PR & Media:  Options for distributing media material published February-March 2006 Increasingly, internal PR departments and PR agencies are under pressure to distribute media releases as widely as possible. Whether this in itself is a good or bad thing as another issue, the fact remains that journalists are inundated with media releases every day of the week. The cost of distributing these media releases, and the various means by which you can have them distributed is something that is coming under scrutiny The most basic option for distribution is to build your own list of media contacts and send the release to them yourself. However, the number of contacts found on most effective media lists presents a problem in logistics; eg: how are you going to find every IT journalist in Australia and a) know their contact details, b) know the specific topics they are interested in, and c) know if their contact details change or another journalist replaces them?  Another option is to purchase a list from a media company such as AAP MediaNet, Media Monitors, Rehame or Prodocom. Once you have purchased these lists you can either distribute the release yourself, or employ the media company to do this on your behalf. The benefits of doing this include the ability to distribute a release at any time of day or night, and a saving in the time it would take to fax and email multiple copies of the same release depending on the journalists’ specific preferences. It is worth noting that you can not simply purchase a list once and continue to re-use it month after month, year after year. Journalists move around and a list becomes out-dated very quickly. Another option is hiring a PR Agency and having them undertake the creation and maintenance of a media database from which they will distribute your releases. You may choose this as a “one-stop-shop” solution; requesting that the agency plan, write and distribute the release. Alternatively, you may simply utilise the expertise and up-to-date, extensive media lists the agency has to offer, and request they distribute only. An agency can advise you on the best time/format to send a release so as to best maximise its effectiveness. They can also offer a reporting service, allowing you to track the success of the release in terms of coverage. Below is a table displaying the different options available to you and the potential costs and benefits involved with each. For the purposes of this table, an example scenario has been chosen on which to base all prices and services available. Scenario: A press release needs to be distributed to all major metropolitan and large regional newspapers* throughout Australia. What method will you use?   AAP MediaNet Media Monitors Rehame Prodocom Internal PR Agency Est. fee $50 $22.00 for casual users $0 $0 $0 $0 FAX 1 Page $1.50 per recipient $0.60 per recipient $0.66 per recipient using media list   $0.55 per recipient using govt or industry list   $0.28 per recipient using your own list $0.60 per recipient per page to media list   $0.40 per recipient per page to your own list $9.00 (estimate based on 30 releases x 30c call cost) $9.00 (estimate based on 30 releases x 30c call cost) FAX Additio-nal pages $1.50 plus $0.50 per additional page up to 5 pages $0.60 per page per recipient same rates as above   $0.60 per recipient per page to media list   $0.40 per recipient per page to your own list     EMAIL 1 Page $0.45 per email $0.40 for 500 KB $0.66 per recipient using  any Rehame list $0.11 per recipient to your own list $0.10 per destination up to 250KB $0 $0 EMAIL With attach-ment $60 per attachment and an additional $0.45 per destination   No additional charge for attachments   $0.10 up to 250KB per recipient $0 $0 Add. Servi-ces Distribution to AAP Newswire $35.00 per state, per 400 words Boxed media releases to all members of Federal Press Gallery cost $60.00 for the first page and $20.00 for additional pages. No establishment fee for this service $0.28 per SMS recipient 160 characters SMS up to 160 characters, $0.25 per recipient on Prodocom’s media lists     Other costs           Labour: 1.5 hours x $150 p/h = $225** Com-ment   User is only charged for successful deliveries by fax or email     It may seem cheaper to send a release out yourself; but this doesn’t take into account the expertise, time and effort needed to develop a media database, and continually keep it up to date. Consider where you will get the details for the contacts on your list? You will need to pay a labour fee for the time taken to send out the release, but you’ll be taking advantage of the agency’s existing media database and knowledge of best times/formats to send in Our Conclusion: There is no quick and simple answer. The above facts and figures give you an idea of what each method offers, however individual companies will need to decide what is best for them based on all their different requirements. One important consideration however, is the quality and depth of any media list available to you. Can your release simply be sent to the editor or ‘news desk’, or does it need to be addressed to a specific, targeted journalist; and can the distribution method you choose provide for this type of personalisation? * Based on 30 as total number of publications ** Based on approximate hourly rate. This figure will differ between agencies

PR Influences Australian Public Relations Newsletter. Article: Options for distributing media release material. Information Content: Media & Media Relations