Media Relations

PRNEWS Live welcomed Suzanne Fanning, CMO of Wisconsin Cheese. Fanning discussed creative strategies to connect with the media.

There’s no time like spring to take a fresh look at cleaning the homestead and your communication tactics and strategies. Consider what’s working and things that need tweaking or a deep-cleaning, such as dusty media lists or social posts that haven’t aged well.

Cision’s annual state of the media didn’t offer revelations, but is loaded with useful insight and data about how journalists worked in 2020 and what they’re looking for in 2021. It’s a good reminder for PR pros to tailor pitches, return calls, include useful data, provide DEI angles and consider upbeat stories.

Whether you produce news segments or the advertising in between, your industry is suffering from significant burnout, two recent surveys have found. Researchers at College of Social Work (CoSW) Self-Care Lab at the University of Kentucky conducted a national survey of nearly 2,000 television journalists’ self-care practices as COVID-19 has come to dominate lead stories they work on in addition to their personal lives. In a survey of over 1,300 marketing, PR and advertising employees and a subsequent report, market research firm Bastion db5 in partnership with agency vet Tim Anderson found top stressors included work-life balance, job security, ageism and fair pay.

Athletes can offer a lot to brand campaigns. Yet, consider reputation issues before jumping into an endorsement deal, advises veteran PR pro Arthur Solomon, who’s worked with hundreds of athletes over the years. He shares tips for working with athletes, current and retired.

The cannabis and CBD industry presents unique opportunities and challenges for PR pros. Here, a communicator prevents a crisis for her client.

April Fool’s Day 2021 saw a return to bathroom humor and punny brand campaigns. But over a year into the pandemic, is the media truly ready for a return to more playful messaging? We take a look at the brand pranks that worked, and one stunt that should probably be flushed down the toilet for good.

Despite many changes from the pandemic, journalists continue to want tight, relevant pitches. A new Muck Rack study finds the best day to pitch remains Monday and that journalists prefer academics and CEOs for interviews. They also have a slight preference for brand communicators over PR pros from agencies.

Looking at the market for earned media during a recent PRNEWS webinar, PR pros admitted the landscape remains highly competitive, though a bevy of targets is available. Panelists urged PR pros to consider a range of traditional and newer media outlets.

As we know, PR is a relationship business. Owing to the pandemic, face-to-face meetings and quick coffees with journalists can’t occur. Still, clever PR pros are expanding and deepening relationships with journalists. We offer a few tactics to get PR pros back out on the circuit, virtually.