MEDIA TIPS

	Many factors influence the outcome of submitted news or information, such as breaking news stories, relevance and advertising. The media tips below will assist you in understanding what affects contributed news or information.
	•  Newsrooms have control over their end product and how it is delivered to the consumer, however they don't control the timing of breaking news stories or staff who leave.		•  Make direct contact with a journalist to brief him/her on the circumstances of a story, event or issue if you think that it will have widespread appeal and interest.
	•  All newsrooms work to a deadline. The deadline is the cut off point in which the media go to pre press production; radio and television go to production prior to broadcast.		•  Recognise that on any given day a news team can cancel or postpone an appointment due to breaking news.
	•  There are only two things that will delay a deadline. A major breaking news story of extreme public value or interest or a mechanical system failure.		•  Newsrooms have a high turnover of staff. Who you spoke to last month may not be there the following month. Follow up submitted information if you haven't heard back from a journalist.
	•  Make it your business when working with your local media to find out the deadline of each of them.		•  At the time of an interview you can ask a journalist to repeat back your quotes. There are occasions when what you have said isn't exactly what you mean.
	•  Newsrooms have journalists working at all hours. Some start from 6am and work up until 8.30pm while other editorial and production staff work later. All newsrooms can be contacted with major breaking stories at anytime.		• Generic email or faxed media releases to a newsroom are usually deleted or put in the rubbish bin. Targeting local newsrooms with local content has a much higher success rate.
	•  News and information submitted to the media will always be changed to accommodate available space and preferred writing style of individual media companies.