Sunday, November 11, 2007

Chapter 9 : Print Media Relations

Number One Medium:
Despite the rise of the Internet and electronic media, print still stands as the number one medium among public relations professionals?
Many departments at newspapers and magazines use news release and other publicity vehicles compared to the limited opportunities on networks TV
The Internet and YouTube generations have become dominant members in the society

Public confidence in the media dissipated as time wore on

Media Malaise

Power of Publicity
Mass media have lost relative influence to other proliferating alternative communications vehicles,

the fact remains that securing positive publicity through the media still lies at the heart of public relations practice

Publicity is more credible than advertising

A primary responsibility of a public relations professional vis-à-vis the media is

to help promote the organization when times are good and defend the organization in times of attack

This requires ready working knowledge of what drives the press
Objectivity in the Media
Total objectivity is impossible

By virtue of their role, the media view officials, particularly business and governments spokespersons, with a degree of skepticisms

Journalists should not be expected to accept on faith the party line
The reporter wants the story whether bad or good

The organizations, on the other hand, want things to be presented in the best light

Because of this difference, some executives consider journalists to be the enemy

The Internet Factor
The Internet has complicated this relationship
Dealing with the Media
It falls on public relations professionals to orchestrate the relationship between their organizations and the media

They can be confronted in a honest and interactive way to convey the organization's point of view

An organization must establish a philosophy for dealing wit the media
You should keep in mind the following dozen principles:


1. A reporter is a reporter
2. You are the organization
3. There is no standard issue reporter
4. Treat journalist professionally
5. Do not sweat the skepticism
6. Do not buy a journalist
7. Become a trusted source
8. Talk when not selling
9. Do not expect news agreement
10. Do not cop a tude (do not have attitude with reporters)
11. Never lie
12. Read the paper
Attracting Publicity
Publicity through news releases and other methods is eminently more powerful than advertising

Publicity is most gained by dealing directly with the media, either by initiating the communication or by reacting to inquires

Publicity differs from advertising
Advertising costs money

Since you pay your ad, advertising allows you to control the following:1. Content: What is said and how it is portrayed and illustrated

2. Size: How large a space is devoted to the organization

3. Location: Where in the paper the ad will appear

4. Reach: The audience exposed to the ad, how many papers the ad is in

5. Frequency : How many times the ad is run
Publicity is by no means a sure thing:

1. Publicity is not free

It costs only the time and effort expended by public relations personals and management in conceiving , creating and attempting to place the publicity effort in the media
2. publicity which appears in the news carries the implicit – third party – endorsement of the news sources that reports it


Publicity is not perceived as the sponsoring organization's self-serving view, but as the view of an objective, neural and impartial news sources
Value of Publicity
For any organization, publicity makes sense in the following areas:

1. Announcing a new product or service
2. Reenergizing an old product
3. Explaining a complicated product
4. Little or no budget (frequency)
5. Enhancing the organization's reputation
6. Crisis response
Pitching Publicity
The activity of trying to place positive publicity in a periodical - converting publicity in to news is called pitching

The following hints may help achieve placement:

1. know deadlines
2. Generally write, do not call
3. Direct the release to a specific person and editor
4. Determine how the reporter wants to be contacted
5. Do not badger
6. Use exclusives but be careful
7. When you call do your own calling
8. Do not send clip of other stories about your clients
9. Develop a relationship
10. Never lie
Pitching Online
1. Start with a techno-savvy media database

2. Avoid sending spammed e-mail, first send a brief e-mail identify your

3. The more personal the pitch, the better

4. Links

5. E-mails newsletter in publicity efforts
6. Do not ignore Internet-based news websites

7. Reuters should not be ignored

8. Web Libraries are but another publicity tool

9. Do not forget discussion forums

10. Consider the cyber media tour
Dealing with the Wires
Wire services are compulsory vehicles for distributing news
In preparing copy for paid wires, public relations professionals must consider the following

1. Always include headlines
2. The lead is critical
3. Identify the stock symbol. This is the key to database entry (Nasdaq for Microsoft)
4. Include contact names and numbers at the end
5. specify timing
6. specify target
7. check for accuracy
Measuring Publicity
After an organization has distributed its materials, it needs an effective way to measure the results of its publicity.
A variety of outside print and online services can help:

1. Media directories
2. Press monitoring bureaus
3. broadcast transcription services
4. Media distribution services
5. Content analysis services
Handling Interviews
The following 10 do’s and don’ts are important in newspapers, magazines or other print interviews

1. Media directories
2. Press monitoring bureaus
3. broadcast transcription services
4. Media distribution services
5. Content analysis services