1. May 1, 2009

    How to Keep Your Public Relations Strategy “On Message”

    A politician gets asked about abortion and the answer somehow comes back to education. They’re asked about tax reform and the answer relates to education. Foreign policy is inexplicably linked to, you guessed it, education. What’s going on here? The politicians are using messaging points, the essential and core elements of an argument or pitch. It’s the message that you want to get across, regardless of the subject. It’s like getting a piece of press on “your terms.” Too often, success in public relations is measured by how much publicity you get. But if the publicity isn’t “on message,” what good is it? (Read more…)

  2. April 21, 2009

    Blind Dates: Preparing for a Media Interview

    If you’ve ever been on a blind date, you know it can be a harrowing experience. You’re thrust into a situation — one you may not even want to be in — and the only information you usually have is second hand. You want to make a good impression — unless you’re trying to get home early — so you have to be prepared. A face-to-face media interview or in-person meeting with a journalist is a lot like a blind date. (Read more…)

  3. March 10, 2009

    More Media Interview Tips for Public Relations Pros

    Recently I appeared on the CNBC show Kudlow and Cramer. I’d like to use that on-camera experience to offer up a little advice for any public relations pros who suddenly find themselves (or their clients) booked for any sort of televised media interview. It’s not as scary as you may have thought. (Read more…)

  4. February 27, 2009

    Combating Bad Press

    You’ve just concluded the best media interview of your career. A very prestigious publication interviewed your CEO. You did everything by the book. You feel good, your CEO feels good, and the reporter obtained everything needed to write the story. You can’t wait for the article to appear. (Read more…)

  5. February 6, 2009

    How to Avoid the TV Talk Show Bait

    In the world of modern TV talk shows, civility is a forgotten art. The term “talk show” is probably not even apt; these shows are basically televised confrontations. It’s odd how many talk show guests still expect to be treated with a certain sense of decorum. That’s why PR firms should be wary about booking clients for talk show appearances; seated in front of a combative host, what you thought would be an opportunity for easy publicity can quickly turn into a public relations nightmare. (Read more…)

  6. Be Careful What You Say or That Media Interview Could Backfire

    I’m one of those strange people who doesn’t have cable or satellite television. One of the nice things about the radio I have is that I’m able to listen to a simulcast of financial news network CNBC, and an added benefit of having no picture is that I get to really concentrate on what’s being said by the interviewees. (Read more…)

  7. January 5, 2009

    Meet the Press: Tips for Your First Media Interview

    Congratulations! Your start-up company’s ready to announce its first product. Or maybe you’re handling a competitive announcement from one division of a huge corporation. Or maybe you’re somewhere between big business and entrepreneurship. Whatever the size of your organization, you’ve moved into the public relations stage. Let’s assume everything is ready: press list, press release, booth reserved at key trade shows. You’re good to go, right? Wrong. Because unless you and your staff are prepared for the series of media interviews that are (hopefully) about to ensue, you could be setting yourself up for disaster. (Read more…)

  8. December 30, 2008

    Going “Off the Record” in Public Relations Communications

    “Off the record” is gray area for journalists and public relations professionals alike. As a reporter, if someone tells me they’re going to talk to me “off the record,” I normally take that to mean they’re willing to give me information, but don’t want that informaiton attributed to them. (I usually ask if I can use the information. If I’m told no, I will reply, “Than why did you tell me in the first place?”) How can folks in the public relations industry know what they’re getting into when they decide to “go off the record” in a media interview? (Read more…)

  9. December 29, 2008

    Public Relations Basics: Press Conference Tips and Tricks

    When you have a public relations message you need to get out to the media in a quick, efficient way, a press conference might seem like a good idea. Rather than setting up interviews with individual reporters, sending out press releases, and contacting editors and producers, you can speak to a roomful of journalists at once. But a press conference, like any media interview, can be tricky. The following tips should make your first — or fiftieth — press conference that much easier. (Read more…)

  10. December 22, 2008

    Public Relations Basics: 14 Tips for Your Next Media Interview

    1. Know what you want to say. It seems obvious, but first timers and public relations pros alike should never sit down for a media interview without planning out their key messages ahead of time. Writing your key messages down will allow you to refine and memorize them before your interviewer asks the first question. (Read more…)

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