Journalists have always hated being identified publicly as the “friend” of a source. “I’m not your friend,” is a typical response. “I’m just trying to do my job.” But that was 10 years ago, long before social networking sites came onto the scene. These days, if you’re trying to get in front of a reporter at… Read More
Media Relations
Prepare for an interview with a reporter these 8 ways
If a reporter contacts you unexpectedly and asks for an interview in the next few days, and you don’t feel entirely ready, how do you prepare? That’s what Leilie McKinley of Soaring-Phoenix.com, one of my business coaches, just called to ask. A reporter from a major online business magazine found Leili’s blog post about how the credit crunch will affect small business.… Read More
Every day is a bad day for press conferences
Somebody just send me an email with a subject line “Quick question for members of the media”: Good morning! Quick question . . . . If you were to go to ONE press conference a week, which would be your favorite day? Is Monday a good day, at the start of the week? Not Friday,… Read More
Pompous elevator pitches turn off reporters and others
When somebody asks “What do you do?” how do you respond? If your answer includes words with multiple syllables or jargon, words that only people in your industry can understand, you’ve probably forced their brain into shut-down mode. The Philadelphia Inquirer article “Too many firms use jargon to convey ideas” offers example after example of… Read More
McDonald’s iced coffee showing up on TV news desks
Here’s another example of how the line between news and advertising is more blurred than ever. The next time you’re watching the news on your local FOX station, or on a station owned by the Meredith Corporation, look on the desk in front of the anchors. You might spot a cup of iced coffee from… Read More
Hungry reporter gets a free gourmet burger, thanks to Twitter
Twenty years ago, when I worked in the newspaper business, if a local company had delivered to my newsroom a free gourmet burger that I could enjoy at lunch, I probably would have turned red from embarrassment, then eaten it, with my fellow newsroom buddies watching. Gourmet burgers, after all, didn’t fall into the “anything… Read More
8 interview mistakes you don’t want to make
Of all the possible mistakes you can make when interviewing with the media, the worst one in my book is lying. Bend the truth, even just a little, and that little white lie can suddenly become the story and have far more traction than the original story you were being interviewed for. Remember Watergate? And… Read More
When doctors shill for pharmas, what’s a PR person to do?
Leigh Ann Hubbard, managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com, writes: Periodically, in response to a request, I’ll get a quote from a doctor (via a publicist) that mentions a specific product. Inevitably, I Google the doctor and he or she has been or is on the payroll for the folks who make the product. There’s no mention… Read More
Journalists suspicious of ‘green’ story ideas
When Bulldog Reporter invited me to be a guest panelist on the July 24 teleseminar designed to help Publicity Hounds create news when there is no news, I jumped at the chance. I wrote three pages of notes for the session titled “Evergreen Magic for PR: Media Masters Show How to Make News When There’s… Read More
How to get journalists to mention your website
A common frustration with media interviews results when the reporter, for whatever reason, never mentions your website. Here’s a way to solve that problem. The next time somebody interviews you, and the reporter asks for the name of your company, use your website URL, not the actual company name. Instead of me being the owner… Read More