Media Relations

I’ve been newspaper junkie since discovering the sports pages of the old Philadelphia Bulletin in 1964. From the first day I walked into a newsroom more than 30 years ago, I’ve been captivated by the rhythms of putting out the equivalent of a novel a day. The gritty smell of a newspaper fresh off the press still gives me a rush.

So it pains me to see what is happening to the newspaper industry. Three papers I’ve worked for have gone through painful cuts in the last few months with dozens of solid, hard-working journalists losing their jobs. It’s no different anywhere in the country. The villains are precipitous drop in advertising revenue and an unrelenting corporate thirst for unrealistic profit margins. With less quality content, fewer readers subscribe. That means fewer advertisers. Until the bean counters find a way to make a buck off the Internet, the vicious circle will be repeated.

As difficult it is for me to watch as a former journalist, what does the slow demise of the newspaper industry mean to me as a public relations professional? Are newspapers still a relevant part of PR efforts? Should I invest the time and energy it takes to forge relationships with editors and reporters who could be laid off any day? Do enough people read newspapers to make them a worthwhile target?

For now, the answer is a lukewarm yes. But the day is coming – sooner than anyone ever predicted – when printed newspapers will be just an afterthought in most public relations programs. In some cases, that day has already arrived. If your target audience is under 30, forget about newspapers.

So what will take newspapers’ place?

A recent study by the Public Relations Society of America says social media and blogs are becoming a medium for companies to communicate externally - that is, through its public relations. According to the study, “two-thirds of public relations practitioners believe blogs and social media have enhanced what happens in public relations and that social media and traditional mainstream media complement each other.” Furthermore, “61 percent believe the emergence of blogs and social media have changed the way their organizations (or client organizations) communicate.”

While nothing can replace the thrill of a front page story — and I’ll date myself here — “above the fold,” the fact is social media and blogs are the future of public relations.

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So a local Realtor buys an irregularly-shaped property with a dilapidated single-family home on it.

Except he wants to tear it down and build a twin.

But the neighbors, all of whom live in nice singles, don’t want to see a twin in their neighborhood. It’ll lower property values, they say, and you never know what kind of riff-raff will live in anything other than a single.

When the Realtor goes to Borough Council for a variance, the neighbors show up to protest. Things get pretty heated between the two sides. He threatens to build an apartment building, which he can do by right, and turn it into Section 8 housing.

Strike one.

With no decision forthcoming from council, the Realtor takes another swing. This time, he paints the crumbling house a lovely shade of hot pink, combined with a touch of vibrant plum.

Strike two.

But the outside paint job is just the first step if the Realtor doesn’t get his way. Fluorescent yellow trim comes next, and he has even talked about raising turkeys on the property. Neighbors say he has threatened to deck the exterior walls with polka dots and representations of horses’ hindquarters.

“If I don’t get my twins, it’s going to be the ugliest single,” he said in a newspaper story. “It’s going to become “Green Acres’ north. That’s my guarantee.”

Strike three.

Here’s a modestly successful Realtor putting his reputation on the line by trying to bully elected officials and neighbors in to giving him what he wants. Rather than working toward a compromise, convincing his opponents why a single-family home won’t work and why a nicely-designed twin would, he has resorted to cheap publicity tactics guaranteed to turn public opinion even more against him.

Even if he happens to win this battle, his professional standing in the community will have taken a major hit. Would you deal with a Realtor who is so mean-spirited and spiteful? Probably not.

That, my friends, is how NOT to wage a battle for the hearts and minds of the public.

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I came across this post on the Online Publicity Journal. While I agree that the benefits of a well-written press release are considerable, I disagree that just about anyone can write one and be successful.

There are at least Nine Steps to An Effective Press Release including: understanding what news is and how to meet the media’s needs, developing a relationship with reporters and editors, timing, following up, etc. Even basic formatting, spelling, grammar and punctuation are crucial elements.

That said, I often tell prospective clients they have a choice: they can research the media and develop relationship, research background and statistics, write and draft a release, distribute it and follow up, then hope that the release is effective. Of course, they have to do all this while running the day-to-day operations of their business.

Or they can leave it to a pro.

Most times, it’s a no-brainer.

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Twice in the last week I violated one of the most sacred rules in public relations: when it comes to media coverage, promise nothing.

Disaster #1: one of my clients is a public school district. A group of developmentally-challenged and mainstream students — “Best Buddies” — put together a terrific event, essentially turning the high school into New York City for a night of dinner and dancing. It was organized like a movie premier, complete with a red carpet and paparazzi greeting them as they arrived. They raised more than $15,000 in cash and in-kind donations. More than 700 people from 30 high schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey made reservations.

In the weeks leading up to the event, I told them it was a slam-dunk for TV coverage. I knew it was risky but they were so excited it was hard to resist. I sent out plenty of releases, including a media advisory the day before, hyping the event.

Not a single member of the electronic media showed up. I had a sinking feeling all day when I didn’t hear from any assignment editors. Usually they call just to make sure the event is still scheduled. But I held out hope that because they had heard from me one day earlier, there were no questions.

It was disappointing, to say the least. Even though they had a great time, I could tell the kids were crushed that no real TV cameras were there. And I looked like a schmo for not coming through on my promise.

Disaster #2: I was just getting over Disaster #1 when our local weekly newspaper came out and ruined my day. Another client is downtown business organization that sponsors a “Hot Ribs Cool Jazz Festival” every year. As their first -time PR representative, I assured them a preview story would get good play in the local paper. I talked with the editor in advance, made sure he understood the significance of the event, and gave him plenty of contacts and phone numbers to make his job easier. I even convinced the organization that taking out an ad in the paper would be a nice way to thank them for the coverage.

Of course, I pick up the paper and it’s not on the first page. Ok, it’s inside, right? Wrong. As I turned each page, my blood began to boil. On the third time through, I finally found a three paragraph brief on page 13 along with about a hundred other listings.

I’m still trying to find out what happened on that one.

Bottom line: despite the temptation, NEVER promise a client anything when it comes to press coverage. It’s too unpredictable and out of your control.

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Interesting wire story in the Philadelphia Inquirer today about the PR strategy used by Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Here’s the full story.

While I do not agree with their beliefs, it is interesting to note they handled this crisis the right way, making key people available for media interviews and granting unprecedented access to their property. I especially liked this quote: “What we were trying to do was inject a human element into what was happening here. Put names to faces and not just think of these people as being so different.”

I’m not sure if it will turn public opinion their way, but it sure can’t hurt.

Perfect strategy for CEOs and other company officials to remember in a crisis situation.

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