Lessons From Sochi’s PR Challenges
The closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics last Sunday marked the end of one of the most memorable games in terms of PR. The little host town of Sochi, Russia, got off to a rocky start when many of its hotel rooms were only half finished at the start of the games and the controversial […]
The Rise of the Contributor
While pitching an announcement for one our clients recently I ran into an increasingly common problem: The perfect person to pitch was a contributing writer at the publication and I couldn’t track down his contact information. Eventually I found a way to get in touch with him, but it got me thinking about the balance […]
How to Build a Media List
Finding a list of journalists who may be interested in your pitch is no easy task. The success of a pitch or press release often rides on the shoulders of a thoroughly developed press release. When approaching a media list, I find myself facing asking questions like: How do I find journalists who will be […]
The Information: Bold Enough to be a Success?
Earlier this month former Wall Street Journal reporter and editor Jessica Lessin launched a technology and business news site – The Information – that got the media world buzzing. The Information costs a hefty $399 a year, or $39 a month, and offers no free content up front, which is one of the strictest paywalls […]
5 Updates to the 2013 AP Stylebook
If you read our blog or you work in public relations or media, you’re likely well aware of the importance of AP style. A couple months ago, the 2013 version of the AP Stylebook was released, with 90 new or updated entries. Ninety updates is a lot of information to process. At the time, PR […]
What’s News and What’s Rumor?
A little over two weeks ago my little sister, a student at University of Colorado at Boulder, sent me a link to a video of a river roaring through what is usually the calm creek near the campus. She then told me about the dramatic changes that had occurred to the city of Boulder due […]
Google’s ‘In-Depth Articles’ Feature – What It Is, and What It Means for PR
If you work in media or technology, you might be aware that Google recently introduced a new search page feature, “In-Depth Articles.” The feature, which aims to provide “thoughtful in-depth content” that “remains relevant long after its publication date,” offers up links to long-form articles at the bottom of the search results page—similarly to how […]
Let’s Connect: Findings From Tech Journalist/PR Pro Survey
Recently, PRSourceCode released some interesting data from a survey they conducted with technology-focused journalists and PR professionals. The goal of the survey was to identify the best practices for building relationships with technology journalists. The survey revealed some significant and useful insight. One area that I found particularly interesting was an examination of the methods […]
Social Media Writing Bootcamp: Tips and Tricks
We live in a world of communication overload. I know that I get overwhelmed managing two email addresses, a Facebook account, Twitter account, Google+ and a LinkedIn account. I receive thousands of messages each day across these platforms, but realistically there are not enough hours in the day to read them all. So the question […]
AOL Closes 150 Local “Patch” Blogs. What’s Next?
For several years we have heard a familiar refrain: Print journalism is on the decline, large news organizations are struggling, and much original reporting and storytelling is shifting to online-based outlets and blogs. In mid-August, though, news broke that AOL planned to close a number of its Patch blogs, which had promised to deliver news […]