Amara D. Angelica writes a biweekly column, "Countdown 2000," on Y2K for TechWeek (http://www.techweek.com). After covering Y2K since May 1998, she offers PR NEWS readers advice on planning media relations with a Y2K angle.
Less than 5 percent of my content originates from PR sources. Here are some tips for improving the odds that your information will make it into print:
1. If you make a claim, back it up with detailed technical analysis and evidence. Most of the claims in press releases for Y2K remediation and testing products are too vague to evaluate, so I ignore them. For example, here's a typical meaningless claim from a recent Y2K product press release: "Its unique mathematical search-and-fix technology cuts the number of lines of code requiring change by 95 percent compared with conventional tools" (no explanation or evidence provided).
2. Press releases for Y2K remediation and testing products should reference Y2K experts who have seen and preferably tested them, such as the Giga Information Group, CAP Gemini and the Gartner Group. If a vendor is not in touch with such experts, I tend to ignore them.
3. I don't monitor PR Newswire or Business Wire, since I personally find most releases from those sources irrelevant to my interests. I do monitor the daily Y2K WIRE, a free service to the media from The Year 2000 Information Center, http://www.year2000.com.
4. Releases should include a PR email contact and Web site where I can download detailed information. I don't have time for phone tag and snailmail press kits. Client Web sites should include a PR email address with a PRESS link on the home page (not buried somewhere, as in many Web sites).
5. Y2K vendors should prepare white papers that clearly explain the specific problem and how the vendor's solution is unique.
6. Regarding Y2K compliance status: almost every statement I've seen from companies and organizations is too vague to be credible. Compliance status should spell out the details, such as function points fixed, debugged and tested, and exact project schedule and milestones completed to date.