AmyDavid

Could someone with more intelligence than me () point me in the right direction of details on how to issue a press release in Canada - just to local press rather than national.

Thanks in advance!

Aviator

Depends what it is, if it is of national importance or local interest. They can go to all the media and often they will decide if it is important to them and if they will run with it.

E-mailed to the editor or for larger organisations, the section editor.

AmyDavid

OK, so just get it all typed up etc and e-mail it over - nothing more than that?

scilly

if it is for something of local interest ...... a local radio show (eg morning or lunchtime show on CBC) or local station is often a very good way to get information out. That's what we have used in the past

Call or email the programme or the station editor.

In BC, the weekend morning programme, north x northwest, on CBC runs from 6 am to 9am and the host is very good at passing on information on local events across the province, such as art shows, garden events, fund raising runs, etc

Is there a similar programme where you are?

scilly

we found that short and sweet, ie succinct, is better than long

and you need a good "tag" as your header to catch attention.

Provide a contact phone number and email address

AmyDavid

It is for our business - so I guess it would be something more for the print/online print rather than radio - I do agree re the short and sweet though! Thank you!

Oink

I'm not sure that will make much of an impact or be of any public importance or benefit for them to bother. Maybe you should think about simply paying for an ad?

Aviator

If it is of general interest they may run with it. If it looks like a shot at free advertising they probably won't. SOmetimes if it is local, try and get the name of a local reporter, fax or e-mail the release to them and follow up with a phone call. Sometimes we'll invite a reporter over to check something out for themselves.

If it is a new product or service, unless it is earth shattering it might not work, if it is an award or an achievement there may be more interest.

AmyDavid

You are right actually - now I look back at the articles I viewed as being press releases - I think they are actually paid for editorials!

Thanks

Aviator

Which is a disguised advertisement. Folks won't get suckered into them for long. I ignore paid for editorials completely. Readers are not the suckers some media seem to think they are.

JamesM

The correct terminology is advertorial.

You shouldn't be suckered as they are meant to make it clear.

It's simply trying to take a brand or company and tell a story associated with them that will resonate more with the reader.

Lunathecat

What's the story? I am a pr consultant. Agreed there has to be a news angle or it will be ignored. Sometimes you have to be creative if there is not an obvious angle, which is why lots of businesses do consumer surveys to create interest. For example, a dating agency might ask its customers "what are the 5 biggest turn offs on a first date?" and use their findings to create a press release. That way they can hopefully get their business name out there because reporters like these types of human interest stories - no guarantee though. They may run the story but omit the name of the company.

If you are looking at regional press, there needs to be a local story.

colchar

I am in PR/Communications so do this regularly. You either target journalists directly (ie. email them) or you write it up and post it on Canada Newswire.

What is it that you actually want to announce and/or what media outlets are you targeting?

colchar

The norm is to email the journalist directly, not the editor.




It happens all the time. You would be shocked how much of what you see in the media actually originated from a PR firm announcing something on behalf of a client, and often for products or services. They are just creative about how they do it (see the other comment above regarding surveys as it is spot on).




See above.

Folks won't get suckered into them for long? It has been happening for decades and isn't slowing down at all.

dbd33

For the City of Mississauga?