Just as companies build brand awareness for products and services, journalists are now building brand awareness for their name. For journalists, creating a name is critical as they work to establish an area of expertise and build credibility among readers. This is especially important for freelance journalists who contribute to a variety of news outlets and rely on their reputation and quality of work to maintain a steady stream of work.
According to PR Week, a new company called True/Slant is helping journalists establish their branding goals, promote their work and interact with new audiences. The new Web site highlights the work from more than 100 journalists and allows them the opportunity to blog and write about a variety of their projects.
True/Slant also provides a way for journalists that are seeking work to share their articles, build their resume and attract readers.
What I really like about True/Slant is that it provides journalists with their own True/Slant homepage where readers can learn more about the journalist’s professional background as well as what interests him or her most. This can be extremely valuable for PR professionals who are looking to find out what a particular journalist’s hot buttons are to ensure they’re targeting the right media for a particular story.
For example, take Anne Field. Anne is a contributing writer and has published works in outlets such as New York Times, Business Week, CNNMoney.com, Portfolio.com and Fortune. Anne writes about small businesses, but really enjoys covering not-only-for-profit startups. When asked why she uses True/Slant she said, “I can write about something I not only report on, but care about–and do so in a community of fabulous journalists.”
PR Week also points out how “more established press”, like True/Slant contributor and Good Morning America senior national correspondent Claire Shipman, utilizes the blog platform to discuss her family and promote offerings, like her book Womenomics, which is also the title of her True/Slant homepage.
Organizations and PR professionals alike will benefit from reviewing True/Slant and getting to know which journalists are passionate about topics relevant to their target audiences. Check out True/Slant at trueslant.com and let us know what you think.