This is the third part of my report on what local media has told me what they do and don’t like in the world of PR.  I was honored to be asked by the MN chapter of the AMA blog to contribute a blog post and submitted the following thoughts that ran a few weeks ago. Enjoy!

My experience with the media is a unique one – I began my career working part time my senior year in college at the local affiliate ABC nightly newscast running the soundboard, character generator and the 8-track music cart for the evening news. (3/4 inch video tape was the cutting edge technology of the day not that I’m aging myself with that fact…)

Being in the newsroom, I understood the immediacy and do or die pressure that a producer feels because when the clock strikes 10 pm, the show starts ready or not. With competitive pressure from other sources and mediums, the media has to supply the best coverage and source information to keep the viewer/listener/reader tuned in and satisfied. 

 No longer on the media team, rather now pitching stories to editors, reporters, and producers I know that the need for quality storytelling has not changed.  What has changed is how people are researching stories and finding sources. 

 The public relations industry has changed dramatically over the past 15-20 years….over the past few years social media has been a game changer in its own right…but that’s a whole different blog. 

 To research information for an upcoming presentation, I spoke to a number of traditional media professionals – TV, radio, newspaper and magazine news coverage decision makers – and polled them on a number of questions regarding press releases, social media and research.

 Speaking from strictly a traditional media point of view, the answers I received reinforce the fact that: 1) media begets media, 2) if you’re not establishing yourself as an expert in your field, you’re not going to be tapped as a third party source by the media to contribute to stories that have the potential of having direct reach to your potential customer. 3) If you’re not paying attention to how you’re being found and perceived online then you’re really missing the boat. 4) If you don’t have a relationship with the media you’re not going to be the first source considered to get the interview.

 When I asked a dozen local professionals the top three ways he/she researches stories, here is what I learned:

• Sources, sources, sources. I live and die with my sources / experts in the field/ contacting associations for detailed information/ calling people I know in the industry (12)
• Online research/ earnings reports/ conference calls/ government sites/ reviewing industry web sites/ journals/ Wikipedia/ Google News search (11)
• Our news archives/ news clip library/ other producers (6)
• Through the local news media/find other stories written on the same theme (3)
• Check web site of the event or person I’m writing about (2)
•  Business-related books

 I’ve had clients land radio interviews because of magazine articles I’ve placed and I’ve grown a single TV interview into a series of interviews once the client’s expertise was established.  I’ve even landed my business partner paid speaking opportunities targeting ideal clients all from a 3 ½ minute TV interview.

 My question to you is simply this – if you’re seeking media attention from mainstream (or social) media – are you proactively or reactively interacting with the media decision makers in a meaningful way that helps them do their job? Are you making it easy to be searched and found? Are you taking advantage of every media opportunity? You never know when a quick expert quote or small mention in a neighborhood paper can lead to front-page coverage.

Part two in a three-part exploration of what media professionals report as their likes and dislikes as it pertains to press releases submitted to them by the PR community. 

The final insight in this blog is my favorite because this reporter provides rich insight into how he looks at a press release.  He is articulate and honest as he provides insight to his motivation and tells it like he sees it – I love straight forward answers and people! 

My final post will highlight research methods these men and women use when chasing down a story….a few of them may surprise you!

Anchor/Producer@ Twin Cities radio station

A great press release…Uses the journalistic device of the inverted pyramid, and immediately gets to the main point FIRST.  Also, the best ones are embedded IN THE EMAIL – don’t make me open up something else…just give it to me NOW.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…Is too prosaic at the outset.  Don’t paint any pretty word pictures for me – get right to the point.  And if I see that it’s Tolstoy outta the chute…my desire to read it is in inverse proportion to its perceived length.

Comments:

Press releases are like Sgt. Joe Friday – “…just the facts, Ma’am…” – but that said, DO compel me to read it or at least check it out…..

Managing Editor @ niche lifestyle and trade magazines

A great press release…Is timely, but not “next week” timely; can come with high res images if I need them; provides a quote or two; provides a reliable person to contact if more information is needed; E-mail form is best.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…Has nothing to do with any of the publications I work on or the date the event takes place is not in the time frame of the magazine (meaning not more than two months out for the lifestyle pub and four months out for the trade pub). Also LOCAL is best for us, so press releases about national attractions, hotels, etc, don’t usually work.

News Assistant @ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release…provides the most important details in the first paragraph so that an editor does not have to read to the end to get the information he/she needs. The news media receives too many each day to have the time to read each to the end. 

A press release I instantly delete/toss….has no local tie-in or has forgotten pertinent information and does not supply a contact number for retrieving this information (which is only done if the news is very important to our community of readers). 

Editor @ lifestyle magazine

A great press release……is short, sweet, and to the point

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..is one that is obviously sent to a mass audience with zero relevance to my specific publication. If I can tell the writer is sincerely trying to pique my interest and the headline looks like it might be something somewhat relevant to my  publication, I will continue reading it.

Managing Editor @ minor market daily newspaper

A great press release is emailed to me and the appropriate reporter, explains why it matters to our readers, gives me the gist in a concise manner, gives me contact options for more information.

I toss releases that don’t tell me what the relevance is for my audience.

Beat Reporter@ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release…is short, pithy, local and spot-on in terms of my areas of coverage. I far too often receive releases that are pages long and on topics that i don’t cover. That says to me that the sender did not do his/her homework.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…see above. Ha! I hate to admit this, but I toss probably 98 percent of them…mostly that’s because they don’t speak to my areas of coverage/interest or because they’re not local. For example, I seldom use experts from outside the twin cities if I don’t’ have to.

Editorial Director @ publishing house overseeing multiple business and lifestyle titles

A great press release……gives me all the info I need in the first graph.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..is not remotely appropriate for my title.

Beat Reporter @ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release.. If you want to do a great press release, think like a reporter. Or better yet, think like that reporter’s editor. Too many releases come from the point of view of the client. Unless you’re Apple or some similar company that can command the market’s attention simply by clearing its throat, that’s a non-starter. I like to see something that addresses an issue or development to which the average newspaper reader in the Twin Cities can relate — how does it affect them, not the company/client unless that company is either doing spectacularly well or about to pull a Titanic. I like releases that tell me the story. Most companies are not that interesting in and of themselves, so if you can explain what your company does that is relevant to the wider world, that’s key. We like stories with conflict, or that solve problems.

A press release I instantly delete/toss… Promotional stuff that looks too much like free advertising. What’s new? What advances the story about the company?

Welcome to the first entry on elements and backstory on understanding and creating effective traditional press/news releases.  I’ve been in the PR business for many years (all I’m saying is the first agency I worked for in downtown Chicago had a spin of the dial phone, 1 fax and the three computers that were to only to be used by the ‘secretaries’) and have enjoyed seeing the evolution of the media relations industry. 

We at Sterling Cross have adapted our service offerings to reflect how the media and consumers are receiving and acting on relevant news so I don’t want to come across as someone that thinks that a great press release is the end all solution for getting your message to your end consumer. 

With that housekeeping taken care of – let me get into the message of today’s blog – what the media thinks makes for a great and a lousy press release. 

A few weeks ago, I surveyed a cross section of decision makers in the traditional media – radio, TV, and print (newspaper and magazine).  I asked them what makes for a press release that they love and makes them instantly toss/delete a release.  Here is a sampling of what they said.  The full dozen seemed too long for a single post so I’m breaking it up into three different posts.  Look for more soon!

Executive Producer @ television network affiliate

A great press release……  is short (1 page). And clear about what is going on. Clever is overrated. Clear is the key. It’s got the people involved (and their titles). It doesn’t try to hide who benefits from coverage by either omitting it, writing it really small at the bottom, or being unclear about the full story. Instead, it explains why the story is newsworthy. Links to read more or watch a previous story on the subject are very helpful for visualizing what is being pitched.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..  Is one that is blatantly a commercial that’s trying to pass itself off as news. Celebrities don’t usually make good hooks either. With all the cable TV and Internet availability of these “A-listers” it really isn’t much of a sell to say _____ star of the new ______ will be there.

Managing Editor @ Twin Cities daily newspaper

A great press release……is clear and concise, arrives several days before the event so we can plan to cover it or advance it, underscores why the event, person or idea is interesting and/or important enough to warrant coverage in the newspaper.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…..doesn’t have a local tie.

Editor @ lifestyle magazine

A great press release……grabs my attention in the headline and the first graph. It gives me the most relevant info to my coverage area immediately.

A press release I instantly delete/toss…if I can tell it’s a national, mass release that doesn’t relate to my area.

Beat Reporter @ Business weekly newspaper

A great press release……Strong news impact in the subject line, headline and lead. I should be able to tell why it’s a story with just a quick glance. Provide as many details as possible, so I can do some research. If a new store is opening, provide the address, owner’s name, product offerings, opening date, web address, contact info, etc.

A press release I instantly delete/toss….No idea why I should care. Doesn’t provide any useful information — basically just says this company exists. Also, press releases that ramble. If the news is in the last paragraph, I probably never made it that far.

I’m smart enough to know finding success in your work may start with knowledge derived from books, but in the end relies on surrounding yourself with really smart people.  I have a strong respect for the people I work with in the media and work extremely hard to make that respect mutual.  

If you’re in the media or in the business of communicating with the media – what are your ideas on what makes for a great press release or what makes you toss one? 

I’m still off on maternity leave with the twins…promise to get a post in soon!

I poised a challenge to you, my faithful reader, as to the things you do to keep your business running on target.  I’ve had some time to think of it and realize that to widdle that answer down to three is going to be a great challenge to me – the often long winded storyteller. 

Here goes anyway!

1) Communicate and have checks and balances for accountability.

2) Have both intangible mutual respect backed up with tangible reporting tools with your clients to ensure that the work you’re doing is meeting and exceeding their expectations.

3) Don’t keep your nose so close to the grindstone that you loose sight of the fun and joy of your work.

I’m not going to wax poetic about these points as I think they will need to be interpreted in a way that is useful and pertinent to you.  Drop me a line and we can share a cup of coffee if you want to talk more about this topic.  I’d also be interested in hearing additional thoughts on finding and maintaining success in the workplace.

I’m writing this blog as I sit in the doctor’s office awaiting results of a series of blood draws my doctor has ordered for me.  Ahhh the joys of pregnancy!   The virtual nature of how we work has changed over the years allowing one the ability to set up shop where ever and whenever he/she chooses. 

The key is – can you unplug from your work when you need to? 

I know I’ll be tethered to this waiting room for 2-3 hours so I’ve brought both my laptop and a business book that’s been sitting on my night stand for the past week.  These steps ensure that I will be productive to my workday as I am armed to both expand my business knowledge and knock out a few blog thoughts.  As a business owner the million-dollar question remains – can you remain productive yet balanced? 

I spoke with a long lost friend from New York yesterday.  He has recently gotten out of a creative freelance career and is diving into a more creative yet corporate route.  I know for a fact business acumen like planning the work and then working the plan is a concepts that is completely foreign to him.  His definition of balance and mine are worlds apart….but yet still a concept that every man and woman that has to make a living must examine and personally evaluate.

The difficult part about being in a career that mixes a strong part of its success mix on being a strong relationship builder, is the ability to quantify tangible goals (aka fulfilling the campaigns for my paying clients) with the intangible of building bridges with targeted audiences of (in my case) the media, new business prospects and business partners. 

My question to you is – what are the top three things you do that help you keep your business running on target?  I’ll share mine next week (promise!).

I know I’m terribly behind in my traditional blogging posts…but I’m torn!  I’m ‘microblogging’ on a daily basis – 1-4 times a day actually – on the fastest growing social media phenomenon – Twitter (www.twitter.com).  I am trying to balance the social interactions on the million-dollar question of “What are you doing?” with completing a phone follow up campaign for a media relations client or completing a new business proposal etc. 

I’m a big fan of Twitter – as a company we’ve landed a new piece of business out of relationships that my business partners and I have established and we’ve aligned ourselves with many creative types that have deepened our stable of marketing experts.  We’ll now be able to service our clients better because of these relationships…all because @MrChristopherL tweeted about his latest bacon craving or @mediapirate may provide insight to his favored heavy metal bands.  How, pray tell, can these obscure pieces of information convert into tangible business?  Ahhhh the beauty of social media is that sometimes to cut through all the clutter and clatter of today’s fast paced society – it comes back to the basic necessity that people like to do business with people they know, like, trust and respect.  Tools like Twitter, like a child’s bead necklace, allow these connections to snap together. 

So tell me – what are you doing?  Drop me a Twitter line @PRMoxie and we can start to follow each other’s tweets!

Mary

Photo Credit Rachel Schneider

The Twin Cities market realizes that business as usual will not be enough in this ever-emerging New Media world.  The now defunct Metropolitan Media Group took a major move at attracting the lifestyle consumer market by launching 15 city and suburban glossy magazines that were quick to digest and provided some personality to the geographic area.  (Petters has an opportunity to maintain this momentum, but according to their horrible business practices they exhibited according to today’s Star Tribune, this legacy is in jeopardy.)

KARE 11 is going after the happy hour crowd with their new website Metromix that has a robust photo gallery to their home page to add personality and point of view to their leisure time picks.  KARE also attempted a cutting edge idea in TV programming to go after the mid afternoon crowd – a lifestyle show that was streamed live.  Somehow having the show’s producer sit to the side of the anchors/hosts and read real time IMs and Emails just didn’t play out as well as it did when it was proposed in the show’s initial treatment.  (The show is now called news @ 4 pm and has a more traditional feel.)

KSTP TV/5 Eyewitness News has taken a gamble with their new show as well – Twin Cities Live.  It airs live from 3 – 4 pm weekdays.  The twist they offer is an in-house audience with local live music on Fridays.  An associate of mine, Rachel Schneider, had sat in the audience at the show’s fourth episode, and signed up for a block of tickets for the show three months later and invited me to tag along.

Having worked as a television/video producer and director (albeit 20 years ago using much different technology) and having worked production on live nightly news for an ABC market affiliate, I brought a different point of view than many of the other audience members.  Having also attended many live audiences while living in New York (I once had front row seats at Regis and Kathy Lee a few years back), I walked into the whole experience with an open mind and hopeful expectations according to the first review that Rachel supplied from an earlier show. 

I will be somewhat kind and say in a nutshell that the show has a few more kinks to work out.  There were some highlights and lowlights – but I don’t want this blog to be a critique of the show.  My commentary is geared more toward the need for mass media to get with the program and learn how to connect with their target audience in a personal and engaging way. 

One of the hosts of the show does her best and uses 100% of her personality and history with the Twin Cities to connect and engage….but I’m sad to say the male host needs work.  I’d like his producers to understand something – he’s attempting to appeal to the Oprah/mid afternoon crowd – why on earth will the stay at home mom or female retiree want to watch and connect with someone that is abrasive?

Some of the local media will succeed in adopting the relationship skills needed in the brave new social media world – and some won’t.  Having a live audience is a bold move that can bring great energy and personality to a show.  My two cents – hire hosts that can convert professional interview skills into the friendly living room chat fest feel (according to the guests booked and set design) that the show seems to aspire to achieve.

I’m baffled.   Anyone out there with any thoughts?

I had to make a tough phone call a few weeks ago.  I had to call the local newspaper’s well-read gossip columnist – CJ.  For those of you that don’t read the Star Tribune, you have to understand – CJ is an institution in this town and usually more famous than the famous people that she writes about.  The second most read column behind Sid Hartman – or “Grandpa Sports” as his adoring fans refer to his as – CJ has a column that runs three time during the week and she appears on the FOX 9 morning newscast to give a live TV update on the latest local and sometimes national gossip news. 

I’d met CJ at the FOX studios a number of times over the years – but had not had much occasion to work with her historically….and I’m pretty happy about the fact that my stable of client’s stays out of the sometimes choppy waters of the gossip world.  I did have to dial her up to set a story right that involved a Protestant Pastor that I often do pro-bono PR work for and a well known Catholic Priest.  Yes – I know – this sounds like the set up for a joke….this pastor, priest and rabbi where in a charity photo shoot when…

I’ve experienced both of these men at their respective pulpits, and I respect their integrity as well as their sense of humor. I had to attempt to set the record straight, as what she reported in one of her columns left a little too much room for negative interpretation for my comfort. 

I started as all good publicists should do when trying to control potential crisis communication – by calling the parties involved to get their side of the story.  I caught Pastor Efrem of Sanctuary Covenant my first attempt on his cell phone.  He confirmed that some of what she had reported was correct – and judging from the ‘deer in the headlights’ quote that CJ had gotten from him in the initial column – I knew that sounded like something Efrem would say – so I knew that the story was somewhat correct…but there was much more. 

Briefly, CJ had been a part of the same United Way charity photo shoot so she had built a rapport with the photographer and event coordinator.  She had heard that Fr. O’Connell had put up (what could be construed as) devil horns behind Pastor Efrem’s head for one of the shots.  She then went on to report something that she had heard second hand that didn’t carry the humorous tone that it was intended to be said in….and I don’t know about you…but when I read something like that and it really misses its mark…I feel compelled to set things right.  I called CJ and initially thought the call would last about 30 seconds. 

Then a really cool PR thing happened – we broke out of our publicist/journalist roles and started talking about a mutual journalist that we both knew and liked that had somewhat recently passed away.  CJ is a smart, opinionated and fiercely loyal woman – and if you ask me a pretty decent human being.  I often roar when I read her columns because of her sometimes outlandish comments and takes on people/places and things in the Twin Cities – but I will tell you one thing – she has lasted as long has she has in town because she has a real passion for what she does. Given a chance to have a conversation with someone instead of accepting/rejecting a pitch – she put down her brusque façade and we were able to share a few laughs.  

The lesson I learned in this whole PR opportunity is not that if you see something wrong – move heck and high water to make it right – but be sure to approach all parties with a professional but compassionate approach.  Having worked on Wall Street in the Investor Relations world for seven years earlier in my career, I made inroads and set meetings with some of the most powerful men and women in the financial community. I did it because I knew my story and I treated all with attitude that they put their pants on in the morning one leg at a time.  Because of my tenacity, perseverance and results at a young age – I once had a broker tell me I had Moxie.  Call it what you will – all I know it’s the stuff in side that drives me to do what I love to do – and that is to tell stories and connect people.  Below is the reprint that CJ ran a few days ago.  By the way – what’s your story?

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/21601989.html?page=3&c=y

An apology

The Rev. Efrem Smith received a priestly apology from the Rev. Michael O’Connell.

The men of the cloth were among religious leaders being photographed for the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s new campaign, “Live United,” when O’Connell did something naughty. The Basilica of St. Mary rector displayed his pinky and thumb behind the head of Smith, senior pastor of the Sanctuary Covenant Church. Participants at the photo sessions were encouraged to assume amusing poses and this gesture, whether interpreted as rabbit ears, donkey ears or devil horns, certainly met that criteria.

Mary Lower, owner of Sterling Cross Communications, told me that O’Connell called up to say he didn’t intend anything untoward. O’Connell is known as a prankster, but the two had never met so the gesture caught Smith off guard.

As someone known as the hip-hop pastor Smith — also author of “The Hip-Hop Church” — has probably seen much less holy hand-signs in the hood.

However, he’s feeling on top of the world these days because on Aug. 7 Smith will speak to more than 100,000 people when he makes a presentation at the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Church in Illinois. It’s being simulcast across North America.

Walking the walk by using all of the new social media that we are recommending to our clientele, I’ve been embracing the Twitterverse and loving it!  I’m averaging 2-3 “tweets” a day…and I’m going to do my best to not let that be an excuse to not blog as well!  The episode I describe below happened last Friday and I can’t believe that 6 fast days have flown by!  I committed in one of my 140 character tweets to blogging about it so here we go.  (Follow me on Twitter  http://twitter.com/PRMoxie  )

Last Friday I received a terrific compliment from a free lance writer out of NYC.  Earlier in the week she had posted a query (on one of the PR tools that I subscribe to) looking for tips on hosting a wine tasting party.  One of our long time clients, a well known Executive Chef had penned a bylined article a few years back on the very topic, so I had pasted the entire byline and sidebar article in a response Email to her the day she had asked for the information. 

She wrote me back telling me that the information provided was exactly what she was looking for and wanted to know if I could send over the Chef’s bio and a headshot of him – preferable one of him with a glass of wine if such a shot existed.  Within 10 minutes of receiving the response she had a high res image of Chef Royal toasting with a full champagne flute and his updated bio to establish credentials. 

Below is the Email I received in return.

Perfect! You get an A in public relations for today. You know, there is some Murphy’s Law at work. If I were desperate and behind deadline, you’d be in Singapore without Internet access and I’d be madly trying to find a picture of him, but since I’m not in a rush, here’s what I need… Bingo!

I just realized it’s a summer Friday afternoon, so I’ll up your grade to A+.

Pat (posted on June 13^th at 3:12 pm CST/4:12 EST)

Everyone loves a pat on the back and I’m no exception.  As I’m continuing to train staff and establish Best PR Practices for Sterling Cross, I realize that the work we do is sort of like a swimming duck.  They look so cool gliding over the water but they are paddling like heck below the surface!  My point is that PR – well, PR done the “Sterling Cross way” is hard work born of experience from working on the media side, and from drawing on the experience of hundreds of campaigns.

Next week I’m going to give a glimpse into my PR process so be sure to check back soon!  If you’re interested in receiving the “Secrets of Hosting a Stellar Wine Tasting Party” article – let me know and I’d be happy to Email it to you. 

Mary