How to get your name in the paper

Michael Kanellos :: Perspectives | CNET News.com: "It's an age-old question. "We are one of the world's leading manufacturers of polymer-based rectifier diodes. How do we get better coverage in the media?"
News coverage is clearly more of an art than a science. Apple Computer commands less market share in PCs than Acer or Toshiba, yet Apple events and conferences generate the kind of frenzied news coverage that would make it seem the equal, in economic terms, of ChevronTexaco. When Sun Microsystems bought StorageTek, reporters and editors launched into detailed speculations on the meaning.

If Hewlett-Packard tomorrow morning said it planned to buy the Orkney Islands, the world would shrug.

Many blame the imbalance on media bias while others seem to claim the problem lies in how companies position themselves. In reality, both these factors play a role, but so do things like routine, jealousy and behavior.

So how do you get the media to work for you? Here are my rules and recommendations:

Every day is a new day.
Criticize your enemies.
Figure out who writes what.
Use both your first and last name on the phone.
Don't take it personally.
Rarely claim to be first.
Don't promise an exclusive a day later.
Let the execs speak.
Don't make up words.
Leak like crazy. "