Tag Archives: agility

Media News and Moves for January

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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MEDIAware, PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department newsletter, features recent media news and job changes in the industry. Here is a sampling of this month’s edition:

Sporting News Editor Garry Howard (twitter.com/SN_GarryD) announced this Charlotte-based publication would go to a digital only format on January 1st and no longer print the publication. Their content will be available online, tablets,smartphones and via apps. The last issue printed by the venerable pub was a college football bowl guide. Sporting News is online at: www.sportingnews.com and on Twitter at: twitter.com/sportingnews

Clear Channel (www.clearchannel.com) has cut several employees in substantial layoffs that affect many of its clusters including Chicago and Detroit. Layoffs in Detroit include Frankie Darcell, the Afternoon Host at Urban Adult WMXD-FM; Morning Show Producer Jenna Cork; Afternoon Host Kristin Burns; and Weekend Host Danielle Car at Hot Adult Contemporary WNIC-FM; Website Program Director; and Afternoon Host Eric Chase at Sports station WDFN-AM. Layoffs in Chicago include at least four on-air positions and elimination of an unspecified number of positions in other areas.

A childhood memory for many Boston viewers, Dr. Timothy Johnson is retiring from the airwaves at year’s end. Johnson has been with WCVB-TV since its inception in 1972. He is currently Medical Editor at the ABC affiliate as well as Senior Medical Contributor to ABC News. He also provides on-air commentary for ABC programs, such as “World News,” “Nightline,” “20/20” and “Good Morning America.” Johnson has received many awards during his distinguished career.

A new architecture magazine is launching. Residential Building Products & Technology (residentialbuildingproducts.com), a digital magazine, is scheduled to publish in mid-January 2013. Nigel Maynard (www.twitter.com/products_hound) has been named its editor. He was previously Senior Editor at Residential Architect and Builder. Maynard can be emailed at nmaynard@lf.com.

Caribbean Travel + Life has ended publication. However, some of the articles it covered will be found in Bonnier Corporation’s sister publication, Islands Magazine. Islands (www.islands.com/magazine) will increase its frequency to 10 times per year and produce two Caribbean-themed issues in May and November. It will also publish regional editorial in each issue.

WZTV-TV Reporter Erika Lathon was the victim of a robbery at a Nashville ATM earlier in the year. Lathon was shot in the left arm despite handing over her money to the two robbers. Lathon was able to drive herself to a nearby hospital to be checked out following the incident and did not need to be admitted. Police are still investigating the robbery, which occurred at a well-lit ATM. Lathon has been a Reporter with the Fox affiliate for a dozen years. Well-wishes can be sent to her at elathon@fox17.com. The ongoing investigation can be followed on the station’s website at www.fox17.com and its Twitter account at www.twitter.com/wztv_fox17.

Anschutz Corporation buys The Gazette (www.gazette.com) in Colorado Springs, previously owned by 2100 Trust.

The Orange County Register (www.ocregister.com) recently introduced a new weekly automotive section called Wheels. Susan Carpenter joins the paper as the Auto Critic for the section. Follow Susan on Twitter at twitter.com/OCRcarpenter.

Hearst renegotiates its contract with San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com) printing company Transcontinental, saving Hearst about $30 million. The new contract will take effect January 1 2013 and will not expire until 2024.www.newsandtech.com/news/article_a43a769….

The National Journal (www.nationaljournal.com) annnounced a plan for their future and unfortunately that will include ten more layoffs. They are planning to streamline their newsroom into two groups: one working for members and the other working for digital. National Journal is on Twitter at: twitter.com/nationaljournal/

Conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham (www.lauraingraham.com and twitter.com/IngrahamAngle) is taking a break from her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show” on Talk Radio Network (www.trncorporate.com). She plans to return to the air at some point but not with Talk Radio Network.

Nexstar Broadcasting (www.nexstar.tv) has laid off 15 staffers at its newly acquired Salt Lake City stations KTVX-TV and KUCW-TV, according to The Salt Lake City Tribune. The Tribune also reports the station’s accounting, research and traffic departments have been eliminated and will be handled by other Nexstar sites. The stations were part of a 10 station package Nexstar bought as part of a deal with previous owner Newport Television.

You can view the whole January issue of MEDIAware here: www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

And all of the Regional Updates here: www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

You can also follow all of the latest media moves and news from PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department on Twitter at: twitter.com/PRNmedia

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Listening: The Foundation of Agile Engagement

Posted on November 1, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Agile engagement starts with listening.

Content is the cornerstone of today’s communications strategies, but let’s face it – if the content is off the mark or isn’t seen by the intended audiences, your efforts were for naught.   That’s why we consider listening, targeting and distribution to be key fundamentals for a truly agile approach to communications.   Today, we’re going to dig into listening.  Listening is truly the foundation of agile engagement.

Listening:

Here at PR Newswire, we use the term “Social Echo” to describe the way messages reverberate around (and in some cases are amplified by) our audiences. As messages enter the stream of conversations, they’re shared by people in networks, sparking other discussions.  I think we can all agree that social conversations can make or break brands and products. Buzz (positive or negative) is a powerful thing. But that’s not the only opportunity for communicators.

I monitor social channels for discussion about PR and social media. This screen lets me see popular subtopics within that broader discussion.

If we’re tuned into what our audiences are saying and what questions they’re asking, we should be able to influence the direction these conversations take. And, of course, “tuning in” really means listening.  But listening is a pretty broad term, so let’s break it down a bit.

First and foremost, it’s imperative that communicators understand what audiences are talking about, and what questions they ask. Doing so will enable you to communicate in their context.  Failing to do so means you run the risk of being the corporate equivalent of “that guy” with the demonstrated knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Identifying hot-button issues and recurring industry complaints is another important exercise. In addition to identifying opportunities for the brand to be the hero, doing this on an ongoing basis helps communicators either avoid risky areas or meet them head on and mitigate the risks, depending upon whatever is appropriate for the objective. It reduces surprise.

Listening will also reveal to you the language uses – the keywords and phrases they use when discussing you segment and services – enabling you to literally be on the same page, which also delivers search benefits.

Where to listen:

  • Twitter – in addition for specific mentions, keep an eye peeled for discussions around new and established hash tags for your sector.  Making lists of key influencers can make Twitter more manageable, as can a social media monitoring dashboard (I use our own PR Newswire Media Monitoring service).
  • Forums and discussion groups – Discussion groups on places like LinkedIn and Quora are fantastic focus groups to which you should pay attention.  You may also find discussion groups hosted by leading publications or industry groups.
  • Search engines – okay, it’s not truly listening per se, but paying attention to what results surface for the keywords your organization has selected is a good way to keep tabs on competitors, influencers and fast-moving issues in your space.

Read our new white paper, “Earned Media, Evolved,” discussing how the transformed media landscape presents new opportunities for communicators to earn media.

Author Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the free ebook Unlocking Social Media for PR.

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