Have you ever read a newspaper and wondered how the advertisements fit next to the stories? Have you watched television and thought, “How do they sandwich the commercials between the shows?” Surprise No. 1: advertising drives the media. News is written to fit around advertising. Have you ever been upset at something appearing in the paper or on television, and threatened to pull your subscription, or change the channel? Surely the media outlet won’t want to lose you! Surprise No. 2: publishers hate to lose subscribers, and station managers hate to lose viewers, but their bottom line isn’t affected until they lose advertisers. If you call a newspaper to “place an ad,” you’ll be transferred to the advertising department. Surprise No. 3: your event may run for free, if you submit a media release.