Absolutely. Media people hate getting attachments. Do not send attached files until you have permission to do so. You want to send an ordinary, plain old email. No fancy HTML stuff in it. No attached files.

If you’re a reporter in a hotel room and you happen to be paying for Internet access by the minute, it’s incredibly expensive. When somebody you have never heard of sends you a huge attachment that can take 15 minutes to come through you find out it’s this press release that could have been sent in text, and besides which it has nothing to do with your magazine, you’re so mad.

There are other reasons why not to send attachments. Many people don’t open attachments due to concerns with viruses. Don’t do it until you’re invited to do so.

For more information on writing and sending news releases, look at Secrets for Getting Through to the Media Online.