I admit to having a weird hobby, and it involves traditional media.
I still read the newspaper no matter what town I’m in. I pick up a copy of the local fish wrap and read. But I do more than that. I count ads. I estimate ad inches. I look at and count the pre-print inserts. It all tells a story about the health of a newspaper.
I’ve worked on both sides (and then some) of the fence throughout my career.
I was a journalist, culminating as editor and publisher of a media group. I’ve been the editor for weeklies, dailies, web-only news outlets, magazines, and more. I’ve worked in PR, writing press releases, organizing events, and pitching stories to the media. I have also worked on the advertising side as advertising sales and as a media buyer. In these roles, I’ve received a few crazy requests from folks who wanted something from us.
Got a carburetor issue in my little tractor. Got a guy who worked on it a couple of years ago and did an excellent job at a reasonable price, but I’ve lost his card and don’t remember where I found him. So I did a Google Search.
The press release, long an important tool in the public relations toolbox still remains relevant. With the disruption in the news industry, I think a well-written press release is more relevant today than ever before.
As a professional writer, I’d hate to count how many press releases I’ve written and as a journalist with 20-plus years of experience, I’d really hate to count how many I’ve received. However, it is these experiences that inform how I approach writing a press release.
The customer is always right. I’ve heard this phrase throughout my life, as have you.
I served as editor and publisher of a group of small-town weekly and twice-weekly newspapers. One of our bigger specials of the year was the annual graduation section. We’d run a photo and bio of every high school graduate in our community. Alongside it was all manner of congratulations ads from businesses, parents, grandparents, and the like.