Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is a news release?
- A: A news release (also called a media release) is a document issued to the
media, financial community, trade and industry analysts, investors and/or
consumers to announce a product, partnership, acquisition, event, personnel
appointment or other newsworthy item. Public companies issue news releases
to the financial community when they need to disclose "material" information
simultaneously. Editors, reporters and journalists depend on releases to
alert them to unique products, trends and changes in the business landscape.
News releases, normally written by a company's public relations professional
or its public relations agency, are delivered to journalists and analysts
for review. If the journalist or analyst finds the announcement of value
they may contact the company for more details and/or an interview. This may
result in the company being mentioned in an article or broadcast.
- Q: What audiences will my release reach?
- A: Print and Broadcast Points: Each release can be distributed through AAP
Medianet directly into the computer networks at daily newspapers, news
services, magazines, television stations and radio stations. Sorting by
topic, industry, geography, keyword and other criteria enables reporters and
editors to quickly hone in on useful content for their newscast or print
product.
- Industry Trades: Releases can be sent automatically to suitable vertical
markets. Utilising fax, e-mail and the web, trade reporters can select a
broad array of news or tightly control their selection of releases by topic
or keyword to mirror their area of expertise.
- Q: How does my release reach the media?
- A: An email alert for your press release can be delivered using either your own
specialist media contact list, a Wieck supplied media list or through the
AAP MediaNet distribution service utilising both email and fax delivery.
- Q: Can I add recipients to my alert list?
- A: You can add clients, your own staff members or agencies to any of your lists
for email alerts at any time.
- Q: When should I issue a news release?
- A: A news release can be used to announce a variety of information. Consider
the following examples:
- * New product or significant modification to an existing product
* Changes in corporate identity, such as company name or logo
* Joint venture
* Changes in corporate structure (new division or subsidiary)
* Corporate opinion (opinion on industry trends)
* Features
* Events (open houses, tradeshow involvement, speaking engagements, awards)
* New funding
* Personnel changes
* Corporate philanthropy (volunteer work, donations)
* Hiring of agencies (public relations, accounting, law firm)
* New partner
* Significant new customer
* Media advisories
* Milestones (customers served, years in business)
* Round of funding received by the company
* Increase in market share or revenue
- Q: Why do I need Wieck Australasia to send out my message?
- A: Using Wieck Australasia ensures your information is available 24/7. It gives
the media somewhere to access the raw material needed for their stories.
Wieck Australasia's association with AAP Medianet also provides a powerful
tool for companies who want their message to be heard. When you use a
commercial newswire like AAP MediaNet, you're putting your release where
journalists look for news from all types of industries and organisations.
The AAP Medianet feed is delivered directly to central editing computers at
daily newspapers, news weeklies, wire services (like AP, Dow Jones,
Reuters), trade magazines and broadcast newsrooms. A smaller organisation
that may not be on the radar screen of many journalists can grab those
journalists' attention by positioning their releases alongside those of
widely followed newsmakers.
- Q: How do I know that my release has been sent?
- A: You will receive confirmation once Wieck Australasia receives your news
release and you will receive another confirmation letting you know the exact
time your release went live on the web site.
- Q: Does Wieck Australasia write the news release?
- A: No. The company submitting it writes the news release. Some companies also
opt to hire a PR agency. Communications professionals in-house or at PR
agencies can perform many different services for your business including:
writing your news release, pitching articles about your firm, planning
special events and community involvement, conducting market research. Wieck
Australasia can help you find the resources you need to facilitate press
release activity.
- Q: Do you guarantee that the media will publish my release?
- A: No. Unlike advertising, where you are purchasing coverage in a publication
or broadcast, with public relations it is up to the media to determine
whether or not they will run your story. Coverage, or "pick-up", in a
publication or broadcast will typically carry more weight with your target
audience than an advertisement because it is considered unbiased third-party
information. In most cases distributing a news release is far less expensive
than purchasing ad space.
- Q: We already have an established corporate Web site. Will a Wieck-managed digital newsroom hamper our branding efforts?
- A: Not at all. Wieck will follow your branding standards to develop a highly functional media resource that appears as a seamless section within your corporate site.
- Q: Does Wieck do temporary digital newsrooms for special events?
- A: Absolutely. Global clients like The Coca-Cola Company and General Motors consistently look to Wieck to manage the tremendous volume of media traffic that comes with special events such as the Olympic Torch Relay.
- Q: We already have a digital newsroom. Why should we use Wieck?
- A: We offer fully searchable sites that are strategically designed to cater to reporters and editors on deadline. We also offer comprehensive technical and editorial support for our corporate customers as well as media users.
- Q: When we make a big announcement, important details can change quickly. Can Wieck keep up with the changing information?
- A: Yes. Our founders are wire service veterans, so we understand the importance of keeping your information and images as current as possible. All it takes is a phone call or e-mail to our seasoned editorial staff to have us make critical changes on the fly.
- Q: Our company has a large media-relations staff and a large IT staff. How can we justify using a third-party vendor like Wieck?
- A: Wieck efficiently handles the mundane, time-consuming tasks related to media delivery, freeing your PR and IT staff to concentrate on higher-level activities. And, does your IT department really want millions of outsiders to have access to your system?
- Q: Do you handle dark sites?
- A: Yes. Dark sites (crisis-response centers that remain invisible to the public until they’re needed) can be your company’s saving grace in the event of unexpected media interest. Unlike most internally managed corporate sites, Wieck Media can take the hits when Web traffic to your virtual newsroom surges.
