You might as well try to get free coverage from one of the many media outlets on campus.  If you’re having a great event or your group just got first place in a big competition, consider sending a press release to the local media.  If they think it’s newsworthy, you could get a little free press.

Some media outlets to consider:

Maneater
Phone: 573-882-5500
Fax: 573-882-5550
www.themaneater.com

Columbia Missourian
Phone:  573-882-5720
Fax:  573-882-5702
www.columbiamissourian.com

Columbia Daily Tribune
Phone:  573-815-1700
Fax:  573-815-1701
www.columbiatribune.com

MUTV
Phone:  573-882-3629
www.mutv.missouri.edu

KOMU News
Phone:  573-882-8888
Fax:  573-884-8888
www.komu.com

KBIA (radio)
Phone:  573-882-3431
www.kbia.org

There are dozens of examples of press releases online, but they should all include your name, phone number, email address, and organization at the top, followed by a title and several concise paragraphs about whatever it is that you’re trying to promote.  Don’t get bogged down trying to explain every little detail, but focus on what makes your event newsworthy.  “Newsworthiness” is different for every media organization, but some general criteria for a news story to have include:

• Impact (are a lot of people affected?)
• Timeliness (did it just happen, or is it about to happen?)
• Prominence (does it involve a well-known person or group?)
• Novelty (is it something unusual or strange?)

Try to address as many of these criteria as possible when writing a press release.