By Barry Rueger, Bagatelle Communications

Earlier this week I spent several hours trying to find someone to do a radio interview about an event happening in Ottawa. Starting with the phone number on the Press Release, I eventually wound up talking to seven different people at eight phone numbers, none of whom knew anything. My final voice mail was never returned. Instead of doing an interview to support the event I wound up playing some nice music.

If you want media coverage, you have to make it easy for us!

Step One - Write a Press Release

This should be one page only. The event or project should be mentioned in big letters near the top. You should include one or two paragraphs explaining what you are doing, and why it matters. Tell them what exactly they can expect to see and hear, especially for TV. Make it look nice. A logo or graphic can add visual interest, but don't get carried away. Use nice fonts like Arial or Times New Roman. Avoid odd or ornate fonts.

Prominently display on the same page:

• The Date and Time of the event - Have at least three people proof read this information.
• Where it will happen - With directions or nearby intersections.
• The name of the event, if you have one
• The name of the sponsoring organization
• A web site if it's relevant and up to date
• The name and phone number of a Contact Person - A Contact Person is someone who knows ALL of the details about the event, is likely to be at the phone during office hours, who has an answering machine, and who returns calls quickly. Ideally they are also the same person who will be available for interviews. Assume that a reporter will make one, and only one phone call. If you're not there to answer the phone, you won't get a second chance.

If your Press Release is clear and concise you really don't need to include:

• Photographs (except for newspapers)
• Pages of background - they'll ask if they need it.
• Fancy folders - they'll toss them out.
• Balloons, candy, condoms, keychains.......

Your Press Release will get exactly five seconds of attention when it is picked up from the fax machine. If it takes ten seconds to read the important parts, it won't go anywhere.

Step Two - Distribute your Press Release

It is very expensive and slow to mail a Press Release. Fax is almost universal. Almost every group has access to a computer with a fax modem, which makes it easy to distribute your Press release to dozens of media outlets.

If you know the recipient likes email, that's fine too, but faxes still get more attention and are harder to delete.

A note on email - lots of people are now sending Press Releases by email. In many cases this is fine but do not ever send files as attachments unless you have first asked the recipient. There are a few good reasons:

First, and most importantly, email attachments are a very common way to send viruses, especially to Microsoft email packages. The rule at many locations is to never, ever, open an attachment from an unknown source. It's likely that your Press Release will be deleted without being read.

Second, if the recipient is using a dial up modem for downloading, an image or sound file will take a very long time, and will annoy them terribly. Once again, they won't read it.

Third, you don't know what software programs the recipient has available. You may have to latest version of Word or Wordperfect, but the other person may not. If you send a graphic image or a sound file it's possible - even likely - that they won't have the software to open it. Once again, your Press Release won't get read. The one exception might be small Adobe PDF files.

If you plan to use email, send a regular text email message - not HTML - with all of the relevant information. If an image or sound is vital, then email first and ask permission before sending it.

How do I get fax numbers?

Phone each and every media outlet in town. Don't forget prominent national media too. Ask what number you should fax releases to. If you're doing an event that obviously fits a specialized category - like music or art - ask if that department has a dedicated fax number. (Warning: the first time that you send out a Press Release to your new fax list make sure to do so during the day - not at night. If a fax doesn't go through you should call the number back with your voice line to make sure it's really a fax number.)

Do I need a reporter's name on the fax?

Sometimes it's good, lots of the time it doesn't really matter. Use your best judgment. Turnover in media jobs can be high, and do you really have time to call them all every three months to update you files? Most places have some system to route press releases to the right place. It never hurts to have a name on the cover page, but don't get too stressed out about it.

Do I need a cover page?

For most places, probably not. It wastes paper, and your Press Release should have all the information that the reporter needs anyhow. In designing your Press Release, assume that the Cover Page will get tossed out.

How many copies should I send?

Use some common sense. For a local radio station or a community newspaper one will be fine. For TV, newspapers, or CBC Radio you will probably send duplicates to two or three producers or reporters, sometimes with different fax numbers. If you stop and think for a minute the answer should be obvious. If you're sending more than three faxes to one fax number you're probably just annoying them.

3. Follow Up with one phone call.

At the same time that you collected fax numbers, you probably wrote down all of the phone numbers too. Now, a couple of days before your event, you should phone back each place that you faxed and ask - quickly and politely - if there is anything else you can do for them.

Don't bother asking if they received the fax - it was one of fifty or sixty that day, and no-one will remember. If they're polite they'll lie to you and say "yes".

Your aim with this follow-up call is to offer them an interview. You want to tell them who is available from your project, and what they can talk about. You also need to know when your spokesperson is available. Tell the reporter WHY they should cover your event. You have to tell them why you'd make a compelling story for their audience.

The secret to getting an interview is to make it really easy for the reporter to work with you, and interested in what you're doing.

4. Be On Time for the Interview!

Once you have booked an interview you want to arrive at least ten minutes early - more for TV. If you are late there will be no interview. If you don't show up there will never, ever be another interview. If for any reason you have to cancel out, call as soon as possible ahead of time to let the interviewer know.

5. Pay Attention to the Interviewer

With very few exceptions, they're not "out to get you". They're nice people. But listen to them. Sometimes if things are running late they'll have to cut an interview short. It's good if you can pick up on this and wrap up your thoughts quickly.

Make sure that you have essential information - like the time, address, and phone numbers - at your fingertips. If you can't remember them, bring along one page of paper with the important bits written down. Expect to be asked all of these.

Q. Should I send a Thank You note?
A. It's almost unheard of, but it's real nice if a reporter did a good job.

Q. How can I make sure that reporters come to our demonstration or press conference?
A. Make sure you're not scheduling against a big event like the Olympics. Make sure that you keep the event short - long enough for TV to get pictures, but not so long that people get bored. Try to bring along a Big Name. If you're offering finger food or beverages, note it discretely on the Press Release. It's not supposed to matter, but everyone likes a snack.

Q. How can I be sure that I'll get coverage?
A. You can't. Even a small newsroom gets dozens of faxes and calls each day. Sometimes you'll win, sometimes not. It's nothing personal, just the way that media works.

However, if you consistently present well organized and easy to report events, you will gain a reputation as being a good source for stories.

Bagatelle Communications conducts workshops for non-profit groups and small businesses on how to access the media. Contact us for further info.

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