Unless you've been hiding under a rock with your phone face down, then you know the latest trend on social media is the collective slander of bad PR pitches reporters receive and screenshot for their followers to mock on Twitter. This new era of public shaming happens...
Journalists speak out on 2020’s impact on media—and how PR can build coverage inroads
As we work through a rocky year fraught with crisis, misinformation and upheaval, today’s journalists believe 2020 has left a permanent mark on the way they report the news—even in a year with a presidential election. According to new research from veteran comms...
4 steps to building inroads with new media contacts
In 2020, much of the media landscape is made up of new media. What once felt new and exciting has been so heavily integrated into our lives and how we consume information that it’s hard to tell the difference between an underground podcast and the product of a...
Local TV producers speak out on election and holiday coverage
With a crazy election period and uber-unique holiday retail season ahead, among other crisis-level activity in society right now, a new survey from broadcast PR specialist firm D S Simon Media of local TV news producers examines how much time they are spending on...
Why research is a crucial ingredient in building your media list
The media database is a tool for curation. It provides PR pros the means to find and connect with their ideal advocates. It may even offer some insight on a specific journalist via areas of interest or social media links. But a database is only as effective as the PR...
Reporters don’t hate you: Insights on building healthy relationships
Some news sources operate under the mistaken assumption that reporters detest them. That’s not necessarily so unless past transactions have led to heightened tensions. If a reporter writes something negative about your company, it’s not personal. It’s a business deal....
7 ways to use humor in your presentation
The recent surge in video conferencing brought on by the COVID pandemic has provided a wealth of comedic material for social media – from bosses transforming themselves into potatoes to Saturday Night Live’s take on the ubiquitous Zoom call, and many fails and awkward...
Can anybody hear me? Tips for gaining media attention amidst a pandemic, economic crisis, and national election.
Whether you are wanting to share the news of a prestigious new client, an innovative new offering, or a successful implementation, it’s never a simple task to get the attention of the right media outlets on your preferred timeline. Throw in a worldwide pandemic, an...
Why you need to spend more time on market segmentation
Every PR professional has unique strengths and preferences, and the endless quest for positive coverage is pursued using a wide variety of tools and techniques. I mention these things because they speak to two common mistakes. Firstly, some PR pros make the mistake of...
Going virtual: 6 tips for media roundtables in the age of social distancing
With in-person meetings on hold for the foreseeable future, it’s hard to imagine a circumstance that would allow a traditional media roundtable anytime soon. But there’s no reason to write off the roundtable as a casualty of the COVID-19 crisis, particularly with all...
Secrets to pitching broadcast (according to a former broadcast journalist)
Broadcast isn’t just what you see on the small screen anymore. It’s also online, on social, and (to complicate matters further) can even be produced by online and print publications. Despite the combining of the analog and digital, broadcast remains a bit of a...
Targeting the right publications to maximize your links
While some agencies might rely on large-scale mail merges and bulk outreach to secure backlinks, placing content with journalists has to be more than a numbers game if you want to be able to meet higher KPIs and faster turnaround. Brute force, after all, can only go...