There is far more to gaining strong coverage. One pubic relations company is experimenting with the use of advanced TV plotlines which reveal what the talking points are likely to be in the coming weeks. Anticipating how a newspaper is thinking is a strong tool. You can gear a press release or comment around topical issues and such material is far more likely to be used by publications who are always trying to make sure that they have a 'cutting edge' with their eyes fixed firmly on what the public is talking about. Putting such a tactic in motion may take too much time for any company to concentrate on so, as in many cases, buying in expertise is the best tactic.
Experience is the key with the ability to analyse information imperative.
You have to look for individuals or agencies who understand a whole host of techniques for gaining coverage. The check list below this article is a good guide. Such thoughts should not just be confined to large businesses who are constantly trying to deliver their company's messages. Individuals embarking on their first great adventure into entrepreneurship can place themselves into solid positions with even the smallest coverage on local or regional level. Too often agencies promise reams of national coverage and do not deliver because there is a failure to understand what makes the newspapers and magazines, and their journalists, tick.