Developing a relationship with any person of the media requires time. The best way to begin this time process is to first create a media list of those publications, or broadcast editors, writers that you want to reach.

Then start providing newsworthy press releases about your company to them.

This may seem very basic, but this is the method most accepted by the press. Once you have sent the releases, follow up with a phone call. The call should be to ask if they received the release. Mention what the subject or content is about, but don’t try to tell the entire story.

If it is interesting to them, the editor or writer will ask to re-send it via email, or traditional mail. Sometimes you will be asked to contact a different person in the media department. This gives you another name to add to your media list.

Many times it is accepted to send these contacts an email telling them that you are sending a press release. Just mention the subject matter with a brief (one or two sentence) description.

Be considerate of their time and appreciate their position. The media people receive many releases per day and are approached by pr firms and companies to write a story on their specific topic.

So if your release doesn’t make it through the clutter, be patient. As I said earlier, relationships with the press takes time.