Best Tools For Distributing Information to News Media

Are you sending information to the news media in hopes that they will do a story on your company or a client's company? Well, based on my 20 years of experience working with media, these are some of the best distribution resources to consider -- with comments on the pros and cons of each:

www.PRNewswire.com:
This is a paid media distribution service and requires an annual membership of, I believe, US$125 per year. Plus, there is the cost of distributing each press release or other media materials to the media. If you've got a large budget (i.e., over $5000 total) for the project, then you may want to consider PR Newswire. The release will be electronically distributed and available to media that you target, whether nationwide, in a specific region, etc. The distribution also will be accessible to many search engines that post PR Newswire pieces. But, a major downside of PR Newswire is the high cost. For a two-page news release distributed nationally, you can expect on spending $750 to $1200 easily. And, that's no guarantee by any means that you will get coverage by spending that money. If your budget is tight, try some of the other services.

www.businesswire.com:
I have not used Businesswire for some time, so I cannot honestly review it. I think many of the points made about PR Newswire can be repeated for Businesswire.

www.prweb.com:
This is a cheap alternative to PR Newswire. You can pay about $80 or more to have a press release posted and available to search engines. I believe this is a better tool for SEO purposes than for seriously getting information to news media.

www.usnewswire.com:
From what I know, this paid distribution service is most frequently used for governmental, political and Washington, DC- oriented news. Visit their website to learn more.

EMAIL
For most media, it's ideal to learn the proper contact's direct email address and to email the release (as an extended email, NOT as an attachment) or other materials to them. Send with a brief note that is followed by the press release. To learn a reporter's email address, visit the media outlet's website where it may be posted, do a Google search of the reporter's name to see if you can find it, call the media outlet to ask them, or, go to your library and review a media reference directory such as Bacon's guide to newspapers or Bacon's guide to TV stations, etc. Bacon's only covers the US and Canada, primarily. Be sure to followup any email with a phone call to ensure the contact receives it.

A reminder, unless a contact specifically asks for it, never send an email attachment to media. Most media will not open it and will delete it because they worry about getting computer viruses from attachments.

FAX
Personally, I think faxing is best when distributing media materials especially to TV and radio stations. At these outlets, they may be less likely to review their email, so by sending them a hard copy, they can easily refer to it and share with their staff. Again, it's best to call them within 24 to 48 hours after sending the fax to ensure the reporter or news assignment person has received it and to learn their interest and answer any questions.

In any event, it's best to inform long-lead media (i.e., monthly magazines) about a news opportunity at least 4 to 6 months in advance of when you want the story to run. And, for TV and radio news programs and daily newspapers, send an initial alert to media about 1-2 weeks before you want the story to air. For TV and radio programs that run on a weekly or other irregular basis, contact the media initially at least 4 weeks in advance. It's always better to contact media too early rather than too late.

LETTER
Mailing a hard copy to the reporter can be good for many media outlets. Some reporters still prefer getting materials via snail mail.

MISCELLANEOUS
Before communicating with a reporter or other media contact, it's best to:

1) Confirm who is the best contact for the specific story category (i.e., sports, business)
2) Ask them what format they prefer to receive information (i.e., mail, email)
3) Learn the contact's contact information (email address, mailing address, phone)

Also, to increase your chances of a media contact getting your press release or other media materials, use two methods for sending it to them. For instance, send the initial press release both via postal mail and email, or, via fax and snail mail. That way, they are bound to see at least one version, hopefully.

Good luck in making news!