News alert is a way to get notifications about news articles on topics that you choose. You can set up as many alerts as you want and Google will notify you every time the topic appears on the web, including blogs, news articles, videos and scientific research. You can also select the frequency of your alerts and choose to only receive updates when they are new or changed.
When a group such as a faith community or historic preservation organization is hosting an event that they believe should be covered by the media, they send a news or media alert. This is an email aimed at journalists and news agencies that highlights the “who, what, when, where and why” of the event, aiming to pique the interest of reporters so that they attend or report on it.
In the digital age, there are plenty of publications competing for the same readers’ attention. As such, it is important to remain neutral and not lean too heavily towards one side of an issue in a breaking news alert or else you may be seen as biased or untrustworthy.
Be sure to include key details in the media alert, such as the date and time, location and any relevant hashtags. You can also include a link to the event or initiative’s website for more information, and ask someone with a sharp eye to proofread it before sending. Follow up with a phone call a day or two after the news alert to ensure that any questions have been answered and that your message is getting through.
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