Giving a Statement to the Media? Read This First.

Whether you’re responding to a company crisis, commenting on a breaking story related to your industry, or remarking about a big merger your company was just involved in, giving a statement to the media is often easier, quicker, and more helpful than writing a traditional press release. Releasing a stat… Read more

What’s a Media Advisory and Should You Use One?

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran who has written hundreds of press releases for your business or you’ve just finished sending out your first ever release, another press-related document exists that you might want to know about. It’s called the media advisory and depending on what you’re trying to acco… Read more

What to Include in the ‘Editor’s Note’ Section of Your Press Release (Including Examples)

Editor’s Notes in a Press Release

The editor’s note in a press release is where you provide additional context, clarification, or supplementary information to help journalists fully understand the context of a press release. It should contain information about the organization(s) involved in the pr… Read more

20 Redundant Phrases to Eliminate from Your Writing

I’ve always been a firm advocate for getting your point across in as few words as possible. Today’s readers are more pressed for time than ever before, and as it relates to PR, reporters are bombarded by pitches all day long, so the faster you can get to the point, the better.

Unfortunately, a lot of writers ha… Read more

Why Radio Interviews Scare the Hell Out of Most People and What You Can Do About It

They say most people have a greater fear of public speaking than they do of death. Think about that for a second. People are more afraid of speaking in front of an audience than they are of dying. That’s pretty wild when you really stop to think about it.

Not surprisingly, a lot of people are scared as hell of get… Read more

How to Win Journalists and Influence the Influencers

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it over and over until the day I die. If you want your press release to truly succeed—if you want to set yourself up to have the absolute best chances to reach the masses—then you need to get in good with the journalists. Blindly approaching and soliciting them simply w… Read more

Oops! The Writing Mistakes in Your Last Press Release

It can be frustrating when a press release you’re particularly excited about goes absolutely nowhere. But even if you’ve gone over the writing several times there are a few mistakes you’ve probably missed and that’s what kept it from getting picked up. Instead of getting mad or frustrated, let’s take a lo… Read more

Persistent or Pushy? Following Up On Your Pitch

You sent your press release. Now what? Do you sit and wait, hoping the journalist takes notice? Or do you follow up and risk getting on their nerves in order to gain recognition? To help you make that grand decision, I’ve composed the dos and don’ts of following up:

Do … follow up by phone. If you’ve neve… Read more

Why You Shouldn’t Say ‘No Comment’ to the Media

The media can prove a great outlet for free press for your small business, as you have probably come to realize from reading this blog. A well written, well targeted press release can get you the publicity you require to get eyes to turn your direction and get your products moving. However, when something go… Read more

Operation Mockingbird: How Much Can the Government Influence the Media?

In the early years of the Cold War, a secret American project called “Operation Mockingbird” began. This was a program intent on buying the influence of all major media outlets by recruiting and paying off news organizations and journalists. These men and women of the advertising world basically became … Read more