Between the lines: garner media exposure that money can't buy.

• Author: Sutherland, Spencer
• Position: Business Trends

Everyone knows that you can't believe everything a company says about itself That's why communication-savvy organizations pitch stories to news outlets. They may not have the same control over the message that they would with an advertisement, but the credibility of a third-party endorsement can be invaluable.

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In the era of shrinking newsrooms, however, landing "earned media" for an event or product can be challenging.

"We've seen dramatic changes in newsrooms over last four or five years," says Steve Wright, director of public affairs at R&R Partners. "At a press conference or public rally, I used to see teams of reporters covering the event. Now we're getting a cameraman who brings a mic and asks a few questions."

While news outlets are taking a much leaner approach, Wright says that the quality of the end product has been largely unaffected. This can likely be attributed to extra work by the PR professionals pitching and preparing the story.

"It's now common that the press releases I write on behalf of my client are becoming the majority of the news story," Wright says. Beyond just providing the press with the narrative of the story, R&R often sends its own photographers and camera crew to get footage for stations that are too short-staffed to make it to an event.

News Still Has to Be Newsworthy

Just because news reporters are leaning more heavily on PR pros for production help doesn't mean they are becoming de facto advertisers. "News agencies know when something is more of an advertising event than a news event," Wright says. "They understand when you're trying to sell something."

If a business has a message to get out, it needs to ensure there is a newsy angle that will appeal to reporters and their audiences--which can be challenging at times. For instance, when the Utah Highway Safety Office asked R&R to spread the word about DUI prevention--a 40-year-old message--the ad agency knew it would need to try something new.

Rather than send out the standard press release about DUI checkpoints, R&R decided to do something more visual. The agency built a fake police accident scene at The Gateway, with a group of nine-foot-tall snowmen being smashed by the car of a drunk driver (complete with caution tape and severed snowman heads).

Not only did the display get plenty of attention from traditional media outlets, but it also spread virally as other organizations posted the pictures or the story. "Intermountain...