Local radio stations, newspapers and magazines can be a fantastic resource for raising awareness of events and if you’re participating in Capital to Coast 2012, it can be a great way to encourage your local community to get involved, support you and sponsor you.

Media lists

Start by investigating your local media. Newspapers and magazines will have a contacts page which will contain the details of the newsdesk and relevant journalists and often, their websites will display these details too. Local radio websites will also have a contact us page, so compile a list of relevant journalists and their contact details.

Press releases

Press releases are the standard format used to send information to journalists. This is a document containing the essential details about your event, and must include who, what, where, why and when. The press release should be no longer than one page long and must contain all your contact details so that they can contact you, should they require any further information. In this case, ensure that you also supply details of how people can sponsor you, so if you have a just giving page, put the details down.

We’ve written a generic press release here, so just download it and add your details in…
Click here for tips on writing a press release

Photographs

A great way to encourage coverage is to include an image to illustrate your story. If you can send over a photograph of yourself with your bike, or with your fellow riders, you will be more likely to receive coverage and be given more space.

Following up

When you’ve sent a press release to your media list, it’s always a good idea to follow it up with a phone call. Journalists receive hundreds of e-mails and press releases everyday, so it’s not surprising that they can lose track sometimes. Give them a call, check that they’ve received it and ask if it’s of interest. The worst they can say is no!

Good Luck!

Download this page as a Word doc. (for easy printing)...
Download the generic press release to edit and do your own PR...