How to Make Sure Your Press Release Gets Noticed

If you're fortunate enough to be involved in a newsworthy discovery, you'll probably find yourself working with your institutional public-information officer (PIO) on a press release. If your PIO has been around a while, they probably know to email their astronomy-related news to the AAS Press Office for forwarding to our mailing list of more than 2,000 science writers worldwide. But many PIOs, especially recent hires and those at institutions that don't generate a lot of astronomy news, are unaware of the AAS press-release-distribution service. If you want your exciting results broadcast far and wide, it's in your interest to enlighten them!

The AAS press list includes reporters and editors at all your favorite publications and websites, including Sky & Telescope, Astronomy, Nature, Science, Scientific American, New Scientist, Discover, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, the BBC, Space.com, and on and on. Some, but not all, of these science writers receive press releases from other sources as well, but in surveys they tell us that they depend critically on the AAS.

So, next time you're involved in a press release, ask your PIO if they'll be sending it to the AAS, and if they reply with a puzzled look, point them to our website to read the article "Sending Press Releases to the AAS for Forwarding to Our Press List." Thanks!