Evaluating Media Opportunities Properly to Avoid Negative Coverage

When you’re constantly on the prowl for media opportunities, it’s tempting to take anything and everything that’s offered to you. But while most media opportunities do yield positive results, there are those rare occasions when things go bad. Sometimes, an interview might unexpectedly go south or an article might turn out to portray your company in a negative light. (Read more…)

Managing Public Relations Through the Strategic Press Leak

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…)

Gossip at Your Own Risk

Another week, and another fun journalism scandal. This one, however, contains an interesting public relations element.

Late last week, news broke that Jared Paul Stern, a freelancer for the New York Post’s infamous Page Six gossip column, has been accused of trying to extort money from billionaire Ron Burkle. According to press reports, Stern promised Burkle “protection” from scurrilous gossip items in exchange for cold, hard cash. (Read more…)