Press release or just phone local paper?

[nearlyfourbob]

As some of you know - I have just become first person in NZ to get a Diploma in Early Childhood Music. I think that is local newsworthy in that any photos would contain small children - which are always lovely, and that from a local paper's perpective it happened here - not in Auckland!

So do I just call them, or email them a formal press release?

I wouls call first,get someones name ,then send them email.

Do both. When I set my business up from home, I knew my local paper would probably take interest in it, as it had a sort of 'local girl done-good' feel to it.

They rang me straight away!

If you log onto www.enterprising-women.org it has a great page on what a press release should look and read like.

Have the fact you're the only one to get the diploma in your title.

Then once you've sent it, ring them up and ask if they received it. Your local paper should have contact details of reporters and editors to send it to etc.

I sent my press release to the very local paper with a headline with xxx(name of suburb)teacher first to get new Diploma - and they called back.

For the bigger paper people pay for I put Christchurch teacher and they didn't. The again they are teacher bashing at the moment so I guess they don't want a nice story!