Corporate public relations departments treat this issue substantially the same way casino-goers treat slot machines. The slot player is convinced he knows what machine to play, on what day and at what hour. He also believes he can tell if a machine is hot based upon the activity of the previous player. PR forms each have their own cannot-miss method when it comes to sending news releases to the media. Some believe sending it well in advance of the event operates ideal. Others think two or three days notice is most successful. Then there are those who say send it on Tuesday, hold it for the weekend or send it as an urgent fax the day of the event.
I don't know about the odds, mechanics and psychology of playing profitable slots, but I do know which of the PR-types has the very best method. They all do since it makes no distinction when you send and when the media obtain your news release. One caveat here - it's probably not a superior concept to send your news release on the day of or as an urgent fax as the news personnel may possibly already be committed to other stories and can't get to yours on such short notice.
Let me give you an inside look at what happens to your news release when you put it in the mail or send it by e-mail. In each newsroom I've ever worked in, there is a large workplace cabinet drawer referred to as 'the file'. The file consists of 31 manila envelopes - 1 for each and every day of the month. When you news release arrives, the assignment manager gives it a rapid glance just to make confident it has some semblance of news value and then he looks at the date of your event. If your event is on the 7th, your news release is right away deposited into manila envelope number 7. It is then essentially ignored until the afternoon of the 6th of the month at which time the assignment manager and other members of management hold a brief meeting to play out the subsequent day's coverage. It is at this meeting that your news release will get cautiously read for the very first time.
Ideally, you should really send your news release two weeks ahead of time. Then wait one week and call the assignment manager to ask if he or she received it. This call does a number of factors for you. It tells the assignment manager that you cared adequate to give us ample advance notice. It also tells him you care enough about your event that you wanted to make certain the news release was received. And third, it provides the assignment manager a genuine person and voice to connect with the event as opposed to just a piece of paper or email.
Now that you've created sure the media has received your release, reward your self and go play some slots!
