Press Release Placement –
Finding the Perfect Medium

Finding the perfect medium for your press release is as simple as figuring out your target market. The good thing about a press release is that it can take many different forms and be sent to a variety of media outlets.

Here, we’ll address the various forms of media, and how they might benefit your organization’s ultimate goals and strategies.

Newspaper

This is the source most people think of when we speak about submitting a press release. It’s the oldest form of communication in civilized societies across the world. Some people think the newspaper is a widely outdated form of communication, and that the number of readers diminishing will ultimately be the downfall of the paper entirely.

There are many different forms of newspapers depending on the region you’re seeking to publish in. If your client is large enough, like IBM or Starbucks, then you have a chance at making national headlines when you have something of importance to say that will affect the country’s readership.

If you are able to send press information to one of the national publications, such as USA Today, or possibly a city-specific paper that has a national following, such as the Washington Post or New York Times, chances are, someone on their staff already has their eye on you. The sooner you form an amicable relationship with one of the staff, the more smoothly your press release will be processed in the news department.

The Associated Press (AP) is the main conglomerate when it comes to media publication. Almost every paper in the country, from large nationwide papers, to small community setups, has a direct link to the AP for the most prominent news available. If the story you’re delivering has local implications, you can look up the AP bureau for your state in the state’s capitol.

However, if your client has impending information that is suitable for national headlines, you can send your press release to AP's General/National Desk or International Desk at Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10020. This news wire feeds 24 hours a day into most news departments around the world, so your item, if applicable to their audience, will be picked up immediately.

Of course, if you only have reason to publish your client’s press in the local paper, by all means, send it to the correct editor of that publication first. Most larger newspapers are now published free online, in addition to their print counterparts, so don’t be disappointed by the statistics that warn of the decline of print journalism. It isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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