Category: Media Relations
-
Advice about goal setting applies to creating talking points: less is more
I just finished reading the highly informative, educational and entertaining book The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger. In it, he reveals how he rose from an entry level position at ABC Television in 1974 to eventually become CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2005. Obtaining the CEO job was certainly not an…
-
Virus is a once-in-a-career opportunity for earned coverage
The coronavirus has become the number one news story in America and appears it will remain that way for at least the next eight to 12 months. It’s touching practically every segment of society in our country. I’m hard pressed to think of a story as big as this one during my 40+ year career.…
-
A local angle to national/international news = a successful placement
Regardless of your political affiliation, the biggest story in the national news right now is the efforts by Democrats to impeach Pres. Trump. My hometown newspaper, The Oregonian (based in Portland, Ore.) published a story in its edition today that is an example of one of the proven strategies I will teach in my News…
-
Become a comms hero by using what already exists at media outlets
I was watching a news story the other day on the local ABC-TV affiliate where I live and noticed they have a feature called “Everyday Heroes.” It highlights someone in the community who does great things for others with not much fanfare. I later realized that what I did next would make a good lesson…
-
Here’s how to boost your success when making a media pitch
One of the highlights for me of the 2019 Portland Communicators Conference was a panel discussion among three members of the Portland Business Journal (PBJ) editorial staff. Editor Suzanne Stevens was joined on stage by reporters Pete Danko and Elizabeth Hayes. Their topic: how to best interact with the PBJ staff so you don’t waste…
-
When it comes to media relations, do you want to be the Apple or the Donut?
At PRSA’s annual international conference in Boston last October, I had the opportunity to hear a variety of speakers from a large number of different companies. Speakers at two of the breakout sessions I attended represented a vast difference in media relations strategy that I wanted to share with you. One of the breakout session…
-
Here’s some advice for PR pros from two national reporters
I attended a “Meet the Media” event today that I helped organize on behalf of the Portland Metro chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The two speakers were Portland-based reporters from national news media outlets: John Maxfield from the Motley Fool and Tim Dickinson from Rolling Stone magazine. I want to share some of…
-
Love might mean never having to say you’re sorry, but not when it comes to mistakes by the news media
Many years ago there was a well-known book that became a popular movie in 1970. Both were named “Love Story.” And the most famous lines from that film was, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” For years after the film came out you would see that line printed on everything from pillows to…
-
Your deadline is “Now!” (but you can still control the timing)
Adam Kress in Arizona, a former reporter now working in the public relations industry, wrote a column recently with five tips for PR pros about how to deal with the news media (read his column here). I really liked his thoughts and I encourage you to read his piece. One of the tips Adam shared…
-
The Bill Cosby crisis and what he’s doing wrong to address it
I’ve been a big Bill Cosby fan since I was a child. I bought his comedy records (back in the day when there were records). I have also seen him perform live at least three times, the most recent was just before the crisis hit. I always thought he was one of the best comedians…
Recent Posts
- When you receive an assignment, determine the real deadline
- Don’t put all your effort into just one story pitch
- When you should not send out a communication
- Maintaining consistency is a must in your business writing
- Four keys for comms pros to win the trust of senior executives
Tags
#Olympics Apple computers Dunkin' Donuts Ebola virus Intel Mad Men Netflix Nike PRSA public relations Roseanne
Comments
I view this blog as an outlet for me as an individual to express my opinions and offer advice about…
Great advice, Unger! It's way too easy to treat writing like a task and move on to the next item…