I’ve been a huge proponent of PRWeb, the press release distribution service, because of its great customer service and the rave reviews from publicists whose press releases get fabulous pick-up. But I don’t like what I’m hearing about the company’s Press Release Police who are hassling writers like BL Ochman, one of my favorite press release writers of all time, and award-winning publicist… Read More
Media Relations
Print a Reporter’s Face on Candy
Here’s another idea I suggested when I spoke on Saturday in Pittsburgh. Linda Roundtree, owner of Custom Chocolate Creations in suburban Pittsburgh, was in the audience. She can imprint someone’s photo or logo on a piece of chocolate, like the one you see at her website at http://tinyurl.com/2u8m7v On Saturday, she brought one piece of… Read More
‘Pink products’ media event helps you meet journalists
Do you have a “pink product” that supports breast cancer research and that you’d like journalists to see in time for their October 2008 coverage of Breast Cancer Awareness Month? The first “Think Pink Media Event” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, at the New York Marriott Marquis Times… Read More
Meet journalists at writers conference in April
Here’s a great tip for getting some face time with journalists, courtesy of Mitch Davis of Expertclick: The Online Yearbook of Experts. He’ll be at American Society of Journalists and Authors 2008 Writers Conference in New York, April 11-13. It’s a perfect venue to meet influential editors and writers. Set up near Mitch’s table and he’ll give you advice on… Read More
Ethics dispute blurs line between editorial, advertising
When I worked a newspaper editor 20 years ago, I would have been shocked to hear about a deal like this one between a hospital and a TV station. Today, however, it’s of little surprise. That’s because the line between editorial and advertising is blurred, and it’s getting fuzzier by the minute. WEAU TV-13 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin tried to… Read More
Video pitching will become overused
Thanks to Publicity Hound Laura Jackson for calling attention to the issue of video pitching—in other words, pitching a blogger by creating a clever video in which you are shown delivering the pitch. Blogger Jeremiah Owyang, a web strategist shown here, posted this item in which he raved about the clever video pitch from two authors who wanted… Read More
Another Way to Embarrass a Reporter
Publicity Hound Karen Pierce Gonzalez responded to last week’s item about the St. Louis politician who tried to embarrass a TV investigative reporter by answering the reporter’s question with comments about the reporter’s relationship with Jesus. He ended up embarrassing only himself. If you missed it, it’s the first item here: http://tinyurl.com/2uaubg Karen, who worked… Read More
Google reporters, bloggers before pitching
Online PR and social media expert BL Ochman reminds us to Google reporters and bloggers whom we’re targeting with pitches and press releases, so we’ll know if they’ve covered our competitors. Her eight-question quiz for PR people is a dandy. It includes a question I can’t ever remember anyone asking: Are you reading your competitors’ press releases? If not, start. Subscribe… Read More
Embarrassing a reporter during an interview can backfire
When you’re doing a media interview and the reporter asks you a question you’d rather not answer, never say “no comment.” The only thing that’s worse than that response is trying to embarrass the reporter by asking an unrelated question so preposterous that it’s designed to throw him off guard. People who do that usually end up… Read More
Dirty hotel glasses story on D.C. radio show today
Thanks to Publicity Hound Natasha Henry, a writer for the Tower Federal Credit Union in Laurel, Maryland, for letting me know that the story on dirty hotel glasses, which I wrote about several weeks ago, was featured this morning on “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” on 96.3 WHUR-FM in Washington, D.C. “It’s interesting to see how fast this story is getting… Read More