What do you do when you’ve been hammered by the almighty Reader’s Digest? That’s what happened to the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin when an article in the December issue placed the Mustard Museum on its list of “5 Museums Not to Plan Christmas Around.” “Want a fun vacation?” the article asked.… Read More
Press Releases
Newspaper editors’ pet peeves
When I worked as a newspaper editor for more than 20 years, I had my own pet peeves about people who were clueless about working with the media. They included: –Idiots who called to complain, “You’ve written about my competitor three times but you’ve never written about me!” –News releases that didn’t list the name… Read More
Use AP stylebook when writing releases
Smart Publicity Hounds know about the Associated Press Stylebook, “the journalist’s bible.” It’s the 427-page, spiral-bound book, organized liked a dictionary, that journalists throughout the world consult when they need to know the correct acronym for a government agency. They check the stylebook when they needto know if it’s re-election or reelection, or whether the… Read More
News release screams for an accompanying photo
I just read a scrumptious news release about an unusual new package used to hold a well-known brand of food. (The brand will remain anonymous to protect the guilty.) The copy provided a detailed description of the package and gushed about its unusual shape, and how it shimmers and shines when the package is moved.… Read More
Less is more when contacting the media
Inexperienced Publicity Hounds make the frequent mistake of inundating media people with too much information. For example: –Sending an unsolicited media kit along with a pitch letter, with grand illusions of the journalist spending hours poring over your materials. (Dream on). –Sending an unsolicited book, with hopes that a radio talk show host will find… Read More
Author includes relevant keywords in press releases
If you’re trying to position yourself as an expert, you can often attract media attention if you’re in the right place at the right time. Specifically, near the top of the list that a search engine produces when a journalist is searching online for someone with your expertise. Marilyn Anderson, author of “Never Kiss a… Read More
10 Dirtiest Hotels
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