Introduction to Free Publicity
There are many books on public relations and marketing. The problem is they are all written from the PR point of view. It’s a case of people outside the newsroom writing about life inside a newsroom.
I’m sorry, but any reporter will tell you that public relations people and journalists often see things from very different points of view.
That’s why I wrote this book. After two decades of covering the news, I’ve seen some outstanding made-for-TV events. But more often, I’ve seen some so bad it was obvious that no one involved had ever been in a newsroom—or even watched a newscast for that matter.
I figured it was about time a working journalist explained how news works. In this book, you’ll learn the secrets to getting coverage from someone on the inside. It’s the stuff they don’t teach in the PR courses in college.
By the time you’re finished, you’ll understand why we cover what we do. You’ll know how to get our attention, when to call and when not to, what to say and how to say it.
You’ll learn how to write a killer press release, how to stage newsworthy events, what to do once the cameras start rolling, and perhaps most importantly, what you can do to keep us coming back for more.
