I have had people call me about stories and say they would send along a release. What arrived was often a big, thick packet chock full of material sometimes 50 or more pages. It is better to send a release first. If you get some interest, then send the full packet. Two main reasons.
Reporters never have enough hours in the workday.
They want something that cogently summarizes the issue and allows them to make a decision in a few minutes. They simply don t have time ordinarily to read a 15-page release. Summarizing the issue in a short release also helps the sender. The short release forces you to focus on the most significant aspects of what you are doing, rather than hoping that a reporter will read many, many pages looking for what will make a story. Call the newspaper and find out the names of editors responsible for news from your community.