Chapter 11, Exam 2
why is preparing broadcasting material more difficult?
Writing and preparing broadcast material thus requires a special perspective; instead of writing for the eye, a practitioner has to switch gears and think about adding audio and visual elements to the story
What is the purpose of a news conference?
At a news conference, the communication is two-way; a news conference makes possible the QUICK, WIDESPREAD DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION, avoids the time consuming task of dealing with news outlets, and all the electronic media can hear the news simultaneously this way; usually the person speaking for the company opens up for journalist questions after making some sort of initial statement
What are six tips for great publicity photos
1. Good contrast and sharp detail 2. Uncluttered 3. Sometimes context may be important 4. Action 5. Emphasize scale 6. Resolution -- keep in mind
what are the 3 principal requirements for making a successful radio, TV or online interview appearance?
1. Preparation - guests should know what they want to say 2. Concise speech - guests should answer questions and make statements briefly and concisely without excessive detail or material. 30 seconds or less due to program time restrictions. 3. Relaxation - It is hard to avoid a "mic fright" response; the guest ought to concentrate on the interviewer in a casual, person-to-person manner.
What are the 4 approaches to getting your organization's news and viewpoints on local television?
1. Simply send the same news release that the local print and online media receive. (if the news director thinks it is newsworthy, possibly they will include it in a segment) 2. To send a media alert/advisory that informs the assignment editor about a particular event or occasion that would lend itself to video coverage. 3. Make a pitch to the station -- via phone, text or email 4. to produce a video news release (VNR) that, like an ANR, is formatted for immediate use and requires minimum effort on the part of station personnel. The VNR can be used by numerous stations on regional, national or global basis.
what are the three kinds of media tours?
1. a media trip, or junket, 2. A familiarization trip 3. when an organization's executives travel to key cities to talk with selected editors
what two forms can an ANR take?
1. one simple approach is for someone with a good radio voice to read the announcement; this type is called actuality. 2. In a second approach, an announcer reads the release but a quote called a sound bite is also included from a SATISFIED CUSTOMER or a company spokesperson. This approach is better than a straight announcement because the message comes from a "REAL PERSON" rather than a nameless announcer. This type is more acceptable to stations because they can choose to sometimes just broadcast the soundbite.
what are the advantages of the talk show?
A talk show is an effective way to get information out about an event, product, service or issue: the ADVANTAGE of talk shows is the opportunity to have viewers see and hear the organization's spokesperson without the FILTER of JOURNALISTS and editors interpreting and deciding what is NEWSWORTHY. Another advantage is the opportunity to be on the AIR LONGER than the traditional 30 second sound bite in a news program.
what is the most common issues broadcast hosts have with their guest appearances?
All too often, talk show hosts know TOO LITTLE about their guests for the day's broadcast. The PR adviser can help this by sending the host a fact sheet in advance to summarize important information. Obviously, smaller local TV and radio stations lack such resources; hosts on these may almost go "cold" on the air unless PR practitioners provide them with volunteered information.
explain what a radio media tour is:
Another PR tactic for radio is the radio media tour (RMT). In an RMT, a spokesperson conducts a series of one-on-one interviews from a central location with radio announcers across the country or a region; A PR practitioner (often called a publicist in such a situation) books telephone interviews with DJs, news directors, etc. A selling point for the RMT is its relatively LOW COST and the convenience of giving numerous short interviews from one central location.
what must PR personnel do when trying to successfully pitch a show?
Before pitching to directors and producers, PR staff must do their due diligence and find out the show's format and content, audience it reaches, etc; the person should watch the program and study the format, as researching this will help determine whether a particular show is appropriate for your spokesperson and suggest how to tailor a pitch letter to achieve maximum results.
Explain the qualities of a Video News Release:
Costs may vary depending on the number of location shots, special effects, the use of celebrities, etc; but, costs are more easily justified if there is potential for national distribution. Because of the specialized knowledge that is required, PR depts and firms usually outsource production to a firm specializing in scripting and producing VNRs. The VNR package should include two to three minutes of B-roll. B-roll is video only, without narration, giving a TV station maximum flexibility, allows TV news producers to repackage the story -- typical B-roll includes additional interviews, sound bites, and file footage.Even the term "video news release" has fallen to disfavor, so video production firms have increasingly moved to just producing B-roll packages on behalf of clients.
what is the secret to successfully pitching to a TV news editor?
Emphasizing the video aspects of a story that would play out well on TV
what is a fact sheet?
Fact sheets are usually one to two pages in length and serve as a "crib sheet" for journalists when they write a story; a fact sheet about an organization would provide information on details of the org
explain the third type of media tour
In the third kind of media tour, the organization's executives travel to key cities to talk with selected editors. Depending on the editor's preferences, the executives may visit a publication and give a background briefing to key editors, or a hotel conference room may be set up so that the traveling executives can talk with editors from several publications at the same time.
what are considered key sources of information for journalists and important uncontrolled media tactics for PR pros?
Interviews
what is a press/media party or trip?
Often, however, a corporation, an association, or a political figure wishes to deliver a message or build rapport with the media on a more PERSONAL basis. In these circumstances, a social setting such as a press or media party or media trip is desirable; A press party may be a luncheon, a dinner or a reception. The standard practice is for the host to rise at the end of the socializing period and make the "pitch"
what do you do if you want to place a guest on a show?
One way to place a guest on a talk show is to contact the booker to briefly outline the qualifications of the proposed speaker and explain why this person might be a timely guest; publicists may call or send a brief note, text or e-mail; in many cases, the booker will ask for video clips of the spokesperson's appearances on other previous shows or media interviews. In general publicists book 3-4 weeks in advance, except for last minute, timely guests.
what is important to keep in mind when creating a VNR?
PR depts or firms must carefully analyze the news potential of information; a VNR should not be produced if it contains nothing but "talking heads", charts, and graphs. Another aspect to consider is whether the topic will still be CURRENT by the time the video is produced. Because of the specialized knowledge that is required, PR depts and firms usually outsource production to a firm specializing in scripting and producing VNRs; writing a script for a VNR is a bit more complicated than writing one for an ANR, as the writer needs to VISUALIZE the scene, An advisory should accompany the VNR package or be sent to news director -- the advisory contains the key elements of the story, background and description of the visuals, they often reach an even larger audience than is possible with local TV through YouTube.
explain a PSA
PR personnel working for nonprofit organizations often prepare Public Service Announcements (PSAs). A PSA is an unpaid announcement that promotes the programs of government or voluntary agencies or that serves the public interest; the STANDARD PRACTICE is to send multiple PSAs on the same subject in various lengths to give the station some flexibility.
Who are "bookers" when discussing television?
People known in the broadcasting industry as BOOKERS are those who are responsible for booking a constant supply of timely guests for the show.
what is the "mortification strategy"?
Prof Timothy Coombs; the idea that the best posture of a situation is informing that a situation is bad and that the organization is doing everything in its power to fix it.
what are the qualities of a radio news release?
Radio news releases, like releases for print and online media, must be newsworthy and not too commercial. A CONVERSATIONAL style used, and emphasis on strong, short sentences. But, unlike regular news releases, radio demands the story to be told in 60 seconds or less; uses standard English,
who are particularly active in seeking out product placements and why?
Retailers are particularly active in seeking out product placement because studies show that today's youth gets many of their ideas about what products to buy from watching TV shows. (ex: Project Runway contestants using HP and Intel products in their design studio.)
What is search engine optimization? (SEO)
SEO is search engine optimization, which is the process of selecting key words for the news release that makes the content easily retrievable; SEO also plays a key role in the multimedia news release, or social media release (SMR)
Discuss the qualities of product placements:
TV's drama and comedy shows are often good vehicles for promoting a company's products and services. Such product placements, sometimes called plugs, are often negotiated by product publicists and talent agencies; Retailers are particularly active in seeking out product placement because studies show that today's youth gets many of their ideas about what products to buy from watching TV shows. (ex: Project Runway contestants using HP and Intel products in their design studio.) Another opportunity for product exposure on television is on game shows.
what is b-roll?
The VNR package should include two to three minutes of B-roll. B-roll is video only, without narration, giving a TV station maximum flexibility to add its own narration or use just a portion of the video as part of a news segment. This allows TV news producers to REPACKAGE the story -- typical B-roll includes additional interviews, sound bites, and file footage. It was found that 70 percent of TV news directors preferred VNRs with B-roll attached; they generally prefer this over fully scripted VNRs. Even the term "video news release" has fallen to disfavor, so video production firms have increasingly moved to just producing B-roll packages on behalf of clients.
what is the most efficient way to conduct a Satellite Media Tour (SMT)?
The most efficient way to conduct an SMT is to make the organization's spokesperson available for an interview at a designated time. Celebrities are always popular, but the organization also can use articulate experts.
Why can VNRs potentially be controversial?
VNRs, while effective, are somewhat controversial because TV stations often use them without attributing the source.
Through what communication tools would be the most effective when trying to get your spokesperson on a show?
When your goal is to get spokespersons on talk and magazine shows, your contact is the directors and producers of such programs -- the most valuable communication tools in reaching these people are the telephone and the persuasive pitch, via email, text, or twitter.
Explain what a Satellite Media Tour (SMT) is:
a SMT is the television equivalent of the radio media tour; it is a series of pre-booked, one on one interviews from a fixed location (usually a television show) via satellite with a series of TV journalists or talk show hosts. Another popular approach to SMTs is to get out of the television studio and do interviews on location. For example, the National Pork Producers Council wanted to promote pork through tailgating, so they turned to a football hall of famer.
what is a media kit?
a media kit is a package of documents and other items offering extensive coverage of a news story to the news media; commonly called a press kit, usually in digital form, it provides editors and reporters with a variety of information and resources to make it easier to report about a topic -- THESE ARE USUALLY PREPARED for major events and new product launches.
what is a multimedia news release?
also known as a social media release (SMR), SMRs will include social media tags so the content can be circulated through social bookmarking sites, so obviously touted as much more sophisticated than just an email release; multimedia releases make it possible to embed a news release with high-resolution photos/graphics, video and audio components.
explain what an audio news release is:
an ANR is the most common and effective approach, it is sending the radio station a recording of the news announcement, rather than having a station announcer do it for you. Usually these are accompanied with a copy of the script along with an MP3.
What is a pitch?
another PR tactic, where pros will write short letters or emails to editors to grab their attention; pitches are often used to to ask editors to assign a reporter to a particular event, to pursue a feature angle on an issue or trend, or even to book a spokesperson on a forthcoming show. A pitch also lets the editor know, in brief form, about the contents of a media kit also; many times the correspondence will also include a sample of the product
what are the kinds of releases on the radio?
audio news releases, PSAs, and radio media tours.
what is important when conducting a news conference?
first, asking the question of if a news conference should even be held is important, as often the answer is no. invite all interested news media outlets to not make any enemies, and the nature of the news conference should be provided so that an editor will know what kind of reporter to assign. Also, a press release is distributed by a wise PR representative when material involved fails to meet the criteria of significant news.
what is the structure and content of a news release
lead paragraph, as it is an inverted pyramid structure (multimedia release also is an inverted pyramid); often accompanied by publicity photos, as they add to the perception that news is more "important" a study found -- publicity photos are not published unless they appeal to media gatekeepers.
what is a media advisory (or media alerts)?
media advisories or media alerts are when PR staff will send a note to reporters and editors about a news conference or upcoming event; the most common format for media advisories is short, bulleted lists rather than long paragraphs; typically includes an outline of the story idea, answers to the 5 H's and W, and provides "whom to contact"
what are some of the negatives to a news conference?
most news conferences are positive in intent, they are affirmative actions intended to project the hosts plan; but the negative is that it opens the person up to antagonistic or harsh questioning,
what is a news conference?
news conferences, on the other hand, are used to INTRODUCE news or newsmakers to journalists; while they are still uncontrolled tactics, it is the PR practitioner, NOT the journalist, who initiates the interaction in a news conference.
what is the only way of making a news release effective when it's distributed online?
news releases distributed online are only effective if the writer carefully uses what is known as search engine optimization techniques (SEO)
what are the two types of news conferences to note?
one occurs spontaneously, arising out of a news event (a winner of a Nobel Prize meets the media to explain his or her award-winning work) ; or the other type, is the regularly scheduled conference held by a public official at stated times, even when there is nothing special to announce. Usually this type of event is called a BRIEFING.
how do many companies choose to make media kits?
providing a CD or posting a media kit online is ECONOMICAL for companies and it enables access to multimedia content; the efficiency and portability of a flash drive also are another reason people use this platform for media kits.
explain the second type of a media tour
the familiarization trip, or fam trip; are offered to travel writers and editors by the tourism industry; definitely more geared to travel and tourism industry, Travel articles in magazines and newspapers usually result from a reporter's fam trip.
explain the first type of media tour
the most common media tour, a trip, called a junket, where editors and reporters are invited to inspect a company's manufacturing facilities in several cities, and so on... the host usually picks up the tab for expenses.
explain the news/press release
the most commonly used PR tactic; the primary purpose of this simple document is the dissemination of information from PR sources to mass media such as newspapers, broadcast stations and magazines. A great deal of information in weekly and daily newspapers is generated from news releases made by publicists and PR practitioners; News releases distributed online are only effective if the writer carefully uses what is known as search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.
what is the most commonly used PR tactic?
the news release, also called a press release
what kind of preparation must a PR pro make when they're making a pitch?
the personnel must do some basic research first about the publication or broadcast show that they want to contact, as they must know if it would serve their target audience purpose; it's a good idea to relate a particular product or service to something that is already identified as part of a particular fashion or lifestyle, to appeal to the trends of the media. Also, the best pitches are CREATIVE and succeed in grabbing the editors attention.
how are most news releases typically prepared?
vast majority of news releases today are prepared for distribution by e-mail or via electronic distribution services such as BusinessWire; writers must also think Is it Time for a News Release? Before writing a news release, a PR professional should ask and answer a number of questions (what is the key message? who is the target audience? what objective does the release serve?) the next step is to think like a journalist and write a well-crafted news story that includes the traditional five W's and an H
when did the use of product placements truly come of age?
with the movie ET in the early 1980s; the story goes that M&Ms candy made a classic marketing mistake by not allowing the film to use their candies for a famous scene, so it instead used Reese's Pieces ... their sales skyrocketed, and the rest is history as the candy and character remain forever linked in pop culture and the generation of ET fans.
