PR News Pop Quiz: Time to Test Your Media Relations Mojo

Think you know everything there is to know about journalists, publications and media outreach tactics? PR News asked the team at New York- and San Francisco-based Access Communications, which specializes in media relations, to seriously test your knowledge of all things media relations. (Answers below)

True or False

1. The New York Times currently devotes a section of its online site to NYC citizen journalism.

2. The Financial Times has a standard editorial calendar copy deadline of 30 days.

4. It is not an accepted practice to send pitch material to more than one reporter at MarketWatch/Dow Jones.

5. CNN correspondents have come out publicly and said they prefer to be pitched via Facebook instead of Twitter.

6. Blogger Stowe Boyd is credited with popularizing media pitching via Twitter.

Multiple Choice

7. How many outlets comprise the AP Network, the Holy Grail of syndication? a. 500 b. 30,000 c. 5,000 d. 15,000

8. Which of the following outlets currently accepts nonexclusive embargoes? a. TechCrunch b. Wall Street Journal c. VentureBeat d. All of the above

9. Which of the following publications did not undergo a major redesign in 2010? a. Newsweek b. Bloomberg Businessweek c. Money d. Fortune

10. Which topic is not addressed under the 2009 FTC guidelines concerning blogger engagement and the use of endorsements and testimonials? a. Definition of endorsement b. False or unsubstantiated statements c. Disclosure of material connections d. Historical relationships

11. Which of the following publications no longer appears in hard copy? a. PC Magazine b. EE Times c. The Economist d. CRN

12. Which blog has the highest monthly readership? a. TechCrunch b. Huffington Post c. GigaOM d. Politics Daily

ANSWERS TO THE PR NEWS POP QUIZ

1. True: The New York Times does have a NYC Citizen journalism section.

2. False.

3. True, unfortunately.

4. False: It’s OK to pitch to multiple reporters at MarketWatch/Dow Jones.

5. True: The lesson here is know journalists’ preferences.

6. True: Unfamiliar to most, Boyd is a business strategist and IT consultant.

7. d, 15,000

8. c, VentureBeat

9. c, Money underwent a redesign in 2009.

10. d, historical relationships

11. a, PC Magazine

12. b, Huffington Post

Send your Pop Quiz ideas to: Scott Van Camp at [email protected]