We recently hired several new employees and have written a news release announcing the growth. What media outlets and journalists at those outlets should I send the news release to?
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By Kayleigh Fitch, Guest Blogger
When announcing corporate news (i.e. hiring a new employee, announcing a promotion, or receiving an award) it is best to create a separate media list because most media outlets have a member of the editorial staff who handles promotions and corporate news.
Following are tips on how to effectively target the media outlets and the journalists at those outlets.
Choosing the Media Outlets
When deciding which local and national media outlets to include on the list, consider geography and editorial focus.
Local Media: Most local print publications reserve specific sections to announce local business news. Include the major daily newspapers in your region, local business publications and weekly newspapers covering your company’s geographic location and the new or promoted employee’s city of residence.
As a general rule, do not send your corporate news to local television or radio stations. However, there can be exceptions to this rule. Examples include; your company is highly recognized as one of the most influential businesses in your city or region or you are hiring a unique or well-known employee.
Trade Media: When considering which trade media outlets to include on your list, choose publications that report specifically on your company’s industry and related vertical industries.
National Media: National print and broadcast media like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, NRP, CNN, etc. will not likely be interested in your company news or new hires unless you can tie that into a recent trend or your company is doing something truly unique.
Choosing the Media Contacts
Once you decide which media outlets to send your news release to, you will need to ensure you have the right media contacts on your list.
For local newspapers and business magazines, it is generally best to target business editors or reporters assigned to cover corporate news sections like “People on the Move” or “Corporate Announcements”.
Likewise, most industry trade magazines have reporters assigned to specifically cover corporate news announcements. But in some cases the responsibility for those announcements may fall on the reporter covering your company’s specific industry segment. For example, a higher education trade magazine may assign a specific reporter to cover all news at small private colleges in the Midwest. Most trade magazines list reporters and their beats directly on their web sites.
Also, consider sending your corporate announcements to relevant local and industry web sites, as well as submitting it to news release distribution sites (PR Newswire, Business Wire, PR Web, Open PR, PR Log).
For questions or more information about developing media databases, please contact me at Kayleigh@sweeneypr.com or 440.333.0001 ext. 105.
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