Tag Archives: media relations

Media News & Moves for May

Posted on May 15, 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:

Fort Lauderdale’s South Florida Sun Sentinel (http://www.sun-sentinel.com) won the prestitgious 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its outstanding series “Above the Law: Speeding Cops”.  The series led to numerous police officers being suspended and one who got fired for his excessive abuse of speed. Investigative Reporter Sally Kestin, Investigative Editor John Dahlburg and Database Editor John Maines were part of an entire team at the Sun Sentinel that worked on this series. You can read the winning series here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/speeding-cops/

The Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com) won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News with its coverage of the Aurora Movie Theater mass shooting last year.  The Pulitzer cited the Post’s use of social media, video and the written word in their winning coverage of the story. You can check out their winning coverage here: http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2013-Breaking-News-Reporting

The Alcohol Professor (http://AlcoholProfessor.com) is a new blog about liquor, spirits & ale. It was started by beverage connoisseur Adam Levy (https://twitter.com/AlcoholProfessr) who also founded the New York International Beverage Competitions. The sites main contact is Senior Editor-in-Chief Amanda Schuster (alcoholprofamanda@gmail.com).

Minneapolis’ Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com) won two 2013 Pulitzer Prizes for Local News and Ediorial Cartooning. Glenn Howatt, Brad Schrade and Jeremy Olson won the Local News Pulitzer for their work on a series about the rise in infant deaths at Minnesota day-care centers. You can read that series here: http://www.startribune.com/local/150283965.html. And Steve Sack won the Editorial Cartooning award. You can view a bunch of his great political cartoons here: http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2013-Editorial-Cartooning

Columnist Daniel Ruth and Editorial Editor Tim Nickens won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for the Tampa Bay Times (http://www.tampabay.com). Their op-ed pieces and columns were a campaign that helped reverse a decision to take fluoridation out of the water system in the area. You can check out pieces of their work here: http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2013-Editorial-Writing

The New York Times has made its own crossover as for the first time ever, they have published an article in Spanish. “A Drug War Informer in No Man’s Land” will go down in NYT history.
You can read it in Spanish here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/us/mexico-dea-fugitive.html or in English here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/us/us-mexico-dea-informant.html?pagewanted=all 

Representing The New York Times in the category of Investigative Journalism, David Barstow (barstow@nytimes.com) and Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab were selected as Pulitzer Prize winners for their year and a half long project which centered on Walmart’s interests in Mexico. The journalists investigated the Multinational Retail Corporation’s use of coercion as a means to gain a competitive advantage in Mexico. Eventually, the exposé led to an investigation by the Justice Department into whether Walmart violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

A series of 10 articles which covered the business practices of Apple and other technology companies, won a group of journalists at The New York Times a Pulitzer Prize in the category of Explanatory Journalism. The series focused on the question of whether or not the United States could be considered a lucrative place for innovators to manufacture new products. Apple’s choice to employ cheaper manufacturers in China, passing over the opportunity to invest in the United States’ turbulent job market, was one example used in the series. The reporters included Keith Bradsher (https://twitter.com/KeithBradsher), David Barboza (barboza@nytimes.com), Charles Duhigg (duhigg@nytimes.com), David Kocieniewski (kocieniewski@nytimes.com), Steve Lohr (lohr@nytimes.com), John Markoff (https://twitter.com/markoff), David Segal, David Streitfeld (https://twitter.com/DavidStreitfeld), Hiroko Tabuchi (https://twitter.com/HirokoTabuchi), and Bill Vlasic (vlasic@nytimes.com).

The Pulitzer Prize in the category of International Reporting was given to David Barboza (https://twitter.com/DavidBarboza2), Shanghai Bureau Chief of The New York Times. Barboza composed a series of articles that focused on the overwhelming wealth which many of China’s top leaders have kept in hiding. According to Barboza, over the span of a year he “pieced together hundreds of names and a web of connections among more than 100 companies found in China’s official financial records.”

Sports Reporter for The New York Times John Branch (https://twitter.com/JohnBranchNYT) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in the category of Feature Writing. Branch composed an article entitled “Snow Fall: the avalanche at Tunnel Creek,” about a fatal avalanche in the Washington Cascades. Branch combined text, online video and graphics to vividly illustrate what took place.

The Pilot newspaper in Southern Pines, N.C. is launching yet another magazine. It already publishes PineStraw and O. Henry. Now it adds Salt magazine to its line-up of cultural publications. As with the other magazines, Jim Dodson will head up Salt as Editor. The free, monthly magazine is scheduled to launch later this month with a distribution of 18,000.

Following up on a Charlotte, N.C. story previously reported on in MEDIAware, the FCC gave final approval on the sale of WYMT-TV and WJYZ-TV to Fox Television. With the ruling, the stations were free to hire more personnel. Lynda Grahl was chosen as VP of Finance and Jay Abbattista was added as VP of Sales. Both report to the previously hired GM Karen Adams. As a result of this purchase by Fox, another local Charlotte station, WCCB-TV, will switch affiliations from Fox to the CW this summer.

There have been two personnel changes at the Cooking Channel and Food Network. VP of Digital for Emerging Brands Mark Levine (mlevine@scrippsnetworks.com) has been promoted to VP of Programming and Multiplatform. And new to the stations is Todd Weiser, who was hired as VP of Programming and Development. He arrives from Animal Planet, where he was previously Director of Development.

After 21 years in print, The Rhinocerous Times (http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com) is now an endangered species. The publication originally had two editions: Greensboro and Charlotte. It folded the Charlotte edition back in 2008. Now with a growing debt, the Greensboro edition is closing as well. The website will remain but for how long is not known.

Culture Critic Philip Kendicott of The Washington Post won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. In one of the articles submitted for the award Philip examined the use of controversial photographs in the media. You can read the piece here: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-27/entertainment/36016736_1_images-subway-track-pleasure

Aereo (https://www.aereo.com)has been hit with a copyright lawsuit by almost every major network trying to prevent Aereo from creating a free streaming of their content. This is something to keep an eye on, as it can change the way networks will distribute its content if Aereo wins the case.

KSL-TV, the Salt Lake City NBC affiliate, has announced on its Facebook page as well as its website that it will no longer air episodes of the network series “Hannibal.” This decision was made due to the extensive graphic nature of this show. The time slot will be replaced with a special edition of KSL 5 News at 9 pm. “Hannibal” is a TV show about serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a literary character created by author Thomas Harris and initially made famous by the movie “The Silence of the Lambs.”

KMOV-TV in St.Louis won the 2012 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award. Craig Cheatham and Jim Thomas won in the category of “Ware Zone: The Destruction of an All-American City.” Read more at http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/kmov-wfaa-win-ire-awards_b86802

Mike Herrera, Long-time New Orleans broadcaster, passed on April 6 at the age of 66. Herrera who for the last five years served as an engineer at WWL-TV previously worked as a staff announcer, Weathercaster and Producer/Director at WVUE-TV for more than four decades.

William Glaberson says farewell to The New York Times. His 25-year career at the newspaper came to a halt on April 26th. He most recently served as Court Reporter, throughout these 25 years he covered Guantanamo Bay and the Crown-Heights trail.

Highly respected Chicago Sun-Times Movie Critic Roger Ebert has passed away. Over the course of his expansive career, Ebert hosted various television programs such as “Sneak Previews”, “At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert”, “Siskel and Ebert and The Movies”, alongside Gene Siskel, and the series “Ebert & Roeper & the Movies”. He also produced his most recent show, “Ebert Presents: At the Movies”. Ebert was an author of more than 20 books and won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

Nils Larsen has stepped down as CEO at the Tribune Company. He managed Tribune local stations, WGN America and WGN Radio. Jonathan Wax has been named Senior Vice President of scripted programming for WGN America. Wax currently serves as Vice President of drama development at Twentieth Century Fox, Inc.

Edible Milwaukee, a new magazine set to launch its May issue, will focus on the production, distribution and consumption of food in the greater Milwaukee area. The magazine reaches out to the local and regional food consumers and buyers who are zealous about food quality. Jen Ede will serve as Publisher and Editor for the quarterly. You may reach her at jen@ediblemilwaukee.com or http://ediblemilwaukee.com.

You can view the whole May issue of MEDIAware here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/

And all of the Regional Updates here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/May-2013-Updates-By-Region.html

You can also 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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Casting a Story: How Journalists Select Subject Matter Experts

Posted on April 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

If sourcing a story is like casting a movie, experts are like celebrities. They can impart gravity and credibility and eloquence that the facts can’t on their own. They can boost ticket sales.

But finding the right expert is easier said than done. Subject-matter experts, like celebrities, don’t pick up the phone for everyone. But good reporters know when and how to work the phones and email to put top sources in their stories.

How do they do it? To find out, we recruited reporter Bob Van Voris, a legal reporter for Bloomberg News.

Bob Van Voris of Bloomberg News and John Hazard of Contently

Van Voris, a former practicing attorney, was the featured speaker at a freelancer meetup we co-hosted with Contently. He shared his advice on and experience with finding sources, vetting their expertise, identifying the ones that will give you great quotes, and more. It was a great event, and Van Voris was generous with his time and experience.

Here is a recap of some of his insight and advice. A tip of the hat to Contently’s John Hazard, who did a great job moderating the discussion.

What was the source that was farthest afield from what you were covering?

What I was at the National Law Journal, I was covering a story about a lawyer in California who developed a practice specializing on litigation involving penile augmentation gone wrong. My editor suggested I contact a mohel.  So I did, and I awkwardly asked him what happens when there’s a mistake. Needless to say, he really didn’t want to talk about it. I went back and convinced my editor that the story didn’t really need a mohel.

But when you’re writing about something that’s complicated and you need to explain it to readers, you don’t want it to sound like a seminar. If it’s dry, you need people who can make it understandable. You need to give readers something a little fun, a little compelling.

How do you identify someone who will give you a great quote?

It’s definitely trial and error. First, start with a pool of people to choose from. You can find them through ProfNet, or on the lists of people who attend conferences on the topic. Talk to a few of them and see how is good at expressing the point in a way that will appeal to readers. You have to put in the time and talk to people.

Of course, sometimes you don’t have that luxury and you have to talk to a specific person. If you aren’t getting what you need, don’t be afraid to bring them to the same point two or three times. Ask them, “How would I tell this to my mom?” to get them to simplify. Sometimes, by the second or third time through, they’ll be a lot looser and will give you a better quote.

There will be conversations that will go nowhere, but those can still be useful because you can learn about the topic, especially if it’s something you’re not too familiar with.

What about using other reporters, like at niche publications, as sources?

Members of the local press are good sources for background; trade magazine reporters are too. They know the gossip, and they like to talk about what they know. They like to talk.

How do deadlines affect this “audition” process? I would imagine you have very tight deadlines at Bloomberg.

I often have three bylined pieces a day, so I don’t have a lot of time for those. But for my second-day stories, I find ProfNet to be a good tool. I’ll put out a query in the morning, and when I’m ready to start in the afternoon, I have several emails waiting.

What do you do when you hit the source “wall” and you don’t know whom to contact?

I recently had to get sources quickly for a story covering a gay-marriage case in the Second Circuit. It’s not ideal, but I’ll look at who has been quoted in the Times that I can contact quickly.

How do you then make sure you get something unique?

You try to get them off their talking points. Anyone on a wire deadline will have two or three go-to people. You’re not going to have a really deep interview with them. The interview will be two minutes long, and you’ll get a good quote, but those people tend to get over-represented. That is a really good reason to go on ProfNet, go on Google, call two or three new people — so you’re not getting the same people.

On a short deadline, the important thing is getting your call answered or getting a call back in two minutes. The source who is new to you today might be a regular source down the road.

How do you vet the experts who’ve responded to your query?

If I’m on deadline, it’s pretty ruthless. If I get 20 emails, I can kind of sort through them just by their responses. You don’t want people who have been in every newspaper or program.

You can check their education, what kind of committees they’re on, their résumé, if they’ve written about the topic. You can’t spend hours on it, but you need to do it. Sometimes I do it while I’m on the phone with the source.

I don’t want to sound like a commercial (and they didn’t ask me to say this), but I like ProfNet because the people are motivated and they know how it works. Responses usually come from PR people. You can tell them, “Here’s my story. Make sure the expert really fits. Give me an idea of what they have to say.”

My biggest fear is, I don’t want to be played; I don’t want to look like an idiot. Anytime you have a new source, you need to question them about their position, but you also have to use your instincts.

Have you ever been played?

Yeah, sure. Back when the AGs were suing tobacco companies, there was one guy who would spin you aggressively and would tell you things that would make you look dumb. When that happens, or when someone lies to you, you freeze them out.

Do you ever have trouble getting someone to talk?

You’d be surprised what people talk about. If you ask a question, people will usually help you out. I’ve always been shy, and I was nervous about talking to people in the beginning, but people like to share their knowledge. They do have a vested interest in getting publicity, too, but people also like to get their knowledge out.

How do you balance getting a story out quickly vs. doing the best story possible?

Everybody is a wire service now. The good thing is, you can always update. You can get the story out now and then add depth later.

Who decides, you or your editors?

It’s a mix of both. I have to be satisfied with my story, but sometimes my editors will say, “We need another voice.”

Do you ever give experts quote approval?

I always let them see the quote, but I’ll never let them change it or take it back. But it’s not an adversarial relationship. You don’t want to make them look bad.

Sometimes they do try to edit the quote. What I’ll do is say, “OK, let’s talk about this a little more,” and I might get a better quote.

I do sometimes run paraphrases by them if it’s not something I fully understand, but always by phone. And I never show them the story – just the quote.

Do you get quotes by email?

Yes, but it’s not going to be the freshest quote. It’s going to be labored. If I do use a quote I got by email, I will mention it in the story for the readers. I think it’s kind of dishonest not to tell them.

ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, connects PR professionals with journalists and writers in need of subject-matter experts.  Each month, ProfNet users are quoted in hundreds of media outlets, ranging from major newspapers like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times to trade magazines like Risk Management and QSR magazine.  Users receive queries about potential story opportunities daily, and can manage the type and volume of queries received.  Want to know more? Get a quote or request a free trial at: http://www.prnewswire.com/profnet/profnet-experts/

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Media News & Moves for March

Posted on March 5, 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:

Over the past few years Newsweek Global (https://twitter.com/Newsweek) has endured several foundational changes including a 50/50 partnership with The Daily Beast in 2008 and the groundbreaking announcement of plans to go digital late last year. With a new year and a new digital Newsweek and Daily Beast on the horizon Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown (https://twitter.com/TheTinaBeast) unveiled a new name — NewsBeast.

Beginning in March, readers will notice one notable Editor missing from the Vogue (https://twitter.com/voguemagazine) masthead. Managing Editor Laurie Jones announced that February 28th would be her last day with the mag. Before beginning her iconic tenure with Vogue, Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour was hired by Laurie Jones at New York Magazine. Later Wintour brought Jones over to Vogue where she would become Managing Editor.

The International Herald Tribune, the New York Times Company’s 125-year-old Paris-based newspaper is getting a name change. This Fall the paper will be known as The International New York Times. In addition, the brand change will combine forces between the New York Times website and the Tribune’s to create one international news site for the rest of the world outside of New York, You can check out the newspaper here: http://global.nytimes.com and https://twitter.com/iht.

Global pharmaceutical company SCRIP Intelligence (http://www.scripintelligence.com) names Brett Chase US Companies Editor. Chase was previously Deputy Managing Editor for Crain’s Chicago Business, Deputy Business Editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, health industry team Assignment Editor for Bloomberg News and Milwaukee Bureau Chief of the American Banker in Chicago. Contact Brett on Twitter at https://twitter.com/brettchase

A rash of television station re-designs have occurred this past month with three in the South being updated. WTVC-TV in Chattanooga, WXIA-TV in Atlanta and duopoly WDRB-TV/WMYO-TV in Louisville have all recently undergone renovations. WTVC-TV in TN now features a high definition set with LED color changing lights, large back-lit graphics and a 1×4 strip of monitors in the Weather Center With a rear projection screen.NBC affiliate WXIA now includes a new Gannett graphics package. Also, the set has color changing, frosted plexiglas and flat screen monitors including a large freestanding 3′ by 4′ monitor array. While construction on the set of the Louisville stations has just begun, it is scheduled to be expanded by 11,000 sq. ft. The existing facility dates back to 1980 and is too small for the station, which has grown considerably in that time.

Being a field reporter has its dangers. Just ask News 14 Carolina Reporter Caroline Vandergriff. Vandergriff was struck by a car while reporting on a story about severe weather in the area. While reporting from a major intersection in Charlotte where the traffic lights were out due to the storm, two cars collided after one lost control and struck Vandergriff. She was immediately taken via ambulance to the local hospital where she ended up staying for a week. She is back at work now.

Entertainment Weekly announced two veteran Contributors would bid farewell to the Time Inc. magazine. Senior Writer and Film Critic Lisa Schwarzbaum was the first to accept a buyout package earlier this month. Shortly after TV Critic Ken Tucker followed suit. Tucker was a member of the founding staff of the magazine in 1989. According to Adweek, the buyouts are a result of a 6% overall cutback set in place by publisher Time Inc.

WSB-TV in Atlanta is just one of the many companies in Georgia donating to the relief of tornado victims.After a tornado struck down in Bartow and Gordon counties, the ABC affiliate donated $50,000 to the Red Cross to help victims of the tornado, which spawned winds of more than 135mph. The epi-center of the storm was in Adairsville, Ga., where three fatalities were reported.

WKYT-TV in Lexington is adding another newscast to its line-up. The CBS affiliate will now air news 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. This makes two early afternoon newscasts in the market with WLEX-TV of NBC being the other. WKYT-TV’s news will be anchored  by DeAnn Stephens. She was re-hired specifically for the show. She can be emailed at deann.stephens@wkyt.com. Stephens also can be heard on WBUL-FM in the morning. A pioneer in Carolinas television passed away last month.

Reporter Jane Harrington-Smith passed away at the age of 62 from heart failure. Harrington made history as the first black female Reporter/Anchor at Winston-Salem, N.C. station WXII-TV in the turbulent 70s. She also hosted a weekly program called “Shades of Ebony.” She worked there for six years before moving to Indiana. She worked at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, covering such big stories as the Mike Tyson rape trial in 1992. Harrington was a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville and a member of the Black Professional Journalists Association.

Last month, Reporter Ann Mercogliano (http://twitter.com/AnnMercogliano) departed WCBS and sister station WLNY-TV. This month she join joins WPIX-TV (http://pix11.com/) as a freelancer. She will be reporting both mornings and evenings when needed.

Ken Tonning, the President and General Manager at Tampa’s WTSP-TV announced he will retire in July. Before joining the station in 2008, Tonning worked for stations including KUSA-TV in Denver and WXIA-TV in Atlanta where he was the Sales Manager. Beginning his career in 1974, he was credited for altering traditional journalism and pushing the envelope of newscast reporting. http://www.wfla.com/story/21058646/gm-of-st-pete-tv-station-to-retire-in-july

In a strange twist, Orlando’s WKMG-TV hires the son of an Anchor at a competing news station. Justin Warmoth joined WKMG as a News Reporter with the blessing of his father Greg Warmoth who is the Anchor for Orlando’s WFTV-TV. Surely journalism runs in the genes of this family. http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2013/02/wkmg-hires-son-of-wftv-anchor-greg-warmoth.html

The Web Producer at WFOR-TV, Dave Game has passed away. Dave was only 57 and leaves a long legacy in the industry. Game, a veteran journalist, came to WFOR in 1985 where he served as a General Assignment Reporter, Investigative Producer and Reporter. He is accredited with creating one of the first broadcasting websites in South Florida for WFOR. http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/02/06/longtime-cbs-miami-web-producer-dave-game-dies-at-57/

WTVT-TV Channel 13’s Andy Johnson has left the Fox TV station after over three decades with the company. Johnson joined the station in 1979. A native of Tampa as well, the low key retired Meteorologist has not spoken on his plans hereafter. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/content/wtvt-ch-13-forecaster-andy-johnson-leaves-air-today-after-33-years-marking-low-profile-depar

Journalist Mike Guy (http://twitter.com/MrMikeGuy) has stepped down as Editor-in-Chief of The Fix.com. He still regularly contributes to Playboy Magazine and Wenner Medias Men’s Journal. He will also continue to be the Editor-in-Chief of Hopper.com. Thrillist (http://twitter.com/Thrillist)features off-the-beaten-path activities, restaurants and products found around the world. The website is easily accessed by each city; a total of 21 are featured, including New York, London and Miami. The site managers are looking to add more cities to explore in the near future.

London’s Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk) is opening a new Washington, D.C. office and it will be headed by David Martosko (http://www.twitter.com/EditMeDavid). Martosko was the Executive Editor at The Daily Caller. Martosko’s new title will be U.S. Political Editor.

You can view the whole March issue of MEDIAware here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/%20

And all of the Regional Updates here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/March2013UpdatesByRegion.html

You can also 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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Online Newsrooms are a Key Part of Content Strategy

Posted on February 19, 2013 by | 1 Comment

pressroom

With all the Google algorithm buzz (kill) about the need for fresh and frequent quality content, the answer could start with a press release and be buried in your company’s online newsroom.

While most brands report having an online newsroom as part of the company website, only 14 percent of press releases were optimized for search and recent surveys indicate the entire newsroom is lacking optimization.

Shocker? Maybe. But, smart marketers can take it as a digital smoke signal for SEO and PR to spark up a better relationship.

“Newsrooms – if done right – can be an excellent source for new content. However, in this renewed age of content marketing, it can’t just be the press releases. Whatever content gets put up has to be compelling enough for people to want to share. It should not simply report facts, but should have some sort of human element explaining what this news means to the target audience.”
- Quote from Thom Craver https://twitter.com/thomcraver

The Online Newsroom Opportunity

Online newsrooms actually present an opportunity for digital marketers trying to find new ways to engage their audience with relevant content at the right time. To help drive traffic, marketers are now shifting their priorities to inbound marketing efforts like creating effective content such as such as blogs, webinars, white papers and press releases according to MarketingSherpa’s eighth annual benchmark report. All this newsworthy content can be used inside the online newsroom.

For example, a recent online newsroom study by PressFeed found:

  • 72 percent of media rooms have an image gallery and 61 percent have a video gallery.
  • Less than 30 percent use multimedia with a news release and only 14 percent of news releases are search optimized.
  • 80 percent of journalists and editors say images and video are important.
  • 61 percent are connecting their newsroom to their social content.
  • 52 percent offer social sharing options in their newsroom.
  • They also lack features the media value.
  • Only 13 percent offer embed codes for images, slideshows and video.
  • Inc. 500 companies have some catching up to do, but have the most opportunity!

Online Newsroom Makeover Tips

Educate the PR and SEO Teams

“The issue that most SEO’s face is most of the time their PR or Corporate Communications folks have not fully bought into the idea of optimizing their online news. This requires education to start with and then charting a process wherein SEO is part of the online newsroom process,” says Bob Tripathi.

Keep it Fresh

Newsworthy stories, images, video, social links and blogs would seem an obvious bonus in attracting quality visits. In the past the newsroom’s visitor profile was typically the journalist, but today’s savvy consumer knows to navigate to the online newsroom to find the latest news.

Collaborate for the Sake of “Quality Content”

“First, I’d hold a brown bag lunch and invite somebody from both groups to explain why collaboration and cooperation between the departments will enable both of them to meet their marketing goals and business objectives,” Jarboe said. “Believe it or not, both groups need to create ‘quality content.’ And that quality content will be read by prospects as well as the press.”

Get Visual!

Let the statistics speak for themselves. Journalists prefer images and multimedia. Search results combined with an image have an increased performance and images are the most shared type of messaging on social media.

One more stat: 44 percent say they’re more likely to engage with brands if they post pictures than any other media, according to ROI Research. Get creative and add news feeds from Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook to the online newsroom.

Google Alert: Creating Good Content Pays Off!

“The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can quickly gain popularity in the Internet community,” says Google . “The more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it.

“It is not only the number of links you have pointing to your site that matters, but also the quality and relevance of those links. Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice, and the buzzing blogger community can be an excellent place to generate interest.”

The PR side of the house will be happy to hear that an online newsroom can be a link magnet. The SEO side might want to meet up with the PR side, after all they are the content generators who just need a little “need to know” SEO guidance.

Bottom Line

Online newsrooms are the mother lode of quality content that should be optimized as soon as possible.

Join guest author Lisa Buyer February 20th for a webinar with PR Newswire where I will dig further into this topic. Click here to register for the upcoming webinar.

PR Newswire’s MediaRoom line offers a seamless solution to organize and drive additional online visibility for your content, from automated news feeds for your current site to a fully hosted MediaRoom site.

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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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Tesla vs. the New York Times: New-School Crisis Communications on Display

Posted on February 14, 2013 by | 2 Comments

A lot of discussion and PR thought leadership have been focused on managing crises in this age immediate communications and networked audiences.

However, a fascinating situation that’s unfolding right now between the New York Times and Tesla Motors highlights the important opportunity brands have to tell their side of the story immediately and convincingly when they have a dispute with the news coverage, and it sure beats the daylights out of having a correction or clarification printed three days after the fact.    Simply put, brands don’t have to take what they consider to be unfair or biased coverage lying down.

Here’s what’s happening, in the smallest of nutshells.

John Broder of the NYT test drove a Tesla Model S.  In his unfavorable review of the car published last weekend, he detailed a problem-riddled trip and ultimately had to have the car towed when he said it ran out of power.

Tesla Motors responded quickly, charging that the vehicle’s logs proved that Broder had ignored warnings, driving by charging stations, detouring from the prescribed route and driving at excessive speeds.   According to the company, despite Broder’s best efforts, the car never stopped running.

“ When the facts didn’t suit his opinion, he simply changed the facts,” concluded Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a blog post offering a rich rebuttal to the Times story, including electronic log data that specifically contradicts many of Broder’s claims.

Tesla published electronic logs documenting Broder’s speed during the test drive, and called out inconsistencies in his story. (The emphasis on the chart is Tesla’s.)

On Tuesday, Broder published a response in the Wheels section of the Times, refuting Tesla’s claims in detail.

“My account was not a fake,” he wrote. “It happened just the way I described it.”

This story is still developing and doesn’t yet have a conclusion, at least as far as the relationship between the Times and Tesla is concerned. However, in terms of online sentiment, Tesla appears to be winning.

“… Now that every smart company has a regularly updated blog, Elon Musk has 136,000 Twitter followers, etc., brands can speak for themselves very powerfully,”  noted Dan Frommer, in a post on LinkedIn titled “Tesla vs. The New York Times: Everyone’s A Media Company Now.“  “And if the tone is right, they don’t even look lame: Tesla actually looks pretty great right now. The balance of power has shifted.”

Whatever the outcome, this situation leaves in its wake a couple important lessons for PR pros and anyone charged with safeguarding brand reputation.

  • Your brand’s social connections can morph instantly into advocates during crises, especially if the brand is the victim of foul play.  This is one more reason why developing a strong social presence is a good idea.
  • Your publics are perfectly happy to listen to your side of the story, and facts are powerful fuel for your rebuttal.  Get to know your company’s logging and analytics systems, because that data can provide crucial proof for your side of the story.
  • Hone your company’s response clock speed.  Real-time communications require empowerment, fast multimedia support and the swiftest of approvals.

Whether you need to defend your brand against an angry Facebook fan or some wonky coverage in the New York Times, these two simple lessons can turn the tide of a story before it swamps your reputation.

Catch up with the story yourself:

Original NYT Story: Stalled Out on Tesla’s Electric Highway

Tesla blog post:  A Most Peculiar Test Drive

NYT “Wheels” response:  The Charges are Flying Over a Test of Tesla’s Charging Network

Updated since original publication:

NYT:  The Tesla Data: What it Says and What it Doesn’t

The NYT Public Editor’s take:  Problems With Precision and Judgment, but Not Integrity, in Tesla Test

The Atlantic Wire: Elon Musk’s Data Doesn’t Back His Claims

Author Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

If your brand’s crisis communications operations aren’t up to snuff, PR Newswire’s Media Room suite can help you plan ahead for those days you hope you never have, enabling comprehensive preparation and rapid response.

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Media News and Moves for February

Posted on February 5, 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:

Time Inc. (http://www.timeinc.com), publisher of Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, People and In Style announced that they would be laying off 500 employees across the world. These cuts include 250 jobs in New York which accounts for 6% of its workforce. Among those cut was Health Editor-in-Chief Ellen Kunes. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes and Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang‘s put the layoffs in motion after Time Inc. saw a 6% decrease in revenue in the third quarter of 2012. The culprit of the layoffs was a revenue shortage caused by the drops in print advertisments and magazine subscriptions.

Al-Jazeera (http://www.aljazeera.com and https://twitter.com/ajenglish) purchased Current TV (http://current.com) for $500 million. Current TV was former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s startup vehicle designed to provide news analysis, politics and commentary. This purchase puts Al-Jazeera into nine times the amount of homes it was reaching previously.

The Boston Globe could be up for sale again. The New York Times Company tried selling the paper three years ago but was unsuccessful in finding a deal. The possibility of selling the paper was revisited again last year although CEO Janet Robinson wanted to wait in hopes that the launch of the Globe’s new pay wall would improve its sales.

Univision has renamed and rebranded their Telefutura network. It is now named Unimas. http://tv.univision.com/unimas/

This month The New York Times (http://twitter.com/nytimes) announced major changes to its masthead with several top veterans accepting buyout packages. Among those saying their final good byes to the paper are Assistant Managing Editor Jim Roberts, Sports Editor Joe Sexton, and Culture Editor Jon Landon. The buyout packages were developed as a way to avoid major layoffs and did alleviate the bulk of the necessary budget cuts. Editor Jill Abramson (abramson@nytimes.com) (https://twitter.com/JillAbramson) expressed sincere gratitude to all those who will be bidding the paper farewell. Now that the NYT’s shake-up at the top has come to an end, expect several familiar names at the paper to take on new and increasing responsibilities.

Boston’s Phoenix Media WFXN-FM has been sold to Clear Channel Communications. Only the signal has been sold, Phoenix Media will keep its call letters. The station consisted of 21 employees. Most of the employees’ have left except for Program Director Paul Driscoll and Promotions Director Mike Snow.

The Crossover (https://twitter.com/crossover) is a brand new show which premiered on January 26th on the NBC Sports Network. The show is hosted by Michelle Beadle (https://twitter.com/MichelleDBeadle) and Dave Briggs (https://twitter.com/DaveBriggsTV). Beadle is a former ESPN SportsNation host and Briggs is a former “Fox & Friends” host. The show features sports news, pop culture and social media news.

The Financial Times (http://www.ft.com and https://twitter.com/FinancialTimes) is planning to cut 25 jobs via either buyouts or layoffs. Editor Lionel Barber believes this will save up to $2 million a year. He also hopes to add 10 new staffers to the digital side of their operation.

SiriusXM Satellite Radio (http://www.siriusxm.com) added two million new subscribers in 2012. They now have 23.9 million subscribers tuning in daily.

The Tribune Company has emerged from bankruptcy. After restructuring, the company is anticipated to trade its newspaper assets and focus on its 23 television stations, including WGN America. Peter Liguori has been named CEO of Tribune Company. He will manage the Tribune Broadcasting Company network and the company’s publishing and digital operations. Liguori most recently served as COO at Discovery Communications.

There’s a new publication in Miami, Florida. NEW YOU magazine (http://www.newyoumedia.com) is a quarterly magazine dedicated to helping women find the latest anti-aging methods and technologies. Ruchel Louis Coetzee (ruchel@newyoumedia.com) is the Editor. Follow NEW YOU on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NewYouMedia

Earlier this month, Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive (cynthia_leive@condenast.com) (https://twitter.com/cindi_leive) announced the addition of Ying Chu (ying_chu@condenast.com) (https://twitter.com/yingchunyc) to the Glamour (http://twitter.com/glamourmag) masthead as the new Executive Beauty Editor. Chu comes to the magazine after a stint as Marie Claire‘s Beauty and Health Editor for several years.

The Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com and https://twitter.com/washtimes) started the year with at least 20 layoffs including Sports Reporter Patrick Stevens (https://twitter.com/D1scourse). Executive Editor David Jackson had announced in November that there could be layoffs and there were in January.

Joanna Coles (https://twitter.com/JoannaColes), who just recently took over as Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan magazine (http://www.cosmopolitan.com/ and https://twitter.com/Cosmopolitan and https://www.facebook.com/Cosmopolitan) made an exciting announcement earlier this month. The magazine will be featured on an upcoming reality show on CBS called, “The Job” (http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-job/ and https://twitter.com/TheJobCBS). Coles is no stranger to the TV world as she had a recurring mentor role on the hit show, “Project Runway” while she was Editor-in-Chief at Marie Claire. “The Job” will air on Fridays at 8pm ET in February and Cosmopolitan will be featured on its second episode airing on February 15th. Five contestants will compete for an editorial assistant position at Cosmopolitan.

The Star-Ledger (http://www.nj.com/starledger/) recently announced a large-scale layoff of 34 employees including 18 from the newsroom. The layoffs were due to financial hardships and the effects of Hurricane Sandy. The paper is also considering outsourcing the printing and packaging of the paper. The following link is provided for additional information on this story: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/star-ledger_announces_layoffs.html. The Star-Ledger can be followed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/starledger and on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Star.Ledger.

After a short prime time career WNYW-TV’s (http://twitter.com/myfoxny) Greg Kelly (http://twitter.com/gregkellyfox5) will be returning to “Good Day New York” as Co-Anchor with Rosanna Scotto (http://twitter.com/rosannascotto). The network announced that Kelly would Anchor the 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. newscast just a few months ago while veteran Dave Price (http://twitter.com/DavePriceTV) returned to the network taking over Kelly’s open morning spot alongside Scotto. However, in an unexpected turn of events Price will once again depart from the network allowing for the return of Kelly. Additionally, current early morning Anchor Steve Lacy will be filling in during Kelly’s prime time spots.

ESPN all-pro Sports Reporter Rachel Nichols (https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols) has traded teams and is headed to CNN (Cable News Network) to become a Sports Anchor/Reporter there.

You can view the whole February January issue of MEDIAware here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/

And all of the Regional Updates here: http://www.prnewswire.com/knowledge-center/mediaware/February2013UpdatesByRegion.html

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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How to Become an Expert Source for Top-Tier Media

Posted on December 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Earlier this year, Charles Passy, staff writer for the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, sent a query via ProfNet looking for experts on farm stands. Mark Tardif, director of college communications at Unity College in Maine, saw the query and immediately knew he had the perfect expert – Sara Trunzo, Unity’s food and farms project coordinator. Tardif responded to Passy with Trunzo’s information, and the pitch resulted in a national media hit for Unity College, a small environmental college with less than 600 full-time students.

We thought it would be interesting to hear about the mechanics behind the article and pitch from three different perspectives – the reporter, the PR professional and the expert — so we invited Passy, Tardif and Trunzo to be part of a free webinar we hosted last week.

Here are some highlights of the webinar for those who were unable to attend. You can also access a recording of the webinar.

Charles Passy, staff writer, Wall Street Journal Digital Network

Passy, a “big fan of ProfNet,” primarily writes about personal finance, food, wine and other gourmet topics.

On the personal finance side, he writes for both MarketWatch.com and SmartMoney.com, both part of the WSJ Digital Network. Occasionally, some stories also appear in the print version of the Journal.

On the food and wine front, Passy writes a food and wine column, “Table for One,” for the WSJ.com blog Speakeasy, which covers cultural/lifestyle/arts topics. He also occasionally writes a front-page piece on an offbeat topic, like the one he recently did on experts who get certification as beer sommeliers.

Passy has been utilizing ProfNet for several years, so we asked him for tips on how ProfNet subscribers should respond to queries:

The early bird gets the worm. Time really counts. Don’t hesitate with a response. The sooner you reply to Passy’s query, the more receptive he may be, particularly if it’s a story on a tight deadline (meaning one where he has given a deadline of the same day or within a day). However, even if he does list a longer deadline, he’s always curious about the first few responses, just to see what he’ll get.

“Sometimes people try to craft the ‘perfect’ response, particularly if I’m indicating a tight deadline,” said Passy. “It really does help to get a quick response. If it’s a tight deadline, I’m looking for people that I can potentially talk to within a window of 2-3 hours. If I’m asking for a written response, which I often do, it still helps to get in there early.”

Don’t call. If Passy wants phone responses, he’ll indicate that in the query. Otherwise, reply only by emai.

“I really do go through my ProfNet email responses,” said Passy. “Calling doesn’t help. In fact, it kind of ticks me off, especially if I’m on deadline. It’s not that I don’t like talking to people, but the whole point of email responses is that it allows me to put a filter through the responses to see who’s right or who’s not.”

Be specific and detailed in  your response. If Passy asks for a written response, give him a written response. It’s crucial in a deadline crunch, and it tells him if the expert really knows the subject.

“I know gathering a written response takes time — and time can be of the essence — but if I’m asking for it, I’m doing so for a reason,” he explained.

Passy also said he sometimes uses quotes directly from email responses, although he generally follows up by phone.

“I’m not a big fan of email interviews,” he said. “Sometimes a quote can be too perfectly crafted. I like to make sure it’s a thoughtful, but honest, response. But when I ask for it in writing, I do like to get it in writing.”

Offer a real expert. Don’t offer just anyone; make sure it’s someone who really knows the subject Passy is writing about — and make it clear why your expert is the best person to answer the query. Include a short bio (not a generic one) that explains the expert’s qualifications.

For the bio, don’t send a five-paragraph boilerplate bio, which gives Passy too much to read and doesn’t really tell him how the expert fits into his article. If the expert has written a white paper or is doing research on the specific topic Passy is writing about, include that at the top of the email response — even if that means appending a couple of lines on top of the boilerplate bio to tell him why he really wants to talk to your expert.

Understand the odds. In some instances, Passy gets hundreds of responses for a story, and he’s only able to quote two or three people. Don’t take it personally if he doesn’t use your expert — but don’t respond with a high expectation of being quoted, either.

“I might end up interviewing a dozen people. I might only quote two or three. The odds are somewhat stacked against you. It’s not necessarily a crapshoot in that I do try to focus on people with the best responses, but there can be several good people all the same.”

However, Passy does sometimes keep good experts in mind for other stories.

Stay on topic. Don’t respond to a ProfNet suggesting another story.

“Do yourself a favor and make the pitch separate from my ProfNet query,” said Passy. “When I see ProfNet in subject line, I’m expecting someone responding to the matter at hand. It’s a waste of my time, it’s a waste of your time, and it’s bad form. I understand the temptation, but understand I’m opening up the emails thinking I have something for my story. If you have my contact info and you want to make a pitch, that’s fine, but please don’t say you’re responding to that query. It doesn’t serve anybody’s purposes.”

Mark Tardiff, director of college communications, Unity College

Unity College (tagline: America’s environmental college) is a private liberal-arts college in Unity, Maine. The college is completely focused on environmental topics, and has various experts who are really good in the niche markets the college serves.

Tardif shared the following tips on how communication professionals can best manage the PR-expert relationship:

Build trust. Experts need to trust their communications professional. When faculty members trust their PR person, it allows the PR pro to responding to reporters quickly when a query relates to the faculty member’s expertise.

No one is expected to know everything about a given topic, particularly in the case of experts that don’t have a great deal of experience with media. That’s where trust-building comes in.

“I say to our faculty, ‘You can trust me to identify your expertise and match you with an opportunity that is right for them. I’m looking out for your best interests.’”

Communicate regularly. This is especially important in a smaller organization. Have regular, face-to-face contact to really understand the skill set of all your experts. This will also help you respond quickly to ProfNet queries.

Also, when responding to queries, send a copy of the query to the expert you’re pitching.

“Right after I responded to the query, I immediately sent it to Sara so she had a chance to see it and would be able to think about what parts of the query are in her wheelhouse and what parts are associated with our larger goals.”

This tactic can also help in creating a follow-up to the reporter.

“When Sara saw the query, she engaged a professor in the program and the sustainability coordinator, and they each were able to look at the query and say, ‘I can discuss this part.’ I was then able to immediately turn around and, within three minutes of the original outreach to Mr. Passy, send a follow-up email saying, ‘Here is what each expert can offer.’”

Know and communicate your mission. Experts should understand what it is you’re trying to do with your communications program and the larger goals of the organization.

“Your experts have to understand what it is you’re about, what it is you’re essentially ‘selling,’ and why their input is very important,” said Tardif. “At Unity College, our faculty and staff understand that sustainability science is the center of the curriculum.  We are the first college in the United States to have all aspects of the curriculum connect to sustainability science, the most leading-edge approach to 21st century environmental problem-solving.”

Help experts work through their misgivings. An expert doesn’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize winner to be qualified to respond as an expert. At times, especially among experts with limited media experience, speaking with a member of the media can be daunting. Establish open lines of communication with experts to encourage them to express their misgivings.

And if something doesn’t turn out right, ask experts to let you know so you can work through it.

“I’m looking to build confidence in my experts,” said Tardif. “They are confident in their field, but some still have limited experience dealing with the media. I follow up on what was positive and what was negative about the interaction, and take it from there.”

Communicate successes. When you get a media hit, it can be seen as a validation of your larger goals. Whether it’s big or small, Tardif shares that in a college-wide email

Sara Trunzo, food and farms project coordinator, Unity College

Trunzo is the food and farms project coordinator in Unity’s sustainability department, focusing on organic, sustainable and small-scale agriculture, particularly within the context of regional and local food systems, community food security and hunger relief. This is all done through the lens of higher education, experiential education, and sustainability science as a tool for teaching environmental problems and solutions.

While Trunzo did have some media experience with local or regional outlets, this was her first foray into the world of national media. Here are some of her tips for other experts:

Be open to media opportunities. Some experts question whether they know enough to talk to the media. Don’t feel like your contribution isn’t valid.

“If your PR person is asking you and is considering you an expert, it’s because you have the experience and you have an informed opinion,” she said.

Don’t be afraid to say no. However, it’s also important to know when you’re not an expert on a topic.

“You shouldn’t have to overthink whether you can answer a question. Be careful not to overreach.”

And while dealing with the media can be awkward at first, allowing yourself to be put on a pedestal will also elevate the profile of your organization.

Take advantage of technology. “One of the things that make it a lot easier for me is having a smartphone,” said Trunzo. “Some of what I do is in the field, and being able to see the query while I’m out in the field with students makes me able to turn something around quickly.”

Keep PR in the loop. Let your PR department know what you’re working on so they already have someone in mind when a query comes up.

Trunzo suggests firing off a quick, once-a-week email to the PR group that includes a couple of bullet points about what’s going on and the most exciting stuff you’re working on. Make it short and easy to read.

She also recommends eating lunch with them from time to time to “talk shop.”

Q&A

Q for Tardif: What criteria helps you determine which experts to use?

Tardif: “I love this question. It’s such a great question because it really goes to the heart of what we try to accomplish with this department, and I think it applies everywhere. Develop a gut instinct through a dialogue with an individual to really gauge their level of understanding on what you’re trying to accomplish with the communication program, their level of buy-in, their level of comfort. If somebody is fundamentally not there yet, in terms of comfort, you’re going to be in a situation where it falls flat. You really have to develop a rapport with that expert and have that back and forth over time.”

Q for Tardif: Do type of media training do you do when you’re working with an expert?

Tardif: “Another great question! We don’t have formal media training program, but we’re starting to move in that direction. But on a one-on-one basis, I will do an informal Q&A. I think the training ground for us has been regional media. We have some smaller newspapers, some TV stations that cover our area.”

Q for Passy: Are there any suggestions on how to write email subject lines to improve the chances of having it opened or read?

Passy: “The first thing is to make it clear in the response that you’re responding to ProfNet. It’s a basic thing, but that’s how I’m going to visually flag those emails. Beyond that, there’s a part of me that has to admit that if it says something like, “I have the perfect expert for you,” I’d be inclined to open that email. It’s human nature. Although if it’s not the perfect expert, I’ll probably get annoyed.

“If you can put in a few words that shows you really get my query and my story – ‘ProfNet response: expert who wrote white paper on subject’ or ‘ProfNet – have expert who has done research on your topic’ – I’d probably be inclined to read that. I want something that signals to me that you’re a little more real than some of the other responses.

“Also, no more than two medium-sized paragraphs.”

Q for Passy: Is it OK to include a link to the person’s expertise, or do you prefer a short bio?

Passy: Include both – a short bio just for the query, and why this person is particularly suited, and then maybe a link to a longer bio. Include a little bit of bio in the response, at least telling me who this person is. I wouldn’t rely on the link only.”

Author Maria Perez is director of news operations for ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. To read more from Maria, visit her blog on ProfNet Connect at http://www.profnetconnect.com/profnetmaria/blog/

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“Relentless, Informed and Passionate”: How a Digital Campaign by The Times is Achieving Great Things for UK Cyclists

Posted on November 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Lucia Adams of The Times was the featured speaker.

On the morning of November 4th, 2011 The Times journalist Mary Bowers and her bike were being cut from underneath the wheels of a cement truck by paramedics on the streets of London. Mary, 27, had been hit by the truck during her cycle to work, and within minutes was being rushed to hospital, where she remains today.

While Mary has been in hospital, her devastated colleagues at The Times have responded to the tragedy with the Cities Fit for Cycling campaign, a collaborative form of journalism aimed at provoking as much response from readers as possible, and raising awareness of one of London’s most evocative topics to the highest levels of government.

At October’s Meet the Media Event, held in the crypt of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, Lucia Adams, digital development editor of The Times, explained why the campaign was such a success, and how engaging with people online has enabled journalism and campaigning to go much further, due to a unique position that The Times holds as the UK’s most digitally innovative newspaper.

The Meet the Media event with Lucia Adams was held in the Crypt at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The Cities Fit for Cycling campaign began with a heartfelt plea for safer cycling from a colleague of Mary’s, and quickly became a collaboration between The Times and its readers, who could follow updates, speak directly to journalists, lobby politicians such as London Mayor Boris Johnson, and of course share the campaign with their own friends and fellow cyclists. British newspapers typically sell only a few hundred thousand copies a day but a multi-platform campaign can reach millions of people within a morning, it can show them how them how things have changed between their morning commute and their journey home, and, crucially, it can make them proud of their own contribution.

“Focusing on the reader is key: there are some really powerful things we were able to do using relatively simple means,” Adams said. “The cycle campaign used lots of tools that are already out there – social media to help spread the word, writetothem.com powered the ‘write to your MP’ funciton on our campaign page and readers were given the opportunity to join our mailing list meaning that we could keep them up-to-date on the progress of the campaign.”

Amongst the highlights of the campaign’s achievements:

  • Lucia Adams’ goose-bump moment, when Prime Minister David Cameron backed the campaign in Parliament.
  • In September the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group APPCG announced that it is launching an inquiry in association with The Times newspaper to address the issue of ‘Why Don’t More People Cycle?’
  • The Times and Philip Pank, its Transport Correspondent, won Best Media Campaign award at the National Transport Awards for its “relentless, informed and passionate” campaign

Members of the PR Newswire team based in London include Andrew Woodall, Richard Birks, Craig Norquay, Adam Channell and Sam Madden, all pictured at the Meet the Media event earlier this month.

The Times’ increased ability to engage directly with their readers began a couple of years ago with the bold and risky launch of their subscription service for online content. While the rival sites of The Guardian, Telegraph and Independent remained freely available, The Times went behind a paywall.

Adams is proud of the effects that this decision has had on editorial activity at The Times, and says that the most powerful advantage of having a subscription model is getting to know the readers so that they can ensure that The Times’ journalism is relevant to them.

When The Times announced they were ending the availability of free content on their website and digital apps, everyone had an opinion and not many were supportive, Adams said. “A lot of people were saying, ‘News is a commodity. You can get news from anywhere. Only niche publishers would really succeed in charging for content.’”

This has proved wholly untrue for The Times. The site now has 295,000 monthly readers, and while it also remains Britain’s most popular quality daily newspaper, it is the digital drive that is making the most exciting inroads into the future of their journalism.

The key to a successful campaign is to know your audience and to reach them on a platform that allows them to take your story to its maximum potential. That means launching a campaign on print, online and tablet formats and often letting the direction be chosen by the audience rather than the writers. It is often now the case that a story only really begins to reach its potential once it has been shared.

This is just about updating them, not re-telling them what they have already heard that morning, adding an extra layer of texture to the stories.

“We need to think about what impact our journalism is having on our readers as well as how, when, where and why they’re choosing to engage with us,” Adams said

Nowadays, journalists have to think very differently about what impact their story has once it is out there.  “It is really thinking about an article as being the beginning of the story in the eyes of the reader and working out how we can help readers engage with the story in interesting ways.”

(See more pictures of the event, and the stunning setting at St. Paul’s Cathedral, on our Facebook page in the Meet the Media photo album.)

For our readers in the United Kingdom:  Follow Meet the Media on Twitter (@MeetTheMedia) to stay current on events we’re hosting in the UK.

The attendees enjoyed networking and some nibbles at the event.

Authors Sara Kuhlman and Andrew Woodall are members of the PR Newswire Europe team based in London.

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Ask PR Newswire: Why Didn’t My Story Make the New York Times?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

“Why didn’t the New York Times / Wall St. Journal/ USA Today/ [insert other publication title here]/ pick up my story?

It’s one of the most common questions PR pros hear from their bosses and clients, and we hear it frequently, too.

So why do top tier news outlets give stories a pass?   Here are some of the key reasons:

  • Exclusives.  Almost all outlets prefer exclusives.  The top-tier publications demand them.   Exclusives attract audiences, sell news stand copies, drive web site traffic and ignite conversations on social networks.  A great way to kill your chances is to send pitches via e-mail, putting recipients on the BCC line.  Another sure-fire way to wreck your chances is to tell your target outlet about all the media coverage your story has already garnered.
  • Scope.   While a story is undoubtedly important to the organization pitching it, the value of the story to a target publication’s audience may be an entirely different kettle of fish.   One sure fire test – does the publication actually run the kind of story you’re pitching?  Media outlets are very good at understanding what kind of stories attract their audiences.  If your organization wants to attract attention from a particular publication, it’s crucial that you frame your message in a way that will interest the publication’s audience.  National news outlets are looking for stories with broad scope – namely, those that will be of interest from coast to coast.
  • It’s old news.  In today’s ‘deadline every nanosecond’ information marketplace, currency is, well, currency!  Search engines and social networks denizens want the latest information.   Big name publications aren’t going to cover events after they’ve happened.   That said, all is not lost.  Many smaller outlets – from local newspapers to industry monthlies – will still devote some print space to recapping events, so if you missed the boat with the big boys, you may still be able to gain coverage of your new product launch or event recap, provided you provide them with a reason (read: some real news they can sink their teeth into) to do so.
  • Your story is boring.  There.  I said it. And I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.   Developing a good pitch takes time.  You have to really delve into the story and find the most interesting angles – the whys and hows and whats that people will really care about.   Read your pitch and your story.   Is it so interesting that you would actually like to tell your friends about it?  If the answer is no,  sharpen your pencil and give it another shot.

In a funny twist, my colleague to whom this exact question was posed this week learned more from the client in a follow on conversation.   The client had, in fact, violated two of these cardinal rules. First, the headline of the press release in question included a date far in the past.  Secondly, they told the lifestyle editors at the NYT that other publications had covered the event previously.    The fact that the pitch was accompanied by a valuable gift worth about $75 was the final nail in this pitch’s coffin – newsrooms do not work on a “pay to play” basis.

Our director of audience development, Victoria Harres, oversees the media relations efforts here at PR Newswire, and she has some good advice regarding pitching.

“National publications are looking to publish stories that connect with their readers,” she notes, going on to suggest, “Ask yourself what the human angle is in your story. And remember, PR jargon does not work. Leave it out. “

Here’s some related reading, if you’d like more help with your pitches and press releases:

How to Pitch Lifestyle Editors

4 Keys to a Successful Digital PR Pitch

Getting the Press to Cover Your Conference

When your Client (or Boss) Wants to Issue Non-News

Author Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

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