Embargoed Press Releases

Sometimes a public relations rep sends a journalist a press release that is “under embargo.” This means the reporter can’t publish a word regarding the contents of the press release until after a certain date and time. But in this day and age, journalists and public relations profess… Read more

Make Sure Your Press Release Contains “Just the Facts”

A press release is not an advertisement. A press release is a subtle piece of advertorial: a combination of advertising and editorial content. The point of advertising is to bring a product, service, or cause to the attention of a consumer, voter, volunteer, or contributor. It involves matching the righ… Read more

Build a Stronger Relationship Between PR and Journalism

It’s become a public relations mantra: build relationships with reporters. But journalists don’t want relationships. They deal with dozens of contacts and demanding deadlines each day; they don’t have the time or energy to “do lunch,” especially with public relati… Read more

Public Relations Basics: Dealing with Difficult Clients

Over the years, I’ve made friends with many people who work in the public relations industry. We’ll often talk on the phone about the PR business, exchanging stories and ideas. Recently I’ve had conversations with a number of these public relations pals, and all of them had a singular … Read more

Nine Mistakes to Avoid in Public Relations

Public relations is a difficult field. Your job is essentially to get journalists to do half of your work. There is an enormous amount of pressure on a public relations consultant, especially when things aren’t going well for your client or employer. Diana Turowski is a public relations professio… Read more

In Public Relations, It’s a Fine Line Between Gift and Bribe

There is nothing wrong with giving gifts–unless you work in public relations and your recipient is a journalist. There is a very fine line between a token of appreciation and a bribe. It is a line that once crossed can cause problems not easily rectified, problems that go beyond a public relations sn… Read more

Crisis Management Can Help Avoid PR Nightmares

When the phone rang at midnight, I knew something was wrong. The caller was a spokesperson for a large, public technology company based in Silicon Valley: “We’re filing for bankruptcy in the morning. I wanted to let you know. We’re announcing it at 7:00 AM EST. Get the word out.” … Read more

Using Plain Language in Public Relations

The Importance of Using Plain Language in Public Relations

Using plain language to communicate with journalists is not considered bland but effective. Whether your public relations campaign targets community or business publications, it is unlikely that reporters reviewing your press kit will be f… Read more

Story Proposals: Customizing A Press Release For Reporters

Who says a press release is the only way to court the media? Story proposals can sometimes be more effective when approaching your personal “A list” of journalists, presenting customized pitches that match their sensibilities and the news beat they cover.

While a good press release presen… Read more

PR Freak Outs: Keeping Calm When Dealing With Reporters

There’s really nothing funnier than a PR person freaking out. If you’re a journalist, that is. Public relations folk and journalists are very similar. Where journalists and PR people freak out is where the difference between the two beasts really becomes noticeable. Journalists freak ou… Read more