I commented on Allie Schlumper’s blog.
http://allieschlumper.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/pr-in-the-miss-usa-pagaent/#comment-26
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I commented on Marilyn Lintel’s blog.
http://marilynpr.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/swine-flu-in-the-us/#comment-8
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I commented on Sarah Farmer’s blog.
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Turning Another Year Older
I have always been the person that gets pretty excited over birthdays. When you turn 16, you get your drivers license. 18 is exciting because you can vote and have more responsibilities. Once you turn 20, you can start getting excited about 21. Then 21, you’re legally an adult and finally have the option to drink an alcoholic drink after a long hard day! However, turning 22, for me anyways, was not that exciting. My birthday was March 29, which fell on a Sunday. I was less than thrilled about that because then you have to celebrate early, and then it’s just not really quite the same. I had a great birthday though. Some friends took me to Mellow Mushroom for dinner, and I came back to find that my boyfriend had been scheming with some friends to throw me a surprise party. It was really sweet of all of them. We all had a great time, and I’m so lucky to have such great people in my life!
WKRP: “Turkeys Away”
In our Public Relations class today, we watched WKRP: “Turkeys Away”. In the show, the station manager was obviously bored and started somewhat getting in the way of the other employees. He got an idea of giving away turkeys out of a helicopter for Thanksgiving, but he wanted to keep it somewhat of a secret. Needless to say the plan blew up in his face. The show was amusing, but it was also very important in learning about public relations. I learned that it is so important for people working together to communicate with each other about problems. It is also important for people to all be on the same page about a promotion. Another thing I learned from WKRP was how important research is in public relations. The station manager did not realize that turkeys couldn’t fly; therefore, his plan was a definite failure. It is vital for everyone to work together, stay organized, and do research when doing projects in public relations.
UGA Professor Wanted for Murders
On Saturday afternoon, April 25, a tragic event happened in Athens, Georgia. The University of Georgia marketing professor, George M. Zinkhan III, 57, was accused of shooting and killing three people and wounding three others. Zinkhan opened fire outside a community theater and then fled the scene. The victims included his wife Marie Bruce, Ben Teague, and Cole Tanner. The shooting was said to be a “crime of passion.” Airports are being monitored in case Zinkhan tries to head to a house he owns in Amsterdam. Authorities have launched a nationwide search for Zinkhan, but have yet to find him.
I believe UGA has handled this crisis very well. They immediately notified students on the campus website with his pictures and information about the shooting. Public relations played such an important part in this event because it was UGA’s priority to protect their students and also their reputation as much as possible.
Chapter 14: News Releases, Media Alerts, and Pitch Letters
News Releases: Simple document whose main purpose is the dissemination of information to mass media such as newspapers, broadcast stations, and magazines.
Lisa Barbadora, director of public relations and marketing for Schubert Communications, gives tips for “news-centered” releases:
- Use short headlines and subheads to highlight main points and pique interest.
- Don’t use generic words such as “world-class” to position your company.
- Tell the news.
- Don’t use lame quotes.
- Follow the Associated Press Stylebook and specific publications’ editorial standards for dates, technical terms, abbreviations, etc.
A few questions should be answered to give the news release direction:
- What is the key message?
- Who is the primary audience for the release?
- What does the target audience gain from the product or service?
- What objective does the release serve?
Three reasons why you should use the inverted pyramid structure in a news release:
- If the editor doesn’t find anything interesting in the first 3 or 4 lines, it won’t be used.
- Editors cut stories from the bottom.
- Readers don’t always read the full story.
Media Alerts: Memos used to let the media know about an interview opportunity with a visiting expert or alert them that a local person will be featured on a network t.v. program.
Fact Sheets: Distributed to the media as part of a media kit or with a news release to give additional background information about the product, person or event.
Media Kits: Prepared for major events and new product launches. The basic elements are:
- The main news release
- A news feature about the development of the product
- Fact sheets on the product
- Background information
- Photos and drawings with captions
- Biographical material on the spokesperson
- Basic brochures
Pitch Letters: A short letter or note to the editor that tries to grab their attention.
This information was taken from the book Public Relations Strategies and Tactics, Ninth Edition by Dennis L. Wilcox and Glen T. Cameron.
Chapter 13: New Technologies in PR
The Internet gives PR people a multifaceted form of worldwide communication and extensive access to audiences for strategic research opportunities. The following are a few of the main uses of the Internet by PR pros:
- Email Distribution: Ex: messages to individuals, transmission of news releases, pitch letters to media offices.
- Web Sites: Provide a way for organizations to tell Internet users what they do, to publicize projects, and to support policies.
- Blogs, Moblogs and Vlogs: A blog is a regularly updated online journal that also has links to news items and stories on the web. Mobs post content to the Internet from a mobile device.
- Really Simple Syndication (RSS): A web based process of searching and gathering together news and information that is then fed to the user’s computer or wireless device.
PR pros should keep the following facts about the Internet in mind:
- Its reach is worldwide.
- The content of the Internet is virtually uncontrolled.
- Issue tracking can be more thorough using the Internet and far more immediate.
The Internet introduces several innovations in existing research methodologies. Here are just a few:
- Hybrid Surveys
- Online Focus Groups
- Online Experiments
- Copy Testing
- Online Theater Research
In addition to the benefits of the Internet, there are also problems PR people should keep in mind:
- Search engines are prioritizing search results based on fee payments from companies and organizations, biasing search results.
- There is still a fairly high skill level required to set up a functional website.
- Controversial security problems and legal questions of copyright infringement, libel, invasion of privacy, and pornography remain unsolved.
News Release Delivery: More than a dozen American companies deliver news releases electronically to large newspapers and other major news media offices. Releases are transmitted by satellite tend to receive closer, faster attention from media editors than those arriving by mail.
Video and Audio News Release Distribution: Satellite transmission makes the fast distribution of video news releases possible.
Teleconferening: Groups of people separated by many miles can interact instantaneously with strong visual impact, saving time and transportation costs.
Webconferencing: A less expensive alternative for videoconferencing.
This information was taken from the book Public Relations Strategies and Tactics, Ninth Edition by Dennis L. Wilcox and Glen T. Cameron.
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I commented on Marilyn Lintel’s blog.
http://marilynpr.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/secrets-to-life/#comment-11
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on April 30, 2009 at 8:05 pm Leave a Comment