Before you begin scheduling press interviews at random, identify who you are trying to reach, taking into consideration your choice of medium and the time of coverage. Target the media. Insurance Discrimination or Pay Equity could be covered by business reporters, the lifestyle section, legal writers, editorial boards, the city desk, or national reporters. Contacting the Press Write a news release or media advisory. For all practical purposes, a media advisory is an abbreviated news release.
Events sometimes transpire too fast to send an entire release.
In these cases a news memo is appropriate, especially when dealing with wire services and radio and TV stations on short notice. Mail or fax the advisory to arrive a few days before the event, and follow up with phone calls. The morning of the event, make quick reminder calls. They can be especially helpful if a reporter is on a deadline and is only interested in a quick quote. Meet the reporters to establish a relationship.