The Sunday for Monday

What is it?

‍It’s when you release a story on Sunday because it’s quiet in order to get more coverage on a Monday.

‍Why should you use it?

‍Primarily to get more media coverage. The news cycle may be 24/7, but there are still quiet times in the week. Every Monday morning there are millions of acres of online, and traditional print space to fill. Sunday is traditionally a quiet day of the week. In the news cycle it’s a time for review and reflection. Newspapers, TV and radio all take a look back to the week that passed and there isn’t as much news being made.

‍How should you use it?

‍There are a number of ways to get a Sunday story out for Monday.

Hold a Press Conference.

In a previous issue we talked all about how to arrange a press conference.  You would only hold a press conference on a Sunday if you had a really big news story. The advantages are that you are likely to get more coverage. The disadvantage is that you could get too much coverage - yes there is such a thing.

Issue a Press Release

This is the easiest way to get coverage on a Sunday. The rules of engagement change at the weekend. Many journalists work from home and newsrooms are quieter and there are less people working to check what’s coming in. I recommend issuing at 11am on a Sunday and always making a follow up call. You should issue to news desks and call the newsdesk to make sure they got the story. It goes without saying that the story should be of sufficient quality to warrant a follow up call. If it’s not, you are likely to suffer the brunt the joy of newsdesk charm. It’s even nicer on a Sunday.  

Offer it as an exclusive.

This one is simple. Early in a week find out who’s working on Sunday. Call the newsdesk and say. “I might have a great story for Sunday - who’s working?” That should usually get you an answer. When you offer it as an exclusive - make sure you ask them for a guarantee of them using it. Also give them 24 hours to confirm they will use it. That way you can ask someone else if they don’t want it. The trick is to pitch early enough in the week so that you can recover. At worst, you’ll get valuable feedback which will mean that you can either calibrate your story or bin it and find another one.

‍When should you use it?

‍When you have a good enough story that isn’t time dependent and could go on any day of the week. Also have a look at Monday’s media and guess which stories came this route it will sharpen your edge for trying this tactic.

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About MediaHQ

‍At MediaHQ, we are passionate about helping people maximise their media coverage. We have the contact details of every journalist, media outlet, producer and editor. If you’d like a demo on how to use the platform, email Gaye Gleeson on Gaye@MediaHQ.com or request your demo here.