9.0 Unpaid Media

OVERVIEW

Unpaid media or earned media refers to publicity gained through avenues other than paid media advertising.

SOURCES OF UNPAID MEDIA

Unpaid media can come from radio, television news, and/or newspaper. Accessibility to unpaid media may be obtained through Public Information Officers (PIO) in your region, a press release, or by submitting a news article for publication to a local newspaper.

PROCEDURE

The procedure for securing unpaid media may vary and can include the following methods:

The TZM can submit content directly to news organizations. This approach increases in effectiveness as the TZM builds relationships with media personnel. News organizations receive large amounts of content and are selective in what they cover. As a TZM becomes a trustworthy resource the likelihood of a media outlet covering content provided by a TZM increases.

In some regions, an existing network of PIOs are willing to write and distribute press releases on behalf of the Target Zero Task Force. The advantage for the TZM is that PIOs typically have longstanding relationships with media outlets and increased access to media.

For an annual fee a service like FlashAlert provides a system of distribution for events and story via the internet to media channels of your choice.