What is it about doing an on-camera interview that causes folks to have a kind of out-of-body experience? And not in a good way. Once the camera light goes on, suddenly interviewees become either void of personality or take on some other alternate persona that they think is a better version of themselves. I get it: you’re nervous, worried you’ll make a mistake, that embarrassing faux pas that winds up as a viral meme in your Nana’s inbox. I do a bunch of media training….
Read MoreLet’s be honest. Most people would rather go to the DMV on a Saturday morning than sit in front of a camera and answer questions. Perform a quick Google search and you’ll find countless articles about interview best practices, dodging tricky questions and how to remain cool, calm and collected in the face of crippling social anxiety. We are told what to say and what to not, under any circumstances, say. And despite the number of resources available to interviewees, there seems to be less…
Read More Teaming Up, Episode 8: Amanda & Evans on Newsworthiness
“Newsrooms are continuing to get smaller, so our opportunities are fewer and farther between.” In order to compete in today’s media landscape and land placements at your client’s preferred outlets, their stories must be newsworthy. Amanda Colocho and Evans Mandes offer their perspectives in Episode 8 of Teaming Up as to what makes something newsworthy, and their best practices for getting earned media placements. Here’s what you can expect from their conversation: There are no bad stories, only bad storytellers. You just need to consider…
Read MoreIn the early days of our firm, we used to joke about how often clients wanted the “big three” – i.e. that trio of high-profile media placements that they thought would be their sure-fire path to fame and all that came with it. The actual three changed from year to year but typically involved a combination of the TODAY Show, The New York Times, the Associated Press, Parade, Time, Oprah, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal. Yeah, they set a high bar. Sometimes you make your…
Read MoreThe Hodges team regularly engages journalists across Virginia. Here are some recent Virginia news developments you should know about in your earned media relations outreach. New online outlets Last month, several former Roanoke Times staffers launched The Cardinal News, an online investigative outlet covering Southwest and Southside Virginia. Longtime Roanoke Times opinions editor Dwayne Yancey is serving as the site’s editor, which will provide in-depth coverage of politics, the economy and culture. Sign up for the website’s newsletter to stay up to date. Henri…
Read MoreReceiving unwanted emails can be both irritating and a waste of valuable time. Most of us, at some point or another, have signed up for online mailing lists that we don’t want to be on, and end up hitting the unsubscribe button, or at least I know I do. Journalists experience the same annoyance from receiving unsolicited pitches that have nothing to do with their beat or the subjects they usually cover. When pitching journalists and reporters, your goal is to get the hook for…
Read MoreOne of the things I love about working at Hodges is the opportunity we have for ongoing professional development. In pre-COVID times, this meant attending conferences and various in-person trainings, but like many other things, a lot of our professional development has taken a virtual turn in the last year and a half. Earlier this year with the support of Hodges, I joined media relations and writing coach Michael Smart’s Inner Circle, and I’ve found great value in the sessions and training that are provided…
Read MoreIt’s no secret that the last year and a half has brought about a tremendous amount of change, both in our daily lives and in the way we do business. In the public relations world, we’re seeing some common themes as we engage with media contacts. We’re sharing five ways media relations has changed in the last year or so, and we talk about ways you can adjust accordingly. There are more busy news days. In October, I wrote a blog post on this very…
Read MoreHello, my name is Cameron and I use he/him pronouns. Our roles as media relations professionals are important as we make connections between journalists and spokespersons. Pronouns and PR go together, and here are a few ways you can make your media relations more affirming by including pronouns. List pronouns of media contacts List the media contacts’ pronouns in your press releases. Easy. For example, I list: MEDIA CONTACTCameron McPherson (he/him)Email AddressPhone number Include pronouns in quotes In general, you don’t need to specifically point…
Read MoreWhen The New York Times announced earlier this spring that it was changing the name of op-eds to guest essays – reflecting the fact that opinion pieces no longer necessarily occupied a physical space “opposite” the editorial page – it also offered guidance on the kind of pieces that it was looking to publish. It puts a premium, for example, on high standards of “cogent argument, logical thought and compelling rhetoric.” It desires essays “have intention” and confessed to being partial to submissions that are less…
Read MoreDespite my interests and general habits reflecting that of a centenarian, I happen to be the youngest person at Hodges, which not only makes me well versed on the latest TikTok trends but also gives me an edge when it comes to knowing the way media relations works in a predominately virtual world. However, with technology changing every day, I can only begin to imagine how different the media relations landscape was 10 years ago—let alone 40. Since time machines still don’t exist, I did…
Read MoreIf the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that almost everything can be done online—this includes the staple event of media relations: the press conference. As restrictions continue to lift, we still find a virtual press conference helps to eliminate travel, freeing up reporters’ calendars during the work day and connecting speakers from all over the world. And just as you would prepare for an in-person press event, virtual press conferences require just as much planning—if not more. So, how do you organize one? Below…
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