Media Relations

Earned media often is dismissed as time-consuming and old-fashioned. Yet amplifying earned media hits with a rabid fan base can be a highly effective PR tactic. Just ask the team at Schitt’s Creek. The comedy series from tiny Pop TV has ridden earned media to four Emmy nominations. Go get some free media.

Despite what you might have heard, most journalists are not out to get you or your brand’s executives. On the other hand, just because content creators are nice people, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared for an interview. Veteran PR pro and former journalist Arthur Solomon offers tips PR pros can use to ensure that interviews go smoothly.

With tonight’s Platinum PR Awards, PRNEWS’ most prestigious honors, we revisit a 2017 Platinum Hall of Fame inductee, Let’s Win! Pancreatic Cancer. Finn Partners’ Gil Bashe and John Bianchi write that Let’s Win! continues to do great work, though pancreatic cancer is spreading fast. A massive effort is needed to tame this scourge.

With another presidential debate tonight, Democrats should should embrace lessons from American pop culture and PR, a former celebrity magazine editor and current PR pro argues. With a reality star in the White House, it’s the campaign strategy that will give the Democrats a fighting chance.

Working on communications for a startup has its joys and issues. Veteran startup PR pro Shana Starr offers guidance for the communicator who’s just stepping into the startup space. She recommends extensive research, which will inform a solid media relations plan and help PR pros position a startup in the market.

During our Aug. 22 PRNEWS Webinar, “Boost Coverage With Your Own Brand Newsroom,” Jennifer Nycz-Conner, director of brand communications at Hilton, Kevin Deane, digital design director at Northeastern University, and Jen Schertz, senior communications manager for Certified Angus Beef, discussed their organizations’ journeys to build and nourish in-house brand newsrooms that gain the attention of the media and appropriate audiences.

From its leveraging of fan affection for the character to communicating gratitude in the face of uncertainty, Marvel’s handling the uncertainty of its film future with Spider-Man is a masterclass in how to say “I don’t know” to your stakeholders with a delicate touch. Whether on quarterly earnings calls or organizational restructuring meetings, communicators should take note of Marvel’s tact for the times when we need to navigate uncertain waters with our own teams.

Like most journalists, sports reporter Bobby Trosset gets inundated with emails, announcements, press releases, and loads of correspondence that are all trying to grab his attention. How can you get to the top of a busy journalist’s inbox? Trosset has some tips for communications professionals who want to get his attention.

A look at why these branded podcasts are working provides many strong lessons for communicators about the merits of the medium.

At this point, everybody knows the score. Journalists are doing more with less and they don’t have time for copy-and-pasted press releases. You’re wasting their time and you’re wasting your own. Boring pitches, poorly targeted pitches and fluff help no one.