Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn offers advice on what newspapers must add to remain relevant today: “Seven-day a week advice columns about personal technology; vastly increased coverage and criticism of other media, particularly entertainment television; a return of the old action columns in which we mediate disputes and avenge bitter consumers; more gossip and, of course, blogs, blogs, blogs.” It’s a interesting column; check it out.
PR Agency Assessment Tools
I know what it’s like to be the client of a public relations agency. As a senior corporate communications executive for more than a decade, I’ve led public relations campaigns of all sizes and budgets.
In some years, I managed major product launches for Fortune 1000 companies and spent half a million dollars or more with national public relations agencies such as Fleishman-Hillard and Burson-Marsteller. In other years, such as when I founded a technology startup, I operated on a shoestring — doing virtually all the dirty work myself and using PR firms only for specific small projects.
Some of my relationships with public relations agencies have been highly successful; in other cases, I had to pull the plug when I realized I wasn’t getting what I’d paid for.
If you are currently an agency client, what criteria should you use to assess your firm’s performance? Or, as a potential public relations agency client, what criteria should you use when selecting a firm?
I’ve designed assessment tools to help answer these questions. Whether you are on the client side, with a PR agency, or in the news media, I welcome your input. I’m happy to expand on these based on your suggestions.
Job Openings at the Idea Grove
For graduating college seniors and others interested in joining the Idea Grove, I’m sorry to say we’re not currently hiring. I do hope to bring on a new staff member within the next three to six months. I’ll post the opening first on this blog, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, good luck in your job searches. For those just starting their careers, here’s some background on the field and some advice on resumes and interviews. And here’s a resource for seeking PR jobs in Dallas/Fort Worth.
"Loathsome" Bloggers
The New York Press has named the “50 Most Loathsome New Yorkers,” and several bloggers are included on the list. The source of the paper’s annoyance appears to be “naive bloggers holding their breath for their big breaks.” Would a “big break” be getting a job with the New York Press? Someone has obviously tampered with the staff’s Cheerios.
Want Your Press Release Read? Add Visuals
I attended a Business Wire panel this morning on the value of adding visuals — from product photos to video clips — to news releases through BW’s “Smart News Release” offering. A news release with a photo attached, for example, is 2.5 times as likely to be viewed as a text-only release.
The panel featured Chris Wilkins, photo editor for The Dallas Morning News, and David Kent, photo editor for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, as well as a BW exec. They provided the following recommendations for getting your picture in print (with or without the Smart News Release service):
– Preferred format is Photoshop jpeg, at least 300 dpi
– Let them know if you’ve altered the photo beyond basic cleanup, so it can be labeled as a photo illustration rather than a news photo
– Include a detailed caption in the Photoshop file; many photos are tossed because the cutline info can’t be found on deadline
– With decreases in staffing levels at most newspapers, more submitted photos are being used than in the past. However, so many photos are submitted by PR folks that if your ducks aren’t all lined up just right, your submission will probably end up in the trash.
– Partly as a result of reduced staffing levels, a greater portion of the paper is produced in advance than in the past. So submit your photo early whenever possible — at least a week before you’d like it to appear in print.
