Public Relations in the Age of the Sound Bite

Journalists love sound bites. We ask questions explicitly aimed at eliciting snappy, one-sentence comments. We’ve all seen television interviews or press briefings boiled down to a 15-second sound bite. Newspaper and magazine articles tend to have at least one definitive quote you can imagin… Read more

Public Relations Basics: There Is No Magic Press Release Bullet

The “magic bullet” theory of public relations — that one press release is all you need to grab the attention of journalists — is easily debunked. A single press release will rarely, if ever, do the trick. To quote a journalist friend, “familiarity breeds credibility.&#… Read more

Are Press Releases Considered Spam?

h2Is Sending Out Press Releases Spamming?

A PR Fuel reader writes: “With the CAN-SPAM Act in place, does a massive press release email blast to the media constitute spam? How does the media feel about receiving unsolicited, email-based press releases, even if they may contain their next story?

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Careful What You Say – That 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 what̵… Read more

Make Sure Your Press Release Contains “Just the Facts”

A press release is not an advertisement. A press release is a subtle piece of advertorial: a combination of advertising and editorial content. The point of advertising is to bring a product, service, or cause to the attention of a consumer, voter, volunteer, or contributor. It involves matching the righ… Read more