From Chapter 14
In the context of mass media tools, the most-used is the news release, which is distributed to journalists and editors alike to be used in their columns. These must be accurately-written, informatively-written, and most importantly journalistically-written (and there is a specific style for doing so); all need to be written as if they were asking a few basic questions:
- What's the key message?
- Who's the main audience?
- What does said audience gain?
- What goal does the release achieve?
- Will a news release be necessary for the info presented?
Other tools used in the arsenal of mass media PR include publicity photos, used in order to make a news release more presentable (they need to look their best in high-res-and-composition formats; being in color doesn't hurt as well); media kits, in analog (a folder with select contents) or electronic (EPK's, on CD, e-mail, or as web content); mat releases, which focuses on a feature angle and not hard news (and found mostly in the non-national or international sections of a newspaper); and media alerts or fact sheets, with the former giving journalists a tip-off on news conferences or photo-ops, and the latter focusing on the who/what/when/where/why/how of an event, person, product, or organization.
On this next bit of information, let me ask a question--what does a PR specialist have in common with a baseball player and a sitcom writer? All have a deep understanding of the art of the PITCH. (Get it? Thank you, I'll be here till Thursday. Have the beef.) Strictly in the PR context, a specialist needs to pitch story ideas about their employer/client to the journalists or editors they want to spread the word about them, over either email, phone, or text messages and Tweets--the latter of which might be quite the challenge, I mean you'd have to be really skilled to carve out a good pitch in 140 characters or less.
In finding a good means to getting the media materials out to the journalistic community, PR specialists turn to electronic news outlets such as Business Wire, or even the 'online newsroom' of their client organization's website for possible avenues. Media interviews are also used by PR people to facilitate conversation between their clientele and the journalist community, while making sure, via training, that said clients are prepared for the most likely of interview questions. News conferences tend to be rare nowadays, usually only in the event that a story is big enough to warrant one; PR personnel take charge of all the logistics and the arrangements to be made for such events. Media tours/press 'parties' tend to be more common today, where for the former, company executives meet with editors to discuss a new product or campaign, while the latter lives up to its name by being a social gathering where the organization's members meet with the press to develop good relations.
From Chapter 15
Radio and television are the two electronic mediums that have, for the longest time, had the most reach among the general public on a 24/7 basis. Despite the ever-growing number of internet users, most people have their eyes glued to the television set. Both mediums have their own standards when it comes to PR campaigns.
With radio, audio news releases need to be written for the listener's ear and must last under a minute when broadcast. The audio news release (ANR) does such a thing with only the announcer and a sound bite (usually a quote) from a spokesperson. Public Service Announcements (PSAs), which are also utilized by television, are usually nonprofit and informative in nature, mostly dealing with health concerns and civic events; their lengths tend to vary depending on the subject. Radio Media Tours (RMTs) are usually seven-minute-long interviews with a spokesperson by journalists from around the country from a centralized location.
In television, they rely on video news releases (VNRs) to get the message across. They're also the more expensive, but their potential to reach massive audiences through many visual avenues outweighs the costs most of the time. They are usually made on B-rolls (compilations of video clips and sound bites) and utilized by television stations. What separate television PSAs from their radio-based cousins is evident in that they tend to be more visual, but still have audio present. Compared to RMTs, satellite media tours (SMTs) give television newscasters the advantage of actually seeing the interviewee. News feeds allow an organization to give out instant coverage of an event, either in "real time" or an edited broadcast for use on another occasion.
Both mediums have certain standards for guest appearances and product placement. With the former, guests on talk shows or magazine shows need to be knowledgeable and pleasant in personality, while giving well-thought-out answers. In the latter, companies for-and-non-profit compete for space by making deals with television or film producers to get their message seen and heard. Sometimes radio and television stations help to sponsor civic events alongside an organization.
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