Amid the natural disaster catastrophes and political calamity heating up in August, the media landscape continues to shift. Reporters are making moves to digital newsrooms, going in-house for private companies or moving on to other endeavors. On Tuesday, the Omaha World-Herald announced it eliminated 23 staff positions, including 10 layoffs. Slightly less sympathetic, but just as significant, the New York Daily News cut half its newsroom… Read more »
As we enter March, newsrooms everywhere are continuing to shrink. Vox Media announced a plan to layoff around 50 employees, as reported by CNN. The decision is allegedly due in part to a pivot away from its video services, with the changes mostly impacting publications including Racked, Curbed and SB Nation. Also reported by CNN, Newsweek Media Group fired multiple staffers from their publications, including Newsweek’s… Read more »
Given the number of attorneys in the United States (some 1.2 million practicing ones), it seems unlikely that the majority of these lawyers can become trusted resources for journalists. It is possible, and before such a union can materialize, there are rules that apply for both parties. The below focuses on a lawyer’s role in forming a mutually beneficial relationship with reporters. Rule 1. The Media… Read more »
Since the time that I was in college, people have been talking about the “death” of print journalism and the shifting media landscape. We talked about it so much in fact, that my then journalism-major girlfriend wound up becoming my lawyer fiancé. Between a PR pro and a lawyer, I’m not sure which side of our union best represents the “dark side” – but I digress…. Read more »
An important disclosure: I’m a fan of Brian Williams. I like his reporting style, his humor on late night talk shows and dashing good looks. I like that he reports the tough news of the day with gravitas and a baritone voice. All the while, I thought that he didn’t take his celebrity too seriously and therefore could mock it. That wasn’t a problem, until now…. Read more »
Who would have thought that adding a handful of french fries to a hamburger would spark such a controversial conversation online? Burger King launched the $1 “French Fry Burger” because apparently, that is what their customers wanted. It seems like such a simple strategy, listen to your customers and then implement their idea, just like Burger King did. But is the outcome always going to be… Read more »
The art of the pitch – it can be delicate and precise like threading a needle, to something much more direct and forceful, like demolishing a wall with a sledge hammer. Regardless of your style, if you are going to get into PR, you should enjoy breaking down the walls and building relationships with the media. As PR Snoop Dogg (Snoop Lion does not exist to… Read more »
My name is Dan G., and I’m a recovering journalist. I spent the first half of my career working in local television news, seeking the high that comes from landing a big exclusive or hitting a home run during a breaking story. I started as a lowly intern and after paying my dues I was overseeing day-to-day coverage as an Executive Producer at a station where… Read more »
Public Relations was not my first career choice, or so I thought. I thought that I wanted to be a lawyer, in fact I took the LSAT not once but twice, but the universe it seems had different plans. Now I find myself in a career where I represent my client’s best interest in the court of public opinion – sound familiar? I often find… Read more »
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to listen to Bob Woodward, of Woodward and Bernstein Watergate scandal fame, speak on his career and his thoughts on politics. Woodward shared stories about his journey to become such a recognized investigative journalist, highlighting his methods and techniques for getting information from sources and getting a solid story. But what could a public relations professional possibly learn from… Read more »
While mainstream media takes up a fair amount of mindshare in our society, and certainly in my profession, it is, by no means, the most important avenue of influence. In fact, mass media is a fairly new phenomenon. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that national news, syndications, and bureaus started to take shape. Since that time, our eyes and ears have been focused on the… Read more »
A recent piece on the UK website The Guardian, took a shot at its media brethren across the pond – specifically the New York Times and LA Times – for their public acknowledgement that each was reviewing their policies around the practice of allowing reporters to submit quotes for approval by presidential contenders’ communications teams before publication.
Gawker is one of my favorite blogs to read – it’s snarky, it’s fun, it’s informative and usually it’s right on the money. The other day though, I was a little surprised to read an entry on “The Laziest Journalists on Twitter.” In the post, Ryan Tate called out BusinessWeek’s Douglas MacMillan, WSJ’s Jessica Vascellaro, Wired’s Priya Ganapati and Fortune’s Jessi Hempel, calling them lazy for… Read more »
