Bill Regan

Understanding the Media

Entrepreneurs, business owners and communications professionals who seek access to the media have distinctly individual reasons for doing so, but they all have one thing in common: Success depends upon their understanding of a particular medium.

Misconceptions abound, born from past history, conventional "wisdom," rumor or personal experience with one or another media.

The fact is, each time a business person seeks contact with a media outlet, be it a newspaper, radio or TV station, or Web-based site, a thorough understanding of that medium's market, its practices and potential results are critical not only to the success of a promotional pitch but to the comfort and headache level of the person doing the pitching, and he who is being pitched.

The best way to start, and a method not always at most people's fingertips, is simply to pick up the phone and ask a couple of questions. Invaluable knowledge can be gained from one phone call, and works far better than a slick .pdf or marketing-laden, sales-pitching e-mail.

As business editor at New Hampshire's largest newspapers, and its only statewide daily, I have seen pitches in all manner of styles in the past 18 years.

The really interesting news releases are those which arrive in some subtle manner, but carry strong news value and topical information that ends up to be a Page One story, or  a section-front story, much to the surprise, and delight, of the sender.

Others arrive tailored for our Business news pages, with a pertinent news angle, understandable statistics, and information for further contacts.

And then there are those which arrive, sometimes repeatedly, telling the newspaper what a great story they have and how this company or that organization is setting some particular business niche on fire, without much information of substance behind the strong wall of marketing.

That first type of contact, the subtle one, makes for good news stories, fairly easy reporting and routine handling for our news editors and reporters. It is what we do every day in newsrooms.

The second type of news release is usually from professionals who have done their homework, and are offering standard fare for our use as we see fit.

Editors enjoy both those types of contacts, again, it is what we do. The third type of news release gives editors the same feeling a consumer gets when pulling up to a car dealer or jewelry store and the salespeople are lined up waiting for them: Pressure, which is out of place.

The good news here is that the homework is easy.

A phone call or e-mail to an appropriate editor before sending a news release will be most valuable to staffers or PR folks seeking to understand who it is they should contact, what is the best contact method, and what the chances are for various types of press releases seeing their way into print.

Sometimes a slick marketing seminar is not news about marketing seminars, but has a valuable place in a business calendar or listing of professional events.

A company's efficient new manufacturing process might not be considered news about the CEO's personal foresight as much as it is a story about a New Hampshire company making strides against foreign competition and finding better ways to compete against larger companies.

Likewise, the annual fundraiser by a non-profit is routine news in a community filled with sponsors of non-profits that raise funds, but a good story might be buried in the presentation if the funds are being raised for a particularly newsworthy cause or have been generated by a more interesting process.

Those and countless other angles, are what can be learned with a phone call or e-mail to a media  outlet BEFORE sending a news release, so the sender can understand what the medium's routine is, what specific information is needed and how both parties can best work together.

Valuable information includes deadlines, what the best method of submitting a news release is, and what is a realistic, potential result.

For example, in today's world, news about Web sites, Web site design and employee empowerment seminars are routine, not news. Ten years ago they were news. Not today. It would be far better to learn that before spending a lot of time polishing a news release and getting it approved by the boss and sending it in with unrealistic expectations.

At the bottom of Page 4 of every day's New Hampshire Union Leader are various contact phone numbers for advertising, subscriptions and Newsroom contacts in a variety of news departments.

For Business contacts, we are listed at the bottom of Page C2 of each week's Monday's Business section, and also in the Business section of the New Hampshire Sunday News.

My phone number is 603-668-4321 Ext. 324, and the e-mail address for the financial news department is finan@unionleader.com.

Editors are very accessible, and we appreciate the opportunity to work with the newsmakers in the community.

At the Union Leader, we welcome your phone calls and the chance to gain a mutual understanding of everyone's role in our business community.

ANSWER: We prefer e-mails for news releases, with the text of the news release in the text of the e-mail, not attached.  We prefer only photos or graphics as attachments (photos in .jpg format; graphics in .pdf format.)

QUESTION: When submitting a photo or other attachment with a press release via  e-mail, what is the most appropriate method and/or format?

ANSWER: It is always best to include the text of the news release in the text of the e-mail, and attach only photos or graphics.  With the news release in the text of the e-mail, it is available at first glance to our editors, instead of being hidden in an attachment.   Those extra moments spent to open the attachment are prime for distraction by a ringing phone or an interrupting colleague.  Attachments that are photos should always be .jpg format; graphics work best as PDFs.

QUESTION:  You stated in you article that the Internet and websites are no longer the talk of the news; with this, do you feel new business techniques such as webinars and video/audio conferences will put the Internet in news stories again? Also, do you feel this technique will be beneficial to the business world since Gen Y (the Internet generation) will soon be entering it?

ANSWER:  Webinars and other interactive Web-based business techniques are examples of the spreading use of the Internet in business.  What I meant in my article about a dwindling talk about the Internet was that use of the Net or use of Web sites are no longer by themselves newsworthy.  It is no longer newsworthy that a company has established a Web site, or has a Web site incorporated into its business plan.  Eight to 10 years ago, that was new by itself ... when the Net was young. Now, everybody is on the Internet -- or else they missed the boat!

Nowadays, it is nearly mandatory for a company to have a Web presence, and many companies find that once the Web ball starts rolling, it keeps on going and, by momentum, adds to business.  Others find the road to the Internet leads them down tangent paths, which create costs, usurp resources and don't help the bottom line.  Depends on the nature of a particular business.  But some Internet presence is necessary, even if only to create an e-mail channel for Gen Y-types to feel included and to add a global communications channel to a company's ability to function.  Many are hoping Gen Y will be the generation who brings profit-making ideas and income-generating Web techniques to companies' Internet applications, because there are many businesses and industries (newspapers in particular) who have devoted deep resources to the Web, but do not find profit-making among the results of their Net ventures.

QUESTION:  Do you have information on Union Leader readership and demographics, and if so, how can I access this information?

ANSWER:  You can contact the Union Leader to get this information or the Amoskeag Business Incubator has a copy of the PowerPoint presentation with the information that you can request be emailed to you.

QUESTION: Is there any better day then others to send press releases in to the Union Leader to help ensure publication?

ANSWER: No. It's all about content, and the general rule of thumb is always, the earlier the better.