Media Relations

The “brand newsroom” is a concept that’s here to stay, with several large brands including Marriott and General Electric earning plaudits as successful early adopters. Hype surrounding brand newsrooms has reached a crescendo, but small and mid-size brands need not be concerned that they rival the reporting power of the New York Times to survive. Let’s take a look at what these two entities really are and how traditional newsrooms actually inform the brand content creation process.

Nearly all communicators use technology in their daily work. In healthcare, though, technology surrounds communicators and the practitioners they work with each day. Ahead of next week’s PRNEWS Top Women in Healthcare Communications awards luncheon in NY, we asked several awards finalists to discuss communications, technology and how to maintain a human touch.

Muck Rack, a journalist database, media monitoring and coverage reporting platform, released its 2019 State of Journalism study, highlighting how journalists use social media and work with PR teams. Currently, 47 percent of journalists believe that “the way most companies share information with the media is outdated.” It seems the PR industry still has some work to do towards building relationships and updating pitching for the digital era.

Press releases: They may be quaint. Some even say they’re obsolete, done in by technology and Twitter. Don’t believe the naysayers. You still have to get the message out for your clients, especially when you have some great news to share. And if and when trouble comes up, it’s best to stay on top of the story and shape the narrative. But knowing when this is the right vehicle for that is crucial.

Transparency just might be the buzzword of the decade. You wouldn’t know it, though, if you had to decipher a hospital bill or translate the mumbo jumbo of a health-insurance policy. Ahead of PRNEWS’ Top Women in Healthcare Communications awards luncheon next week in NYC, we asked several awards finalists to discuss the tricky subject of getting closer to clarity in healthcare communications.

Digital technology has changed nearly every aspect of media. There are fewer major media outlets, though niche publications and online news sites have grown. And PR pros now greatly outnumber content creators (formerly known as writers, editors or reporters). What does all this mean for those PR pros engaged in media relations? A trio of senior PR professionals addressed this question during a recent PRNEWS webinar. A summary of their ideas follows.

Communicators take pride in the messages they craft. They consider their work important. For Dr. Jennifer Mieres, a cardiologist and the keynote speaker at PRNEWS’ Top Women in Healthcare Communications awards luncheon later this month, communicating health information to the public is vital. Her goal is to ensure people have a sound understanding of their role in preventing disease. From there, they can become empowered partners in their healthcare, she says.

If you want to capture the attention of Baltimore Sun investigative reporter Doug Donovan as he navigates hundreds of emails daily, you’d better keep the topic relevant to the areas he covers—and try to make him laugh!  A funny subject line is pretty much a guarantee that he will open your message. Donovan shared with PRNEWS some tips for success with reaching a busy reporter with your pitch, and examples of some subject lines that actually won his click.

We rarely cover live events in this publication. PRNEWS senior content manager Sophie Maerowitz gave us a reason to make an exception. She attended a PRSA session featuring former Hearst executive Joanna Coles, who offered so many interesting tips and tactics that we had to share them with you. Here are some gems from the sharp yet blunt mind of Coles.

There are few areas more talked about than healthcare. Just look at the recent presidential debates. So, you might think healthcare communicators have it easy. The truth is they need to deal with life and death issues as well as explaining the high cost of healthcare. And what about all that medical mumbo jumbo? Ahead of next month’s PRNEWS Top Women in Healthcare Communications awards, we asked several finalists and honorees about communicating some of the industry’s pain points.