PR Final
What is a pitch?
A PR pitch is a short personalized message that outlines the value of a story and explains why it should be published. It is usually 150 words long but can reach up to 400 words. PR pitches should be short, engaging and timely for the topic. Subject line be clear of what you want the reporter to know, the who must have a name nothing general, the what must have what news you are trying to break- 1 to 2 sentences, the why it is important: 1) is your issue one that has not yet been covered?; 2) has your issue been covered but perhaps unfairly (remote learning example); 3) can you provide new or unique approach to covering this story (inviting a reporter into the zoom class); 4) does this story align with other work that the reporter has covered; 5) how does this topic impact the audience of the journalist (History Center is an hour away from Philly- might be a good day trip for families). Use an inverted pyramid for what else they need to know. Give something the reporter can use that makes them stand out. Give the reporter multiple ways to say yes, such as offering it to other colleagues if she can't.
What is a media list and how is it created? What are some best practices for creating and maintain media lists?
A media list is a document with details of specific journalists, bloggers, writers, editors and influencers who write about your niche or area of expertise. The list usually includes the name of the journalist, designation, email address, name of publication they work for, and a link to their recent article.Make time to read and react each day so you are familiar with the journalists working in your sphere. Take note of journalists that pop onto your radar but aren't a good fit for your current project. Look back through this list as you compile a new media list. Identify the outlets that mean the most for your organization and then do your homework to find the best person to pitch.
How do you format a news release? What type of language should be used in a news Release?
A news release—also widely referred to as a press release—is an organization's message written to appeal to news media outlets in hopes that those outlets will spread the message. News Release Format- Need FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on the left hand side at the top. Need your information on the right side on the top. Need a headline that is short to the point, in all caps and usually bolded. Need a subhead which breaks up the headline a little bit more. Need a dateline, you start out this way and it shows where you are. Dateline: A dateline is the location of the city from which the release is issued written in capitals followed by the date of the release. The following is an example of a dateline: SACRAMENTO, CA.,--January 21, 2017. Lead: A news release's first paragraph is called a lead. Summary leads are a tersely worded synopsis of the main point and include some or all of the journalistic news values of who, what, where, when, and how. Body: Inverted pyramid 1st. Key point summarized in the tightly composed first paragraph. 2nd. Secondary information arranged in descending order of importance: facts,explanations,examples. 3rd. Less critical information. Quotation: News releases almost always contain a quotation from someone highly placed in the organization. These quotations generally appear in paragraph two or three of the release and are simply additional details or facts coming from an authoritative individual. End of copy- ### Boilerplate: The final paragraph of most news releases is the "boil-erplate," a short summary of about 50 to 100 words that provides background information about an organization. Keep word choice neutral and accurate. Avoid overblown adjectives and instead rely on strong nouns and verbs to make your point. Be factual, clear, and succinct.
What is lead?
A summary lead concisely tells the reader the main idea of the story or conveys its news value. A summary lead should address the following questions: Who- Exact names and titles of people involved. What- Major action or news; often includes lesser actions or supporting facts related to major news. When-Time of news clearly stated. Where-Location of where news occurred or will occur. Why or How- Explanation of news including its context.
Describe aware, active and latent audiences
According to Grunigs Situational Theory, there are active, aware, latent, and non audiences, and his theory predicts active or passive behavior from each of these audiences. An active audience is the audience that is already doing what you want them to do. In PR, we want this audience to remain committed and to spread the message to the other audience types. For aware audiences, they are interested and aware of the message but they have not taken action yet. The goal of PR is to get the aware audience to take action.The latent audience does not know that the message you are promoting applies to them or they are unaware that they can help. The goal of PR for this audience is to convince them to seek more information, get involved, and challenge their assumptions.
What is the definition of public relations? How does it differ from marketing and advertising? Which subfield of public relations interests you most?
According to the reading "The Difference Between Marketing and PR, the definition of public relations is the professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company, other organization, or famous person. PR and marketing are different because marketing is focused on promoting a specific product, whereas PR is promoting the reputation of the company as a whole. Personally, I am the most interested in crisis communications because I find it to be challenging yet fulfilling at the same time, and I think it is an essential part of maintaining a brand's reputation. **switch up your response
What is an opinion-editorial and how is it used in public relations?
An opinion-editorial is a tool in your earned media toolbox. It's also a way of showing an employer that you are a strong PR writer. They are a little more fun and creative. It is a short persuasive essay written by someone in the community, not news outlet staff, designed to convince an audience about a behavior, attitude, or idea. Pr professionals use op-eds in the hopes of getting "picked up" by a larger media outlet. Pr professionals write them for three reasons; advance a cause, defend a cause, and counter previous media coverage. They also craft themselves, and sometimes ghost write for others. Also use them to combat unfair or misleading media coverage.
Why does earned media remain important during a time when many campaigns rely on owned and shared?
Earned indicates that the info is considered valuable enough to a medium's public that the medium uses the material, but not always as sent. The medium controls the presentation. It is more credible.
Tell me about yourself (emily)
I am always listening to music, whether it is on the radio or through Spotify or even youtube, it has always been a big part of my life. I started listening to music at a very young age, I'd walk around the house with a CD player and headphones listening to old songs from my moms CD case. Today, there are so many new artists creating new music, and within my generation I would say I am seeing types of songs that are definitely a lot different from when my moms type of music was made. It amazes me how the artist and the music works, I have always wanted to be a part of that experience behind the scenes. I would like for my future to someday be a part of this bigger world of the music industry. I would like to intern for Echoes organization, because I believe that it will teach me skills that I have learned from my major, and then some such as writing reviews. I think that it will help me succeed in the future, and is also something I am interested in because I love music.
What is a key message? Why is a key message important to a campaign?
In ready, aim fire: Key messages in Public Relations, we learned that A key message is what you want your target audience to understand and accept after the program has been implemented. The message must be clear, have interest or relevance to the recipient, and include a call to action to drive the change or have the impact you are seeking. An example of a key message would be Wearing is Caring for the mask movement or Black Lives Matter. Key messages are important because they essentially drive the campaign. They're promoted in all of the 4 types of media and they are designed to stick in your audience's heads.
What is the link between communication research and public relations?
In the September 23rd zoom class, we learned that Communication Research provides PR campaigns with direction, scope, and protection. Throughout all of our modules we have seen how essential it is to incorporate research into our planning so that our campaigns are effective. Edward Bernays used research and psychology to develop his campaigns which is the main reason why they worked so well. In the past we have seen campaigns that did not do enough research such as the Pespi ad with Kendall Jenner, which was called tone deaf and damaged the company's reputation.
What is your greatest weakness (emily)
My greatest weakness is that I get nervous talking in front of large audiences. I learned that I need more practice when it comes to public speaking, and my major has helped me to do so since I had to take public speaking, and also had to take other classes that have me do presentations for projects. This has helped me in the end, because I would like to say I have improved my speeches and the practice helped minimize my nervousness.
What are news values? Why are they important? Identify two news values and provide examples of how they would be incorporated into content.
News values are "criteria that influence the selection and presentation of events as published news". These values help explain what makes something "newsworthy". Immediacy/Timeliness: Events or stories that have recently taken place or will happen in the immediate future have immediacy or timeliness. Breaking news stories or stories about unexpected events that are developing are good examples. Proximity: considers the location of the event in relation to the target audience of the media outlet. Audiences are more likely to pay attention to stories that take place in their local communities. For example, a news station in Ohio usually wouldn't cover day-to-day events at the Indiana State Fair. However, happenings at the annual Ohio State Fair always get daily coverage in central Ohio news outlets. Human interest: Stories that are emotionally compelling capture the audience's attention and appeal to their attitudes and beliefs. Currency: Topics that are trending in news media and other media, such as Twitter and Facebook, are considered newsworthy. "Hot topics of the day" or stories that are in the general public discourse are other examples. Prominence: Stories that feature well-known individuals or public figures such as politicians and entertainers carry news value. News outlets covered the story when model Tyra Banks completed a management program at Harvard's School of Business in 2012. Impact: The United Kingdom's vote to exit the European Union in June 2016 had global implications, and many media outlets in the U.S. and abroad reported the story. However, British news stations such as BBC News and Sky News covered the event more extensively than American media did because the decision impacts Britain's economy and citizens much more so than Americans. Generally, people are more likely to care about stories that directly affect their lives; therefore, media gatekeepers often devote more time and resources to stories that have implications for their respective audiences. Novelty: Stories that are odd, unusual, shocking, or surprising have novelty value. An example would be a story about an unusual animal friendship, such as that between a dog and a deer. Conflict: Strife or power struggles between individuals or ethnic groups or organizations contain a conflict value and often grab the attention of audiences. For example, stories about war, crime, and social discord are newsworthy because their conflict narrative spurs interest.
Provide two examples of how campaigns have used technology to advance PR goals. *dont do social media
One example of new technology that campaigns have employed to advance PR goals is virtual reality. In the video about new ways of communicating that we were assigned, we learned that Stanford University used virtual reality to show participants what it was like to be homeless to increase empathy toward the homeless population. Of all of the communication tactics that they used for this campaign, virtual reality proved to be the most effective. The participants who used virtual reality were even more likely to sign a petition to raise taxes to fund increasing support for the homeless community. Another effective way to use communication technology for PR is through artificial intelligence. Amazon and Amazon LGBTQ Affinity Group used the Amazon Echo to promote pride month. During this month, users were able to ask Echo to tell them a fact about Pride.
What is PRSA? What does it offer to public relations professionals?
PRSA stands for the Public Relations Society of America. According to their website, they basically provide tools to grow your career. They help PR professionals establish connections with other professionals in their area as well as nationally, and they provide newsletters, webinars, and workshops to help PR professionals stay up to date and expand their knowledge in the field. In addition, they help PR professionals boost their resumes by providing awards and recognition for success. They also have a forum where people can ask questions and receive feedback from other professionals. PRSA also has a subchapter called PRSSA which is dedicated to students in the communications major and provides opportunities for networking and resume building to prepare them for their careers after college.
Explain each aspect of the PESO model. Why is the PESO model important to public relations professionals?
Spin Sucks says that PESO model stands for paid, earned, shared, and owned media. The paid media is anything that your campaign pays for to promote your campaign. This could be an ad on the side of a bus, sponsorships, etc. Earned media is news media coverage that your organization earned. An example could be a writing piece that was published by a news organization. Your writing piece earned that spot in the media. This type is the most credible. Shared media is more co-creational and allows the audience to connect with the campaign. This could be something like allowing users to share information you post on social media to reach a wider audience . Owned media is the information you control. An example of this would be your organization's website. PESO is important to public relations because all of these aspects of media are important to a campaign's success. The message should be layered throughout each type of media and campaigns should not be limited to just one type of creative.
What are the differences between a functional, relational and co-creational perspective on public relations?
The Travis and Lorden PR Theory excerpt says that a functional approach to PR sees the public and communication as tools to achieve the corporation's goals. A co-creational approach is centered around building relationships with the publics and working with the public to create meaning. This has become more widely used now that social media has become such an important part of PR campaigning. A relational approach is where we believe everyone, including the corporation is involved in creating meaning and the corporation is not the center of communication. This approach is focused on developing stronger relationships.
What is the main goal of crisis communication? How does SCCT predict a crisis communication response?
The main goal of crisis communication restore trust with their audience after a crisis occurs. The Situational Crisis Communication Theory divides the types of crisis into 3 categories, and the response to a crisis depends on which category the specific crisis falls into. it also depends on previous history of crisis and the organization's reputation.According to the video by Timothy Coombs, The first type of crisis would be a victim crisis, where the organization is the victim of the crisis. The second type is accidental, where the organization has little to no responsibility. An example of this could be a natural disaster. The third type of crisis is a preventable crisis, where stakeholders put the blame on the organization for the crisis. In situations where there is little to no responsibility on the organization, there is a baseline response, which is to help prevent further harm and to help victims cope psychologically by telling how they are going to prevent the event from happening again and expressing sympathy. This baseline response is used in all three types of crisis, but if there is more blame on the organization, they also have to take responsibility and help the victims. The organization has to identify which type of crisis is occurring to formulate the correct response.
Identify each stage of the ROPES model and explain its importance.
The reading called Implementing the Strategic Public Relations plan describes the importance of each of the stages of ROPES. R-research: A PR professional needs to do research on the organization and their goals as well as research on the audiences that will be targeted by the campaign. Research can be done via internal review, where PR professionals research the organization, and external review, where they research their audience, which includes people who support or oppose the campaign, and anything that might cause roadblocks for the campaign. O-Objectives: The campaign must create impact objectives, which are the measurement of the result of the campaign. These are behavior-based. They must also create output objectives, which is the measurement of tools produced by the campaign. This could be the number of news stories, articles, posts, etc. P-Programming: Creating the key message for your campaign and implementing your plan. E-Evaluation: Comparing the end result of your campaigns and measuring results against your impact objectives. S-Stewardship: maintaining relationships created from a campaign
What was Ivy Lee's contribution to the field of public relations?
The reading called Public Relations ethics talks about Ivy Lees opinions on PR. Ivy Lee was the first person to ever include ethics while doing PR. He stressed the importance of maintaining trust between an organization and their audience and also believed it was important to make sure an organization's actions were aligned with what they were promoting. Now, we have a code of ethics (found on PRSA website) which aligns with Lee's views. In addition to all of that, he wrote the first press release, which is now a very common practice in PR.
What was Edward Bernays contribution to the field of public relations?
The video we watched on Edward Bernays discussed how he created the field of public relations by focusing on the psychology of the american people so that his clients could identify the interests of the public. His campaigns were able to change public opinion. For example, one of his most famous campaigns was when we was working for a tobacco company and switched the public opinion from the idea that women smoking was bad and undesirable to the idea that women smoking is noble and acceptable through a campaign parade where debutants were smoking. He developed this tactic by speaking to a psychologist about the root of the taboo around female smoking.
What are the differences between legacy and trade publications? When and why would a public relations professional approach a trade publication? When and why would a public relations professional seek publication in a legacy publication?
Traditional or "legacy" media, that is, broadcast-ers, digital news outlets, newspapers, and trade and consumer magazines, either cover a geographic area (think Detroit Free Press) or are designed to appeal to a specific niche (e.g., Lifetime Network, Sports Illustrated, or Grammarly.com). In traditional media, news is gathered when reporters go to a scene of an incident (city hall, an accident scene, a new play, a sporting event), uncover facts, and report them. Trade publications are a combination of scholarly and popular sources that professionals in specific industries use to inform and share information about that industry with one another and those interested in the industry.
