Let's say you have a big event coming up soon, involving a good angle you think that the major media, tv, radio and the papers would be interested in. Send them a news release about two weeks in advance. Two or three days before the event, call the assignment editor. Succinctly sum up an angle or two that media would be especially interested in. For TV, it might be one thing, another thing for radio and something different for the newspaper.
Promoters often try to generate coverage on the first day of a weekend events.
When a show is featured Friday afternoon on the radio, Friday night on the evening news, sales are almost up the following day. When you send the news release, you'll usually send a pitch letter with it. Start off this letter with a good story. It's not uncommon to include five or six releases, letter, a bio, a glossy photo, a background sheet. News people are continually getting news releases or packages that are professionally and cleverly put together.