It's a simple concept really.  There's one catch.  You have to change your attitude about the media.  Stop thinking the media is your enemy hiding in the bushes to trip you up and disrupt your company's forward progress.

Instead, cultivate an open, transparent relationship with local reporters and media types.  They can be your company's best friend.  I work with a number of attorneys who've learned that free press generated from an effective, relevant press conference or press release can be a thousand times more cost effective and powerful than traditional ads.  If you collaborate with the press corps, they'll remember you so that the next time a news story breaks that impacts your industry, they'll call you for comment.  It's powerful stuff. 

I remember one case in point where a local attorney agreed to a radio interview that could have been hostile.  However, his honest, direct answers to the tough questions won over the reporters.  They even admitted on air that this guy knew what he was talking about, and was committed to his point of view, in spite of its initial unpopularity.  It made for a great interview and resulted in return engagements where he was able to pitch his ideas.

There are some simple rules to follow:  1)make sure the issue is important ie. it has relevance to the everyday lives of consumers 2)choose the appropriate media, 3)prepare for the tough questions and answer them honestly and thoroughly