ABSTRACT
As we have said above, the vast majority of news releases are thrown away by journalists after nothing more than a cursory inspection. A busy newsdesk will receive hundreds of news releases each day, while a small local paper will receive several dozen. The journalists on duty will want to prioritize their time and reject any releases which do not ®t into their requirements. For a local or regional media organization this usually means local news which is current and is a good story. So you have to make your release stand out from the 90 per cent or so that are thrown in the bin. The meaning of news has been discussed elsewhere but really the ®rst question you have to ask yourself in preparing a release is why the editor of the newspaper, or radio/television station should give space and time to your story. Does what you are saying have implications for children or parents? If so, how many? Is it new information? Is it controversial? Is it humorous? Is it information which is current?
