Have an upcoming event? Here's what you do, Ann Arbor!

Posted: Jul 12, 2012 at 7:45 AM [Jul 12, 2012]

 

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Non-profit and all the ships at sea (I have a son in the U.S. Navy):

 

To the best of my ability, here are the local media types your organization should contact for publicity.

 

In time, it would be appropriate and a courtesy to contact each one and suggest a time when the two of you could meet to explain more about your organization and to understand their policies.

 

Also, don't spread this list around carte blanche in your group; nothing annoys a media person more than two dozen people notifying them about the same event. Best bet, assign someone to be the media contact person from your organization.

 

A follow-up with them just to check that your information reached its destination is a good idea.

Ciao! Dale

 

2012 Local Ann Arbor Media Outlets

 

Note: These people are very approachable. I found introducing yourself on their turf pays big dividends down-the-road in getting your information published.

 

Mary Morgan, co-owner with husband David, Ann Arbor Chronicle, an on-line publication only, mary.morgan@annarborchronicle.com; 734.645.5368.

 

Paula Gardner, Editor, annarbor.com, paulagardner@annarbor.com; 734.623.2586; also, Cindy Heflin, Copy Editor, cindyheflin@annarbor.com, 734.623.2572.

 

Michelle Rogers, Editor, Heritage Newspapers (Ann Arbor Journal) mrogers@heritage.com, 734.734.429.7380

 

John Hilton, Editor, co-owner, Ann Arbor Observer, hilton@annarborobserver.com; John Hinchey, Calendar Editor (He works two months in advance); events@arborweb.com; both can be reached at 734.764.6825

 

Jim and Jan Taylor, husband-wife team that produces a diversity of monthly  publications Email: jan@jjadvpub.com - or - jim@jjadvpub.com, 734.769.0939.

 

Collette Jacobs, Publisher/Editor in Chief, Current and Family magazines monthly, cjacobs@toledocitypaper.com 734.668.4044

 

Josh Hakala, editor for M-Live, joshhakala@gmail.com

 

Julanne Fountain, President, Fountain Communications, Inc., target publications including the Michigan Builder, fountain@chartermi.net; 810-231-8380

 

Jeffrey L. Collison, Publisher, The Best of Aging, info@thebestofaging.com, Toll Free: 1- 800-330-3433 Fax 734.274.6030

 

David Crumm, former 30-year veteran of the Detroit Free Press where he reported on the impact of religion in American life, he founded Read the Spirit an on-line publication in 2007. David.Crumm@gmail.com 734.751.7840 or feature writer Terrance.Gallagher@gmail.com

 

Michigan Today Magazine (quarterly publication) Mtoday@umich.edu (quarterly publication)

 

Michigan Alumni Magazine - Check their publishing schedule - m.alumni@umich.edu; 800.847.4764

 

The University Record (faculty-staff weekly), Kevin Brown, Associate Editor, kevinbr@umich.edu; 734.764.4266

 

U-M LSA Magazine, Lara Zielin, Editor; Rebekah Murray, Assistant Editor. An outstanding publication; one of the U's best. lsamagazine@umich.edu; Phone: 734.615.6509

 

Lucy Ann Lance / Dean Erskine, co-hosts, 1290 AM radio, lucyann@lucyannlance.com, 734.717.2182 / dean@lucyannlance.com, 734.476.8020;

 

Thyrone, WAAM 1600 AM Radio, radio host, bcms@thyrone.com, 734.971.1600

 

Community Television Network (CTN), Alysha Schlundt-Bodien, Facility and Training Coordinator; aschlundt-bodien@a2gov.org; they have a diversity of means to publicize your events via cable TV; some training may be required 734.794.6150, ext. 41506

 

The Michigan Daily, Student Publications, U-M, News Desk; 734.764.1817

 

Finally, identify the "hook"- what makes your organization or event unique.  The old saying, "It's news IF man bites dog not vice-versa!"

 

Questions? I'm sure I missed some. Call Dale Leslie, 734.660.1023 daleleslie@comcast.net

 

See the special announcement below:

 

From: Michelle Rogers, Heritage Publications (mrogers@heritage.com<mailto:mrogers@herit age.com>)

 

Have you ever considered embedding your organization’s information for the media in a CAPZLE with headline, text, photo and/or video and audio?

 

And accompanying the embedded code that it generates to various media outlets rather than the traditional method of sending a photo and a press release?

 

"They would be visually more appealing and inviting and we would post them at:
Heritage.com<http://Heritage.com>, where we get an average of 430,000 page views a month and 5 million a year."

 

Check out the
website http://www.capzles.com/ , experiment and consider it.

 

I’d love to start receiving press releases in this exciting new format.

 

Call me with questions or comments - 734.429.7380.