The need for ongoing press releases

The other day Acheick posted information on how to do press releases and it reminded me of something I'd heard years ago during the last big wave of media about the Family. Someone urged me contact the media so I did & the reporter told me in exasperation that the Family had really gone on the offensive & was sending him DAILY press releases, some of them several pages long. They were clogging up his fax machine. By speaking their lies so much & drowning the media in press releases they were squelching the truth. I don't recall if I sent a press release at the time but what the reporter told me really stuck in my mind.

I think if anyone here has sent a personal letter or has written anything in official format, to make sure to send it to every media outlet you can find. And if there is news like the breaking story about Claire Borowick being a sexual offender, that needs to go as far & wide in the media as possible. Each new bit of information should become a new press release. I'd suggest you make sure to always include the same core information in the new press release so they know it's the same story, but is an update.

Here are the guidelines for press releases, posted by Achieck yesterday:


Guidelines for Press Releases
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The Los Angeles Times receives hundreds of press releases every week. Unfortunately, The Times cannot guarantee to run any particular item, but a few simple procedures can help ensure that your release gets to the right editors and increase your chances of getting coverage.

What Is A Press Release?

In general, a good press release is a concise, complete description of an upcoming news event; a timely report of an event that has just occurred; notification of important personnel or procedural changes in an organization; or other news or feature tips.

What Is The Best Format?


Keep releases short.

Double-space.

Write clearly, addressing who, what, where, why and when in the first two paragraphs.

Identify the organization or individual sending the release and include the name and daytime phone number (with area code) of someone we can contact if we have questions.

Date the release and include whether the material is for immediate use or for release at a later date.

If you send materials to more than one of our sections simultaneously, attach a note telling us you are doing so. This will assist our editors in preventing duplication.

If the release is longer than one page, type "more" at the bottom of each page and identify following pages with either the subject of the release or the name of your organization.

Type "end" or "30" at the bottom of the last page.