Know the Press-Part II

A campaign is often quickly judged by the quality of the information that it puts out, especially that information which is used to try to get FREE press coverage.

One big mistake is to shower the reporters with paper. To much paper shows that you have nothing of real importance to convey. Everything can't be important. At the beginning of your campaign, you as the candidate and your campaign committee sat down and formulated what were to be your issues for the campaign. Those are the issues you should be talking about. You don't want to get on the bad side of the reporters, because they can make their favorite pastime trashing you. It is great fun for them, but I guarantee you won't like it.

You need to establish credibility and a good working relationship with the reporters in your elective area, because they can make you or break you.

Also, whether the reporters and news desks like it or not, they do rely on news releases as a roadmap to a story.

Always include your name as the candidate and the office you are running for in a press release. Under that, include a contact telephone number they can call to get additional information if they feel they need it. Also, be sure you have it typed, double-spaced and free of spelling errors. Remember too that the shorter and more concise your message, the better chance there is that they will use your words and not their own, so try to keep a press release to one page in length. Put it on white paper, with black ink.

When given a press release, another thing you should know is that the reporter will take your words and go out to get the other side of the story...probably from your opponent. Be sure that everything you are saying is true, especially if you are saying something against your opponent and/or his/her record.

Large national or statewide campaigns can and do have press people working as part of their campaign staff. They are then responsible for all the different types of media and what is said, as well as how it is said. When you get to the district- and city-level campaigns, that usually is not the case. These smaller funded grassroots campaigns just don't have that kind of money. You therefore have to trust your own best judgment as well as the judgment of your campaign staff.

In the higher office races, the campaign's press people need to know the mail strategies, the polling results, and what the contents of the paid media is.

The best press release is supposed to make the reporters' and editors' jobs easier. They are always on a deadline and they will appreciate it if you help them with

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