Have you noticed what we've noticed? More and more media sites are using polls to engage readers and viewers. Facebook now offers users the opportunity to ask a "question" as part of their status. Friends can respond to the poll and share it with their friends.

CNN uses polls as part of its coverage of an event or topic, like this one. While not scientific, these kinds of polls do provide some further reflection on the part of the community that's viewing a story. With that in mind, here's a quick poll of our own. Please let us know what you think. Thanks!

"Nobody in the media pays attention to us." That might be your assessment of how difficult it is to get any news coverage of your company or organization.

Time to think outside the press release. If you haven't already, consider some unconventional ways to generate media interest. Here are three ideas:

Crisis Communications is more of an art than a science, because each crisis is unique. But there are general rules for responding to a crisis that really don't change.

Take Southwest Airlines, which has had to cancel hundreds of flights after a hole opened in one of its plane's fuselage during flight. As investigators check Southwest's fleet, the airline has posted several press releases on its site and has updated its Twitter and Facebook pages multiple times since the crisis began.

It's a vivid reminder of why it's important to have a clearly defined press room on your web site. The ability to post even quick updates helps you to get important information to the media and the public.  The story also reminds us of the value of social media to communicate directly with customers or, in the case of Southwest, passengers.