Regional use a lot of material originated by public relations, sometimes in the form in which it was sent. Many regional belong to a group of newspapers, such as the Thompson Newspapers Group, and syndicate material.
The role of the regional is not only to report national and international news if they are a daily, but to reflect what is going on in their area.
Weekly newspapers-the local story
Weeklies are concerned with local news and events. This is where reports of local horticultural societies, women's institutes, school governors, and local elections are news. National and international events are covered when they affect the local area. The staff is small and features such as cookery or fashion are usually from syndicated material or press releases. This is not to say that the standard of reportage is not high-but quality varies as does layout and printing. Weeklies will give you loads of cuttings to put before your clients. However, press relations people often inundate the client with cuttings from places so remote he asks where they are. Remote too often as well from the readers he needs to reach. If you persist in this activity, the client will soon cry: 'But I want some national coverage'.
Credibility
Paradoxically, the average reader seems to believe his local paper more than a national one. The national newspaper is remote, the events not within his area and thus less familiar and less credible. The weekly covers things he more or less knows about and it seems more often to be of more direct concern to him and his family than an event that happened elsewhere.
This gives an opportunity for your message to gain more attention from the reader and perhaps to make a deeper impression.
Women's publications
In any given week on the average stand of a local newspaper shop there is a choice of dozens of magazines directly aimed at women readers from Cosmopolitan, catering for the fashionable and liberated career woman to Women's Weekly for the perhaps more satisfied housewife. All these magazines cater for varying interests, and they offer an unexcelled place to tell your public relations story.
The role of women's publications is not only to inform about products, events and issues of interests to both women and men, but to discuss styles of living. Readers are relatively loyal to their favorite publication. Readerships are carefully delineated by age, interests, and geographical area so that advertising space may be sold. This means you can target your PR message to the right audience too.
Often seen at press receptions and 'at homes' for a client and his products, journalists from the women's magazines may appear young and rather silly or matronly and gentle. Don't let this fool you-these journalists weald a sharp mind and an even sharper pen.
Specialist magazines
Golf Magazine, Motorcycle World, Bike, Amateur Gardening-there are specialist magazines for everyone from the rat fancier to the rugby fan. Not every one of these may be stocked by every newspaper shop or bookstall in the country but they are available somewhere and are read.
Specialist publications do not exist on articles and news that is exclusive of everything but one subject. Hence, over a year, issues will carry articles and information which is marginal to the central interest of the publication. Specialist magazines are frequently overlooked when sending out releases or invitations to press receptions. On the other hand, banging out a press release and sending it to absolutely everyone is a waste of time. Often a telephone call to the editor of a specialist publication and then some follow-up, specially written information is far better.
The role of specialty publications is not only to inform, but to build enthusiasm for a particular interest or activity.
House journals
There are over 700 house journals published in this country, and some accept outside contributions. A marginal, but occasionally useful aspect of the media.
Trade and professional publications
These publish news and views of a specific industry, trade or profession, and usually are bought only by those sectors. Relevant new products, legislation, and competition are their stock in trade. If your client is in a trade, say baking, then you must deal with his trade journals; Clients are sensitive enough about what is said about them in the consumer press but when negatives appear in their own trade journal, the sparks fly at your next client meeting. Often clients think they know best and have the trade publication editor to lunch or ring him up with tidbits and gossip. At the same moment you may be trying to tell the same editor an agreed version of what is happening at your client's company. This overlap happens so frequently that you must be prepared to live with it. In my experience, clients will not give up their contacts amongst the trade media and they feel at their most confident when talking to someone from a publication in their own trade or profession. They then show you the coverage they got.
Professional journals support and represent a vested interest and run information about that which affects that interest. The British Medical Journal reports on the practice of medicine, The Accountant reports on accountancy and so on. They are open to your public relations efforts but only if the story you have to tell is directly relevant to their readers. The tone of your information and the authority with which you report it is important.
Readerships can be small and out of all proportion to a journal's wider influence in society. For example, the British Dental Journal has a small circulation compared with a newspaper, but is often an authoritative source for radio and TV comment.
