From Mary's post under prize money:
Let's start a thread here on what works. Who has recieved media coverage and how did you do it. TV, local papers, articles in sailing mags. Give details... what formats, size, etc. Who did you contact.
The Media is lazy. If you want media coverage for your event or campaign you’ve got to write it yourself. You need to send out press releases that are well written. They should include lots of quotes from winners and other significant participants. You need to send out photos that are professional and of print quality. Finally you need to do all of this basically as it happened. If you wait two days after the fact it’s too late. This isn’t true for magazines as they usually come out about three months after the fact.
If you’re wondering why the only sailing news we see is about large keel-boats it’s because those classes are the only ones doing all of this. They have professional media people in charge of PR for their events. You don’t need to hire people to get the job done but you do need to get the job done.
Basically what Mary said.
The fact that the media is lazy is really a good thing for us. However, as you said, you have to write a good story that the editor can simply glance over and not have to work on, and then print it.
If you fill it full of self-serving promo stuff, it will be filed in the round cabinet that is emptied daily.
From the standpoint of Catamaran Sailor Magazine we are always amazed at how folks work and work and work at promoting a regatta, and then...Radio Silence. Not a word about anything for weeks and often months. What happened? Did a bomb land on the venue and wipe out all the sailors, RC and land crew?
Amazes me!
What folks don't realize is that getting the info out on Sunday nite or Monday morning is very, very important -- just as important as hyping before the regatta. Getting the info out quick gets folks interested in perhaps attending the next year -- in other words early promotion.
There are some that don't care about the media and think they don't help, but I really think they are dead wrong. The more good things you hear about a certain regatta, the more you want to attend in person. If you have never heard of the event, what chances are there of you ever wanting to attend?
I think the Worrell is a good example of what the media can do.., and it could do even more. It is one of the only events for multihulls that people not into cat racing know about. That is due to media coverage.