Effective news releases by Brigid Sanner

A mainstay of most communications and marketing programs, the news release allows health and wellness groups to control the information they issue to the media. Through this vehicle, an organization can decide what it wants to say, when it wants to say it, and to which media outlets it wants to direct its news. Yet sending out a release does not always lead to media interest or coverage. Also, once sent, a news release can sometimes take on a life of its own. As a result, an organization may feel a loss of control over how the media decide to cover this news.