Most of us consume the news without thinking about how it’s gathered. We read headlines and see photos and videos online every day, often several times a day. We hear the radio headlines, and a lot of us sit down and watch the TV news at the allocated time, usually early and late evenings.

We now consume news in so many ways, a lot of it on our phones, and including social media and podcasts, news has never been more ubiquitous in our lives.

And yet, most of us have no idea how it’s gathered –  how editors decide the main stories, how journalists gather their information, or how the news is curated for us. And most of us don’t know how to get a busy journalist’s attention.

As a former journalist and now a Communications Consultant, I’ve learnt that journalists and PR professionals have a symbiotic relationship. They need each other. A good press release is worth its weight in gold; a good approach to the right journalist is the difference between success and failure in getting their attention.

Here are 10 things I have learnt over the years to get  the attention of a  busy journalist when promoting your event or media campaign.

1. A good short informative press release, with a strong headline, is the backbone of a successful campaign.

2. Promoting events is a step by step process – the earlier you plan the better. Don’t be a ‘last-minute dot commer’.

3. Ensure your event has an online link, whether it’s a website page, an Eventbrite post, or similar. Always link to it in your posts and press releases.

4. Social media makes it easier than ever to find and engage with a journalist.

5. The good old fashioned phone call is still a thing. Don’t leave it to email to contact a journalist. Leave a voice message on Whatsapp.

6. Contacts matter. Ireland is still small and connected. Build up a working relationship with a journalist, and use whatever contacts you have, whether it’s a cousin or a next door neighbour.

7. Knowing your target market is essential. Find your specialist journalist who covers your niche area, and they will get your event to your target audience.

8. Preparation of your key messages is vital. It’s worth the effort to hone down exactly what you want to say, backed up with facts, anecdotes and true-life stories.

9. Do your own visuals and videos – the media will eat them up. A short 30 second video is worth the time put in; don’t forget to put it on You Tube, the Google search engine. Take a few photos to go with the press release.

10. Remember journalists are busy people, but they are always looking for stories. Deadlines always loom, and remember their deadlines when approaching them.

PROMOTE LIKE A PRO is a 4-part live online training course which teaches you the fundamental skills of promoting your event like a professional PR person. You learn how to write a press release, contact the media, prepare for a media interview, and make a short video.

It’s delivered by award-winning journalist Aileen O’Meara, formerly RTE’s Health Correspondent and a Communications Consultant. Aileen’s media training business, the Rathdown Media Institute, is one of Ireland’s leading specialist media training companies.

Find out more about the Promote Like a Pro course here.