College campuses are rife with experts, whether it be the president, dean of admissions or faculty member who knows everything there is to know about the day’s big story. Newsjacking – what we call the practice of connecting experts to reporters covering trending news – often can enable their thoughts to be heard, but all too often their expertise goes unnoticed. The next time that happens, try getting opinionated. Opinions, or op/eds, can be a valuable part of your communications arsenal. While it takes some…
Read MoreI previously wrote a blog post about pitching TV producers. While hard to land placements, it’s not impossible. As college communicators, you have a bit of an advantage over others: Experts are everywhere, giving you the opportunity to offer expertise on a variety of topics. Six tips for landing the interview Choose wisely Not everyone wants to go on TV. And not everyone is ready for prime time. Avoid your experts who are long-winded and talk in tangents (save them for print) and look for…
Read MoreIn our latest video, I give a brief overview and tips for pitching your story to the media. You can watch the video above and find a transcript below. At the end, you’ll see a link to download our eBook on Earned, Owned and Paid PR where we delve a little deeper into the practice of media relations and how it fits into a full PR program. Transcript of 3 Tips for Pitching Journalists Video Hi, my name is Sean Ryan. I’m the vice president…
Read MoreOne of the first things I do each morning, even before my shower and shave, is check my newsfeed. What’s the news of the day? An hour or two later, depending on the day, I do the same thing when I get to the office. The thought is simple: Do we have an expert who can comment on the news of the day – whether it be on the national level or as a source for local media trying to localize the national news –…
Read MoreSo, you think you have a good story to tell. Do you? What makes you think so? What makes your story stand out, why are you different, why should the media care? A lot goes into media relations, a lot more than most people think. Granted, there are slam dunks like helping a new retailer open a location in your town or announcing the new CEO of a Fortune 500 company. But even newsmakers like that require a great deal of work. Now more than…
Read MoreThis is going to be a busy, but fun week. We’re looking forward to starting the week at the College Media Conference in D.C., where we’ll attend workshops, learn from higher education reporters and editors and network with university communications professionals. We’ll also hear from one of our clients, Cynthia Price at the University of Richmond, who will be moderating one of the panels at the conference. Conferences like this always produce new ideas and strategies – we’re looking forward to a great few days of learning….
Read MoreWe’ve seen the stats: There are far more of us than there are of them. By us, I mean PR professionals; by them, I mean members of the media. Because of that hard truth, the already tough task of pitching ideas to the media has been made even harder as our industry has grown and theirs has shrunk, thanks in part to many former journalists coming over to the PR side as I did more than a dozen years ago. Remember, more of us means…
Read MoreSo, you have an opinion. Placing that opinion, often called an Op/Ed (which originally meant opposite to the editorial page in a newspaper), is easier said than done, as I wrote a while back. Consider that the New York Times receives about 2,000 submissions per week. That’s right, several hundred a day. My guess is that the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post are about the same. Here are five steps to consider to improve the chances of your opinion seeing the light of day (you can…
Read MoreOklahoma University found itself in the middle of a crisis last week when video of a racist chant by members of the SAE fraternity went viral. Almost as newsworthy has been the University’s response. All too often in a crisis, companies or brands face the music by saying very little or explaining that the situation needs more evaluation. Somewhat shockingly, OU President David Boren’s reaction was swift, blunt and strong—his first comments went viral, and his decision to expel two students and no-nonsense approach to…
Read MoreAsk anyone who knows me even casually and they’ll tell you I’m a baseball guy. Most would be surprised, however, to find that the event I most wanted to see—and had to pre-order tickets more than a year in advance—at the Summer Olympics in my hometown Atlanta was the gold-medal women’s soccer game. The United States edged China 2-1 on Tiffeny Milbrett’s goal with about 22 minutes to play, and the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium rocked a patriotic fervor. In the aftermath of soccer’s…
Read MoreLifetime ban. Two words I actually didn’t expect to come from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver yesterday concerning Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist rant. Especially since just three days before, Silver said the Sterling crisis deserved “due process.” I expected a hefty fine, of which Silver delivered to the tune of $2.5 million. The two words I thought would come out of yesterday’s press conference were “suspended indefinitely.” But Silver, with the NBA in full crisis mode during the peak of its season, went further. And…
Read MoreA good opinion is a terrible thing to waste — after all, where else can you claim prime media real estate with 750 or so well-chosen words? Finding a home for your prose, however, isn’t always easy. Space often is tight. Your subject matter might be popular among other aspirants. And news breaks, often making your masterpiece a little less masterful. Here are a few guidelines to consider when trying to place an opinion piece. Do Your Homework/Be Realistic Regular readers of THP’s “The Gong Blog”…
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