Publicity usually can't be brought at any price. But publicity does have a cost. It is possible, however, to have a significant influence on the coverage received. In order to exert such an influence, it is necessary to learn to think like a journalist. Journalists are always on the look-out for a good story.
News depends on being timely.
The launching of a new program, welcoming of a new staff member, a local angle on a national story, breaking ground for a new building, or any kind of special event any of these and more can be newsworthy. Don't flood the local media with news releases every week, but definitely do call attention to those that will be of interest to the wider community. The trick is, thinking like a journalist, to recognize these special events as news stories when they are coming up, and to bring these stories to the attention of the news media in a way that will help them cover the story. The way to do this is through a news release. A news release is not a complete news story it is still the journalist's job to put that together.