News that Gets Used

By Dan Campbell, Editor

s “big sister” watching when you read press releases and publications sent to your e-mail box? Quite possibly.

One cooperative communicator says she uses a web-based delivery service that enables her to see who opens the attachments being sent, and even what pages they read. Her comments were made during an idea-sharing roundtable on news release strategies held last summer at the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) annual institute in Portland, Maine. Other ideasharing roundtables focused on strategies for co-op advertising, employee and member communications and website management.

Many CCA members say they are using (and largely pleased with) news services to distribute their press releases and to track their use.

Regardless of whether they still handle their own distribution or use a media service, a big majority of CCAers who participated in the roundtable said e-mail is their workhorse for getting news releases out, although a few members said they also still use the mail and fax.

With e-mail comes a big added advantage of being able to easily attach a photo, which one “consumer” of press releases said greatly increases the odds he will use a press release.

Others raised the issue that a print-quality photo attachment might make the overall file too large for small-capacity e-mail boxes. They instead prefer to simply add a “Photo Available on Request” note by their contact information. Some include a web link to a page where media can download a choice of print-quality photos (usually a jpg file of about 300 dpi at three inches wide).

Free advertising or news?
Roundtable participants were reminded that the judge who evaluated the press release entries for the previous year’s CCA communications contest was critical of the fact that so many of the entries lacked legitimate news value, and were really “just attempts to nab some free advertising.” Some CCA members responded that they do indeed use press releases for that purpose, but said there is a legitimate business news aspect to announcing new products and services, etc. They reported getting fairly good pickup on these types of releases, especially by smaller papers and trade publications.

Still, the concern was raised that — like the boy who cried “wolf ” — a co-op that issues too many press releases of limited news value might run the risk of getting ignored when it does have a release with important news. Several others noted the opposite problem: being told by papers in their trade area that a press release with very legitimate news value would have to be run as a paid advertisement.

Some CCAers said they feel pressure to issue a certain quota of press releases, even when real news is lacking, while others said they think their co-op is too reluctant to issue press releases and should be doing more.

Targeting news releases
For large co-ops that operate over a wide region, it is best to target press releases so that those with broad interest go out on a general media list, while those that have a mostly local appeal are sent only to appropriate local media. An example of the latter would be a scholarship awarded by the co-op, which will probably have little interest outside the winner’s hometown paper or radio station.

“Local newspapers in our area will use anything local,” one CCAer remarked. “A lot of times they need fillers and are glad to use something ‘soft,’ like us making a donation to a local charity or school.”

Likewise, announcing a new feed division manager may be of interest to the trade press, but not hold much interest for the general media.

CCA members also commented on:

Optimal length for a press release is about one to one and a half pages, most felt. “Don’t write an epistle — less is more with a press release,” one member said. Another commented that “pages” become irrelevant with e-mail. Still another raised the possibility of attaching both a condensed, one-page version and a longer version (for something like annual meeting highlights).
Reaction was mixed on making followup calls to reporters to see if a press release was received. One member reported getting good results with such calls, but several others said the practice is a definite “turn off” for editors and reporters, one even calling it “deadly.”
Making calls to media at least once a year to keep your distribution lists current is a must, several members stressed. A number of media services can provide current lists, “but the service is a little pricey,” another remarked. Some CCAers said they strive to update media lists with current names of editors and reporters, but others said they keep addresses generic (e.g., “Business Editor”) because staff changes occur so often in the media that it is hard to keep up.
One member said that whenever he visits one of the co-op’s plants, he drops by local media offices with an information packet that contains the co-op’s latest annual report, fact sheet and contact list, photo disc, recent news releases and press clippings. “It’s a good door opener,” he said.
When bad news happens, don’t wait until forced to issue a press release, most CCA members agreed. “It is better to get out in front and shape the story as you would like,” one commented. Another, whose co-op recently had to deal with a disaster, was asked if the co-op brought in a PR firm to help out. “There is no time to do that when disaster strikes — you better be ready with a plan in hand,” she responded.
When using quotes in a press release, make them substantive, or don’t use them, one CCAer urged. For example, skip quotes such as “We are pleased to announce the results of another truly successful year by our co-op.” These are fine in speeches, but there is no room for them in a press release. Instead, go straight to the point: “Sales and income both increased 8 percent last year due to greater demand for our feed products.”
“Radio is the best bargain there is for getting the word out to a local market,” a CCAer said, while another reported good results with her efforts to get co-op officers to serve as experts on local talk radio shows.
In addition to sending out the text of the release in the email message window, some also attach it as a MS Word file; pdf attachments can be more difficult for the media to work with.
“I always quiz reporters when they call me, asking: “How did you find out about me?” one member said.
When it comes to responding to articles your co-op doesn’t like, “pick your battles carefully,” one participant advised.
Post news releases to your website as soon as they are distributed to media.

One CCA member’s media philosophy summed up much of what was said at the roundtables: “We work every day to maintain strong media relations. It’s a never-ending job.”

January/February Table of Contents