Media relations are long-term work that delivers media mentions and links more reliably than a one-off press release blast. The basis is knowing which reporters cover the given topic, what they last wrote, and what interests them, and approaching them with a specific offer, not a generic company announcement. Availability is the most effective factor: when a journalist needs an expert comment on a current topic and the company responds within a few hours, a mention results. It is therefore worth having a designated person who communicates on the company's behalf, along with prepared positions on topics that recur in the industry. It also helps to monitor services where journalists publish requests for sources and to respond to them quickly and factually.
See also: Links from media and PR, Corporate crisis communication, Outreach.
