Tag Archives: blogger relations

Blog Notes: TV, Personal Finance, Style & Home Remedies

Posted on April 6, 2013 by | Leave a comment

roundup9Blog Notes is a weekly helping of blogs recently reviewed on PR Newswire for Bloggers. Would you like your blog reviewed? Tweet PR Newswire media relations manager Christine Cube at @PRN4Bloggers.

TV Fanatic is a big source for TV news, reviews, spoilers, photos, and information. “Our team of writers and programmers work around the clock to bring readers the latest stories, pics and quotes from the most popular shows on the air,” says the blog. TV Fanatic covers spoilers, exclusives, clips, casting news, and caption contests. Content is overseen by editor-in-chief Matt Richenthal, whose favorite shows include Lost, Modern Family, Friday Night Lights, and Dexter. TV Fanatic is owned and operated by Mediavine Inc., an Internet marketing company that specializes in entertainment-themed sites. It also has 866K likes on Facebook. Read the full review on PR Newswire for Bloggers here.

The word “oblivious” in the name of the financial blog Oblivious Investor might sound like a bad thing. This might imply a lack of knowledge or awareness. But in this blog, being oblivious is not a bad thing at all. The author’s goal is to direct readers’ attention away from day-to-day obsessions of the market. Be oblivious to that, and you’ll be ok. Additionally, if you diversify your portfolio and minimize costs, you’ll be even better off. The Oblivious Investor is written by Mike Piper. He’s married and lives in St. Louis. Read the full review here.

Stylonylon is the whimsical personal style, fashion and lifestyle blog of London freelancer Julia Rebaudo. Rebaudo has written for different media outlets, including Time Out, Elle and The Guardian. She says her blog is a “mixture of beautiful things that have caught my eye, interviews, occasional fashion news (new collections, trend & outfit collages, various edits), outfit posts, photography chat and Instagram pics” with an east London focus. It’s a fairly young blog, started last spring 2012. Already, Stylonylon has built quite a following with roughly 10,000 pageviews monthly, up from 1,000 pageviews just last October. Read the full review here.

fiveRemedies.com is dedicated to helping folks heal naturally with simple home remedies. It’s an interesting site, and it covers a lot of territory. In addition to remedies, other content includes organic living, herbal remedies, alternative medicines, homeopathy, naturopathy, and other forms of alternative and complementary medication. FiveRemedies.com is an online media firm owned by GoodWebDomains. There are no bylines or names attached to the extensive write ups on health issues. But it’s pretty cool what the site has to say about various ailments. Here’s one that I found interesting: Natural remedies for muscle strain and sprain. Read the full review here.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager with PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her at @cpcube or see what’s happening over at @PRN4Bloggers.

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Blog Notes: Design, Lifestyle, Travel & Medicine

Posted on March 25, 2013 by | 1 Comment

roundup8

Blog Notes is a weekly helping of blogs recently reviewed on PR Newswire for Bloggers. Would you like your blog reviewed? Tweet PR Newswire media relations manager Christine Cube at @PRN4Bloggers.

I find blogs everywhere. This blog candidate arrived by mail – a catalog from Design Within Reach. The content caught my eye pretty quickly. Then I noticed the blog URL. Design Notes is a look at beautiful architecture, stylish things, and interesting people. I also happen to appreciate the writing in this blog. The most recent piece posted by Gwendolyn Horton was on location with architect Michael P. Johnson. In the post, Johnson says, “One percent of buildings are architecture. The rest are just stuff.” Read the full review on PR Newswire for Bloggers here.

A Daily Pinch is a lifestyle blog written by “an over-achieving, list-making, gets it done gal.” The voice and brain behind it is Lisa Frame, a digital media strategist and community manager who manages the Toyota Women Influencers Network for the Clever Girls Collective, according to the blog. She’s been blogging since 2002. Her most recent post is entitled, Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer is My Life Analogy. “I’m not content to sit back and let life happen around or to me,” Frame says in her post.  Read the full review here.

Booked is the “random, specific and bemused” travel blog of Amy Welborn. One day, while pouring over upcoming writing assignments, Welborn decided she’d much rather be a travel blogger. So she started writing. Then she started traveling. And she kept on writing. It’s worth noting that this site is not a travel advice site. There aren’t many recommendations, either. This is rather an online repository for Welborn’s travels. She also doesn’t do pay for play. In her own words: ”What I won’t do – and you can depend on this – is do product-sponsored posts or reviews of items or accommodations that have been provided to me.  It is just not going to happen. You can trust that everything I experience here has been paid for by me.” Read the full review here.

The Doctor’s Tablet features “reflections from the frontlines of science and medicine.” It’s mostly written by faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University ”about what it’s like to be a physician in today’s rapidly changing world.” This includes the latest in biomedical research, medical education, and health policy, according to the blog. Editing the blog is a team of two: Paul Moniz, managing director of communications and marketing, and David Flores, social media manager. Read the full review here.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager with PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her at @cpcube or see what’s happening over at @PRN4Bloggers.

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Blog Notes: Politics, Food & Books

Posted on February 18, 2013 by | Leave a comment

2 17 blog notes

Blog Notes is a weekly helping of blogs recently reviewed on PR Newswire for Bloggers. Would you like your blog reviewed? Tweet PR Newswire media relations manager Christine Cube a @PRN4Bloggers.

Combat! blog is, at times, a political blog, but it also occasionally dabbles into a broader commentary on society. The tagline “oppositional culture for an occupied age” sums it up well. It’s not enough to say Combat! is eloquently written by blogger Dan Brooks. The voice comes across as a philosophy major who also listens to Wu-Tang Clan. It reads like a conversation … a great conversation … with an old friend … over beers. Read the full review from PR Newswire for Bloggers here.

A wise person once wrote, “Life [is] short, eat naked.” That person is foodie Jane Ko, blogger and photographer of A Taste of Koko. But Ko doesn’t mean eating naked in the literal sense. She tells readers not to be afraid to try food in its purest form. “Food culture is racing toward fancy, deconstructed, constructed, chemistrified food from five-star restaurants with with lavishly equipped kitchens,” she wrote in her blog. “Don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for five-star restaurants. But lower your standards and look past those fancy decorations and expensive ingredients and instead try foods in their original form or from a local eatery.” Read the full review here.

FiveThirtyEight is the New York Times political analysis blog by Nate Silver. Gaining its name from the number of electoral votes in a federal election, the blog offers news, insight and opinion. But more than anything, FiveThirtyEight is about numbers. Specifically, it’s about statistics. Launched spring 2008 during the primaries and run-up to the general election, FiveThirtyEight quickly established itself as a leading and respected voice in the political blogosphere. Read the full review here.

Read in a Single Sitting features book reviews, publishing news, author interviews, and bookish features. It’s managed and written by blogger Stephanie Campisi, a freelance writer and editor from Melbourne, Australia. Campisi asks on her blog: ”Have you ever found yourself up reading into the wee hours? Do you love fun, quick books that demand you read them right through without a break? If so, this site is for you: we’re dedicated entirely to fast, enjoyable reads.” Read the full review here.

Christine Cube is a media relations manager with PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube.

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Blog Notes: Hispanic Heritage Edition

Posted on September 14, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This week my focus is on Hispanic blogs. And that’s no coincidence. Hispanic Heritage Month is underway. Clearly, the Hispanic contribution to American society is immense.  Just look, well, anywhere! You’ll find it in politics and fashion and travel and food and entertainment, and, well, just about everywhere. And obviously there are a ton of great blogs out there documenting this. So with that in mind, let’s brush up on our Espanol and enjoy this brief tour of some of the best Hispanic blogs I’ve seen lately.

VOXXI is first and foremost a news blog, and an Hispanic blog second. The Hispanic community reaches far across our culture. Not surprisingly, this blog also covers a lot of ground. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories where Hispanic culture intersects with politics, entertainment or business. Stories about Marco Rubio might work, too, as they have a certified “Rubiologist” on staff. Check out the full review here.

The Other Side of the Tortilla is technically a food blog. It’s got the pictures and the recipes to back that thesis up. But, it’s also the story of a married couple. It’s also the story of discovering even that which could be quite close to you. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories around food, travel of photography. If you had a recipe for tortilla soup or something similar, that might work. But, I wouldn’t necessarily bank on it. Check out the full review here.

Dos Lives is an entertainment blog located in New York City. The name comes from the straddling of two (or “dos”) lives. This is a blog about the Latino experience, but it’s probably true of any cultural group in America. There is a desire to become a part of the larger society while still keeping true to one’s roots. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories about entertainment, music or film. Check out the full review here.

Curves and Chaos is a blog dedicated to life, travel, beauty and fashion. And speaking of fashion, it’s not the type of blog to cater to women who resemble a Barbie doll or some other unrealistic shape or size. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for anything to do with travel and fashion. And If I were to pitch clothing, I’d make sure it was the kind of stuff that real people would wear. Check out the full review here.

The Domestic Buzz is written by a mother and wife in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Not surprisingly, the blog deals a lot with matters of raising children and marriage. But, it’s a lot more than that, too. It deals with politics and the environment and education. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories that affect families, both inside the house and out. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter account.

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September Media Moves

Posted on September 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

http://prnbloggers.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/agility-logo.png?w=500

PR Newswire’s Audience Research Department continually updates our Agility Influencer Targeting global media database, with more than 700,000 journalist and blogger contacts.

The MEDIAware newsletter, published by the team each month and featuring media news and job changes in the last month, is now available. Here is a sampling of this month’s edition:

Anderson Cooper‘s daytime talk show has been renamed “Anderson Live”. (http://www.andersoncooper.com) The second season will feature rotating guest hosts and will be filmed live. His first guest will be singer/actress Beyonce.

Reed Elsevier, parent company of Hollywood trade paper, Variety has accepted a multimillion dollar bid from Avenue Capital to purchase the longstanding entertainment trade paper. Avenue Capital is the parent company of the The National Enquirer.

Check out Miabella Magazine (http://www.miabellamag.com), a new magazine out of South Florida spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief Gina Villani Addison (editor@miabellamag.com) (https://twitter.com/MIABELLAMag). Miabella is a bi-monthly magazine geared towards young women ages 14-21. The focus of the magazine is to provide help and guidance in gaining a positive self-image.

The new owners of the Orange County Register (http://www.ocregister.com) has approved 25 newsroom positions, including Movie & Resturant Critics, Business Editor and Auto Reviewer.

NS: Modern Luxury for the North Shore is set to launch in October. The publication will navigate the North Shore area of Chicago, highlighting the local businesses and personalities. Elaine Doremus (edoremus@modernluxury.com) (https://twitter.com/NSEditorinChief) will serve as Editor-in-Chief. For additional information visit: http://www.modernluxury.com/ns.

KXTV-TV (http://www.news10.net) in Sacramento, CA has launched a new weekend morning broadcast, which will be anchored by Kate Larsen. Follow the station on Twitter at http://twitter.com/News10_CA.

The Los Angeles News Group (LANG) has appointed Gene Warnick to the position of Sports Editor, which will expand his duties to oversee sports for all of the LANG newspapers. LANG newspapers include the Los Angeles Daily News, Daily Breeze, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun, Redlands Daily Facts, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News and the Whittier Daily News.

Good Morning America (https://twitter.com/GMA) Host Robin Roberts (https://twitter.com/RobinRoberts) said goodbye Thursday, August 30th as she is taking medical leave to undergo a bone marrow transplant from her sister. Roberts announced in June that she has Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a rare blood disorder that affects bone marrow. It was then announced there will be a series of guest hosts in her absence such as Oprah Winfrey, Kelly Ripa, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric and more surprise guests.

Live! with Kelly (http://dadt.com/live/) has announced ex-football player Michael Strahan will be Kelly Ripa‘s new Co-Host beginning September 4th. Strahan was one of 59 co-hosts who had sat next to Ripa during the past nine months after Regis Philbin left the show. He is expected to also continue his co-hosting job on Fox NFL Sunday.

Highlights Hello (http://www.highlights.com/highlights-hello-magazine-for-kids) is a new publication from the Highlights for Kids crew that is ramping up for a January debut. This pub targets toddler up to age 2 and parents with reading and picture activities and advice from pediatricians and other children’s experts. Christine French-Cully is the Editor: eds@highlights-corp.com

The Red and Black (and Blue?), the University of Georgia newspaper, is now run by Adviser Ed Morales, who is in charge of all editorial content. Editor-in Chief Polina Marinova and the staff of this student-run newspaper have quit in protest of the university’s decision to oversee the Red and Black (http://www.redandblack.com).

The Birmingham News is going through many changes. The new publisher, Alabama Media Group, has dropped the paper from a daily to a three-day per week publishing schedule. It will now be printed on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The paper will still be updated on its shared website, http://www.al.com/al.com,  which includes The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Press-Register in Mobile.

You can read the full September MEDIAware Newsletter here:
www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/medi…

And check out all of the Audience Research Group’s Updates by Region here:
http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/SeptemberAugust2012AgilityUpdatesbyRegion.html

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

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Inside PRN: Meet Blogger Relations Manager Thomas Hynes

Posted on July 24, 2012 by | 1 Comment

When it comes to building community, Tom Hynes is a natural.

More than a decade ago, Hynes single-handedly organized the Shippan Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving 5K in his Connecticut hometown to help benefit a local homeless shelter.   What began with a handful of runners in costume has grown in recent years to a few hundred participants (costumes encouraged, but not required).

Tom Hynes (right) and friends.

Of course, what’s a race without a colorful blog?

In addition to the race, this blogger relations manager stays pretty busy. Admittedly, he doesn’t get much sleep.

So what does the PR Newswire blogger relations manager do? Well, he blogs.

You can find Hynes’s work on PR Newswire blog, Beyond PR. He also keeps a personal blog and more than a year ago began with a friend another blog called Bike Gang! (Hynes manages the guest writers and riders who participate in it.)

But most importantly, the New Yorker said, he reaches out to and assists blogs.

“My favorite part of the job is anytime that I can help a blogger,” said Hynes, 32. “I also enjoy the writing part of it — writing blog reviews every week. I just jump into a subject, I get really into for a week, and then I walk away.”

Once in a while, he’ll receive a follow up from a blogger, saying that his write up summarized the blog better than anyone had ever done before.

“That’s really satisfying,” Hynes said.

Hynes got his start with PR Newswire in the editorial department in April 2005, and began managing blogger relations in March 2010.  Today, no two work days are alike. In addition to writing and keeping up with blogs, Hynes manages the company’s Tumblr page and PR Newswire For Bloggers.

On PR Newswire for Bloggers, Hynes loads releases, curates the stories there, writes blog reviews, and provides content for the blog.  He’s handy at troubleshooting with bloggers, helps the PRN sales team with assisting clients on the best ways to reach bloggers, freelances about PR-related material and speaks on panels. Most recently, Hynes spoke at PRWeek’s Social News Summit in New York.

To stay on top of the industry, Hynes attends conferences, tweets live, writes about the events, and shoots video blogs.

During Austin’s annual SXSW Interactive, Hynes shoots with Tom Miale, global account manager for streaming media with MultiVu, what’s become a popular series of five-minute daily video wrap-ups affectionately referred to as TnT. You can find the TnT videos on the PR Newswire YouTube channel.  A couple months ago, the duo shot a video on the social consumer.

Personally, Hynes is a loyal friend and has been in 11 weddings in the last couple of years. He anticipates at least a couple more by year end.

“Everyone calls me the male Katherine Heigl,” Hynes said, referring to the actress in 27 Dresses (2008).  Most recently, all this wedding experience has served him well. He profiled several wedding blogs on Beyond PR.

Hynes comes from an enormous family (I’m actually not exaggerating. He has only two biological sisters, but through his blended nuclear family with step-siblings and in-laws – Hynes’s total siblings number at 22). He literally has a chart – most might call this a family tree – but Hynes keeps a flowchart of his family nearby.

He also is a proud uncle to 22 nieces and nephews, with a 23rd “in the oven.”

Christine Cube is a media relations manager for PR Newswire and freelance writer. You can follow her @cpcube.

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CSR Blogs: The Business of Doing Good

Posted on May 4, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, is a somewhat new concept. For years, businesses and corporations were seen as having only one responsibility: profit. And, let’s be honest, that won’t ever go away. After all,  companies need to stay in business.   But things are transitioning. Maybe the environment is changing outlooks. Or maybe, the advent of social media and increased transparency is altering things. Regardless of how this came about,  corporate social responsibility is now part of the conversation. CSR, or “shared values”, is pervading into most corporate cultures. It promotes better communities and happier employees. Plus, it can’t hurt brand perception.  Not surprisingly, there are many great things being written on this subject. So with that in mind, let’s roll up our sleeves, lend a hand to those in need and take a brief tour through some of the best Corporate Social Responsibility blogs I’ve seen.

Realized Worth is a blog written by two CSR consultants. They spend their time, when not blogging, extolling the virtues and value of company-led volunteer work. And when they are blogging, they’re pointing out great examples of companies (and their employees) doing good.  If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories surrounding volunteerism and other examples of businesses empowering their employees as agents of positive change. Check out the full review here.

Sustainability Conversations is written by a PR professional in China. The blog aims to affect social change through communication. It’s a smart tactic. If behaviors are to change, mindsets must first be altered. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories relating to the PR industry’s relationship to corporate social responsibility. These types of stories that originated in Asia might do particularly well. Check out the full review here.

The Green Economy Post is a comprehensive digest of green industry news. If there’s something to do with sustainability, the environment, alternative technology, or some place where they all meet, you can expect to read about it on here. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look  for stories surrounding clean technology and alternative energy. Stories that sit at the intersection of business and the environment might also work. Check out the full review here.

Business Ethics Blog is not the start of a joke about oxymorons. Business and ethics actually can go hand in hand.  And in a lot of ways, they’d be smart to do so. Brand awareness and transparency are at all time highs.  Oh, and the environment could probably benefit, too. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories illustrating examples of businesses doing good work in their communities. Examples of companies empowering their employees might also work. Check out the full review here.

Earth & Industry don’t necessarily sound like two words that go together. However, these forces must work together if either are to survive. This blog outlines examples of sustainable businesses. In many ways, this blog is a look at what the future of business will look like. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories surrounding green technology, the solar industry and the impact business and the environment have on one another. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter account.

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Sports Blogs: Let the Games Begin!

Posted on March 30, 2012 by | 2 Comments

This week my focus is on sports blogs. And can you blame me? This is one of the great times of the year for American sports. March Madness is coming to a head, baseball starts its 2012 campaign in a few days, and both the NBA and the NHL are gearing up for their respective postseasons. Even the NFL draft is just around the corner. It’s a good time to be a sports fan. And luckily, there are a ton of great blogs out there reporting on just about every sport, both on the field and off of it. So with that in mind, let’s huddle up, keep our eye on the ball and enjoy this brief tour through some of the best sports blogs I’ve seen lately.

When back page sports stars make front page headlines With Leather is one of the first websites I check. But there’s more to this site than just scandals. I also go when I want to laugh, read something interesting, or see a great video. Truthfully, I’m there about once a day. If there were ever a tell-all book about a famous athlete, this would be the blog to pitch it to. Check out the full review here.

Inspiring Sports Women is a blog dedicated to the athletic achievements of females. But don’t go thinking this is a Barbie doll sports blog. Far from it. Take one look at the muy thai section (or maybe even the rugby) and you’ll soon see this is a serious sports blog. It just so happens to be dedicated to women.  Not surprisingly, if I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories highlighting women in sports. Check out the full review here.

BeyondU Sports is dedicated to the world of college sports. And let’s face it, sometimes they can be a lot more exciting than the professionals.  If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for anything to do with student athletes and/or higher education as it intersects with sports. Check out the full review here.

Deadspin definitely covers a lot of what happens during the game. But they also cover a lot of what happens outside of it. This blog takes on the content that ESPN might be afraid to touch. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for anything that touches on the lighter side of sports. Tell-all books or breaking scandals might also work. Check out the full review here.

Mets Blog is a great example of how most sports blogs are essentially hyper local. Blogging allows for publications like this to really focus on one team. Matthew Cerrone’s blog is a great example of a well-positioned site taking advantage of a rabid, at times downtrodden, fan base. If I were to pitch this blog, I’d look for stories about baseball or home run apples. But I’d leave out stories dealing with ponzi schemes. Check out the full review here.

That’s all for now. In the meantime, if there’s a blog I should be reviewing, drop me a line or a note in the comments, and I’ll take a look. Until next time…

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations. And as you may have guessed, he has a twitter33 account.

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