PR Media Coverage

It’s easy for public relations firms to overestimate the impact of media coverage. Unless you land your client on the cover of Time or the front page of the New York Times, it can be disheartening to see how little impact a single piece of media coverage brings. My own history with media coverage is an e… Read more

Public Relations vs. Journalism: Clashing Agendas

It’s perhaps one of the longest running questions in public relations: How do you deal with a journalist who has an agenda? Some journalists do have agendas; columnists are paid to comment on the news and provide opinion, not just report the news. Even in traditional reporting, sometimes a persona… 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

Bill Gates, PR Bankruptcy, and Your Last Dollar

“If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.”
– Bill Gates, Microsoft Founder

Is your company or organization suffering from PR bankruptcy? Have you created or maintained goodwill with the media by proactively distributing at least one press release a qu… Read more

Who Should Write Your Press Release?

Writing a press release isn’t always easy. The public relations department, which must pitch the release, wants to have a say in its content. The subjects quoted in the release, often high-level executives, want to make sure they sound professional and intelligent. Business partners mentioned … Read more

Public Relations and Blogs: Controlling the Message

An era when data can be sent and received outside of traditional media outlets–via blogs, email, instant messaging, text messaging, camera phones, etc.–has created an atmosphere where truth is the prize. Those in the public relations industry must delicately balance the public’… 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

Exploring the Audio-Visual Side of Public Relations

Television interviews with great visuals instantly grab viewers’ attention. Yet many public relations firms fail to plan their visual content before approaching TV producers. In a multi-media world, public relations isn’t just about text-based press releases or well-written speech… Read more