Wed, 5 Nov 2003 -- Media Matters No. 38
Make lists!

We have just completed our look at how websites can help you disseminate information to reporters and editors. But many of the principles that govern what makes a good website also pertain to dissemination through news releases and reports.

One of the most important principles is one that public relations consultant Andy Goodman calls "Life in the Age of TMI (Too Much Information)." People today "screen out more information than they let in," he writes. People are in a hurry; they want things in fast, easily-digestible formats.

Editors know this. That's why today more and more articles in newspapers, and stories on TV and radio, are very short.

If you hope to provide information to reporters and editors that will make your studies and findings interesting, think of trying an approach Goodman suggests: Make lists out of your research findings, and present them to the media in that format.

"Lists have a unique way of taking the complex and making it orderly and understandable. The media inundate us with lists -- of box office leaders, top performing stocks, sexiest men alive -- precisely because editors recognize their consistent appeal," says Goodman.

"J . Jack Miller suspected that a list would bring attention to his field of interest, but he never imagined how much," Goodman continued. Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Miller wanted to release information showing that the quality of life in American cities is intrinsically related to their levels of literacy. "He assembled data -- from publicly-available sources -- that allowed him to rank the 64 largest US cities from most to least literate. When Miller released his data, "the resulting torrent of stories about his study is impressive, but what is even more eye opening is the amount Miller spent to publicize his findings," Goodman wrote. Miller spent virtually nothing.

Read more about how lists can work to publicize your findings by downloading this pdf file: http://www.agoodmanonline.com/pdf/free_range_2003_09.pdf -- to access it in an accessible format, go to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_simple_form.html and type in the URL.

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