A media alert is a simple one-page piece that lets the media know of an opportunity to promote. It is very similar to a press release, but is just the basic facts.
Contact Information – make sure you include a name and phone number for the media to contact with questions. If you are the contact, make sure you do not have plans to be out of the office over an extended period of time, especially for a few hours following the distribution, so that you can respond quickly to media inquiries
Who – includes the organization name, executive directors, management, quoted sources, sponsors, speakers, etc.
What – the name of the event, what the event is about
When – includes day of the week, date, and times
Where – includes the physical address and directions on how to get there
Why – this information may not always be relevant, but it will be important if you are putting together a fundraising event or an awareness campaign
How –this may include the cost for the public to attend the event and how to get tickets (including who to contact, phone numbers or website information, times, and locations for purchases tickets)
Headline – the brief title of the release
Dateline – this is the date you send the release and the location from which you are sending it
Boilerplate – this is the paragraph at the end of the release and it generally describes your organization; the paragraph may contain the name of the organization, when and why it was founded, and any ongoing initiatives
From Texas Commission on the Arts
Media Relations 101
