Current events do present opportunities for media coverage. To see whether you can get involved requires you to analyze what you have and quickly identify what you can bring to the table that the media needs. Obviously you do not want to be scene as an ambulance chaser. But there are ways to get out in front of the news, regardless of what happens.

If you think about what media does in response to an event, they go through several stages of activity. Break these stages down and identify specifically what these activities involve.

On any event of note the media needs:

- relevant facts and explanation to provide insights into what this event means to the watching public

- expert commentary with an ability to assess and relate history and the past to the present and the future

- analysis of impacts and consequences

- opinion on what individuals, organizations and cognizant governments should or shouldn't do

- evaluation of developing trends and consequences

- prevention, protection, remeditation or financial protection ideas and strategies and remedies for the people involved directly or the next touched and the support network for both.

If you can clearly identify and then flesh out your ideas and credentials, you can send a fax or email and draw attention to yourself and offer to provide the information to the media for their use.

The real key is to not look backward but look forward. The actual news releases you write do need to contain some key information. Successful event follow-up news releases:

1. Have a short and to the point headline

2. they clearly state what, when, where, why, and how the ideas benefit the targeted impacted group of people

3. it also clearly states why the information is of interest to the media audience.

4. Provide a quick, solid, easy to use statement of facts, issues, analysis points, conclusions, questions and answers, talking points, or whatever it is you have to offer.

5. Presents your credentials quickly, which qualify you as an expert worth trusting.

6. Provides clear contact information (name, phone and email) that allows for quick booking of the interview.

7. Offers the media more free additional information quickly (review copies, white papers, pdf files, etc by web site, e-mail, fax, overnight).

You should send out your news release as soon as you can after the event occurs because the clock is running once the event starts.

One key guerrilla tactic, once an event occurs, is to create a likely timeline whereby you predict what will happen over time, and identify the key events and opportunites for your timely intervention. Then you pitch and let the media know what's going to happen.

For the Sunday tsunami and tidal wave situation, an expert in waterbourne diseases would be able to get out in front of the media needing this expertise simply because it can be calculated when the threat of disease will happen and when the media will need the help. The need arises two to three days after the event. What's next? What else will the media need by Friday? Sunday? Day 12 through 15?

The timeline allows you to factor in the lead time appropriate for the type of media you want to focus on.

The real key to recognize if you are going to try to jump on a current event, is that while your news release responds to something that just happened, you must not propose something that for the media is simply too late. If they already are covering it a certain way, then you can't propose something similar. You can't come in with something that is behind the eight ball. You have to come in with something new.

To do this you have to get out in front of the existing current media coverage. This is the crucial issue -- you have to get way out in front of what the media needs. You do this by anticipating what will happen and walking in with the proposed story idea in the nick of time. Only then will you be recognized and utilized. To make sure that you receive appropriate consideration, you can call in to a specific editor before you send a news release. Present the idea. Then you send it and then you call and follow up with the recipient editor.

Here's a true story.

Several years ago, cult deprogramming expert Mary Alice Chranalogar wrote a book called Twisted Scriptures. One week in March a cult group in Texas announced that God was coming on a spaceship and was going to take all the followers away in two weeks time.

To Mary Alice and family members, this news was a clear signal that mass suicides were being contemplated. Mary Alice had me send out a news release to the Texas and southern media. The headline: Heaven's Gate Suicides Can be Stopped.

A media circus resulted in Garland Texas that day, and the leader of the cult under significant media pressure caved in, came to the podium and publically acknowledged he was a fraud. Many many cult members were saved and successfully reuinted and returned to their families. The psychological bondage that held the victims was broken.

Remember that as with any other news release, you've got thirty seconds to communicate that a large number of people in the audience will be interested in the topic. With radio and TV you've also got to indicate
that you will be a great guest. The body of your news release must emphasize the words that create audio or visual word pictures so that the producers can imagine what the show would sound like or look like.

When you contact the media you must quickly develop an accurate understanding of who the audience is. Ask the media about their audience and the demographics of the population. If you know who the audience is
you can figure out what they will be interested in and you can pitch and emphasize the aspects that will interest the biggest audience possible.

So every day, pay attention, think about what is happening, and then think about the consequences of what is happening. If this happened today, then what will it result in two or three days from now.

Then think about what you can do to help people to the problem that is coming.

If you find yourself with the ability and interest in helping people like this, please contact me and I'll help you get in contact with the people that matter.