapers, television, radio and online. However, this general news release sometimes fail to see that the newspaper editors, beat writers, television producers and online editors have different goals, needs and deadlines. For it to be recognized, the news release must be tailored to meet their special demands if one hopes to improve the chances for coverage.
For those who are still new to how the PR New York works, one must think outside of the box. One must think of a pitch or message that will get the media to sit up and pay attention to it. If news coverage is the goal, one must read the news and be general in doing the approach. Most editors and writers are much interested in the trends and timely stories that will have an impact in their readership. One must grab their attention by writing a story that has a big impact and provide the data to back it up.
Television news is a bit different from that of the print. Any news reporter or producer would tell you that TV is a visual medium that is why one must think visually. If one wants to land a spot in the 6pm news, tieing an event with local celebrities, dignitaries, children and/or pets is usually a good method to generate some type of coverage. Just like the coverage for news, TV releases need to be short and concise. If the idea for coverage can be placed in just one page, then it won’t be a good fit for television. Most producers would give you an advice that would suggest that the shorter the news release, the better.
Radio coverage also requires a short and sweet news release. News or talks in the radio stations usually have a report at least once an hour. No visual element is involved in the coverage but a good sound bite with a key newsmaker or decision maker always enhances your chances for coverage.
Another field for media coverage is through online news which is an entirely different story. The news in this field may be updated not only hourly but also by the minute. The stories here are quickly posted, digested, and archived that is why the releases need to be extremely concise and well packaged. The words must be punchy and every sentence should have some impact.