The Problem with Breaking News

The debt debate in Washington and the financial meltdown on Wall Street have been giving just about everyone jitters. And yet, what most of us see as "bad news" becomes good news to the 24-hour news channels and talk radio. The news media are thrilled to have another crisis to talk about, politicians offer no shortage of pithy sound bites and columnists and analysts tell us who's to blame.

So, what's the problem? Nothing, unless you had a news conference scheduled the same day the Dow Jones Industrial average takes a nose dive. It's almost impossible to compete with a story of such magnitude, one that affects so many lives and pocketbooks. So, can you plan around such events?

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Possibly, but most of the time breaking news is unpredictable. There will be times when no matter how well you plan, a more important story knocks your press release right off the front page, maybe even the back page. 

If it happens, just know that all is not lost. You may be able to repackage your news conference for another date or offer to follow-up with reporters one-on-one. With a little creativity, you can still generate some coverage.