| My Web site generally features eight new articles or | | | | When requesting press releases, be sure to |
| features every day, Monday through Friday, as well as | | | | encourage the PR people to include photos. I have a |
| a new opinion piece every Monday. Consequently, | | | | policy that an image appears with every story. Most |
| during an average week, I require about 40 new | | | | colleges and universities are happy to supply photos |
| articles and features and obviously, I can't write all of | | | | and if they don't happen to have one, I purchased |
| them myself. | | | | inexpensive CDs containing thousands of royalty-free |
| So how do I get them? | | | | photos from which I can select a generic image to |
| Simply put, I ask. | | | | illustrate a story. Occasionally, I've searched the |
| My site is devoted to higher education and where I live | | | | Internet for interesting images and asked permission of |
| there are 15 community colleges, four technical | | | | the owner to use it with a story. No one has turned |
| colleges, 13 public four-year colleges and research | | | | me down yet. |
| universities, and eight private colleges, universities, | | | | One important thing to consider is quality. Most of the |
| academies and seminaries. I don't work with for-profit | | | | content which I receive is well written and needs scant |
| institutions since their priorities are far different from | | | | editing, usually I only have to tweak them to match the |
| traditional non-profit colleges and universities. | | | | style I use on my site. However, there are some |
| All of these institutions generate a good deal of | | | | smaller institutions that haven't the resources to hire |
| information in the form of press releases. Competition | | | | trained writers who know Associated Press style or |
| for newspaper space and television time is fierce. | | | | who have worked as journalists. Often, these |
| Even our flagship university, deemed one of the top 10 | | | | institutions send in a terrific story that requires |
| research universities in the nation, can only get a | | | | extensive work. I always allow time for rewriting. |
| fraction of its research findings covered in the popular | | | | Occasionally, a story well be too disorganized or |
| press or on local television. | | | | incomprehensible and I'll simply discard it. |
| When I was first establishing my site, I spent an | | | | Because I aim for a statewide audience, some of the |
| afternoon building an email distribution list of all the | | | | information I receive isn't appropriate. However, I |
| public relations/media relations/marketing directors at all | | | | generally have five to 15 stories in reserve daily and |
| of the universities, colleges, academies and seminars. It | | | | consequently, each afternoon when I begin assembling |
| meant visiting each institution's Website and ferreting | | | | the next day's list I have a rich inventory from which to |
| out the name and email address of the appropriate | | | | pull my content. I have a policy of only one story per |
| person or persons. Time consuming, yes, but in the end | | | | institution per day. There are a couple of universities |
| I had a current and effective list. | | | | that send me as many as 10 fresh pieces a week, |
| My initial email introduced myself and my site with a | | | | which means I must select the best-of-the-best for my |
| clear and simple explanation of my intention to | | | | Website. |
| promote the state's higher education. I requesting press | | | | If you're doing a Website that deals with a particular |
| releases that would have interest beyond the confines | | | | industry or profession, consider approaching public |
| of their particular town or service area and asked to | | | | relations and media relations people in various |
| have my email address added to their media | | | | businesses and organizations within the industry or |
| distribution list. Since the PR people are always looking | | | | profession for your content. The PR people are there |
| for warm bodies to carry their information, at least | | | | to get out the word and you're Website is a vehicle |
| two-thirds of the schools added me to their lists | | | | for that very purpose. Getting information-rich content |
| immediately. | | | | is as easy as asking. |