Late last week, I received “the freak-out call.” Back when I was a journalist, one public relations rep or another would call, frantic about a client I was about to portray negatively in a column or story. As a journalist, the freak-out call was a guilty pleasure; sometimes it even provided information for a story that I might not have gotten without the freak-out. The call I received last week revealed what it was like to be on the public relations end of a potential negative news story, and a self-made crisis was narrowly averted through careful crisis management. (Read more…)
It’s once again time to reach into the old PR Fuel mailbag and answer some of reader questions. This time around we look at global public relations, the key differences between PR and advertising, crisis management in the public relations industry, and dealing with clients in tricky situations. (Read more…)
My forte as a journalist was reporting bad news. Whistleblowers, inside sources, gossip–I loved it all. I got a tip, tracked it down, and then the newspaper splashed a big, nasty headline on my story. Sometimes, even my editors would have been surprised about how I got my scoops. (Read more…)
Your competitor announces a new service that you’ve offered for years. One of your top executives is compromised. Your firm is sued for patent infringement. These are just a few of the many nightmares that could plunge an organization into a public relations crisis. But what’s an appropriate response to a public relations blow-up? And how can you reduce the damage done to your company or client? Through careful crisis management. (Read more…)
When the phone rang at midnight, I knew something was wrong. The caller was a spokesperson for a large, public technology company based in Silicon Valley: “We’re filing for bankruptcy in the morning. I wanted to let you know. We’re announcing it at 7:00 AM EST. Get the word out.” I quickly wrote up a story for my web site and tipped off Reuters and the Associated Press that the announcement was coming. By the time the company announced its bankruptcy, the news was already on the wire, and something bigger was going down in the sector. A public relations nightmare had been averted, but how? (Read more…)
Public relations professionals take note: Crisis management is not the mastery of spin, but preventing a PR nightmare. Read the following tips from communications consultant Allan Bonner, a specialist in crisis management and media training, and then ask yourself whether or not your company or PR firm is prepared for the crisis the just might be around the corner. (Read more…)
