How to Write a Media Alert and When to Send It

A media alert is generally a tool used by public relations professionals to get attention for an upcoming event. It is more brief, to-the-point and factual than a press release. It is usually used in tandom with a press release with the media alert being sent out the week of, or the day before the event. A newsroom person should be able to scan it quickly and understand the basic who, when, where and what of the event.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Set up the top of the media alert like you would a press release with "Media Alert" featured prominently in the top center or top right of the page. The public relations person's contact information should also appear on the top right of the page. This generally includes your name, phone number and email address.
2. Center the title of your media alert. Keep it simple, e.g., "5th Annual San Diego Mardi Gras Parade," or "Smith Company President to Announce New Board Members."
3. Outline the details of the event using "who," "when," "where," etc. as the headers for each section.
   
   WHAT: Describe the event in one or two sentences. If you need to have more than two sentences figure out a way to bullet out the information, e.g., activities will include, and then bullet them out.
   
   WHO: Describe either who is invited, e.g., families with children 2-12, or who is putting the event/press conference on.
   
   WHEN: Date, time(s)and price if relevant
   
   WHERE: Give description and address
   
   WHY: Add additional information here, e.g., describe if it's an annual fundraiser, etc.
4. As with many public relations activities, timing will play a large part in distributing your media alert. Ideally you will have already sent out a press release to relevant media. The media alert will serve as a "last minute reminder" for media individuals. Generally you'll want to send the media alert the week of the event ideally on Monday the week of the event. If your event takes place on Monday or Tuesday you may want to send it out a bit earlier. It's always a good idea to make follow up calls.

Tips & Warnings

• Write the media alert in AP (Associated Press) style if possible.
• I must stress that the document's readability will directly correlate to its success. It should be a succinct, clean one-page document.
• Media alerts work best for events such as press conferences, parades, concerts, town halls, sports events, etc.