Press releases still relevant

On this rainy, gloomy day in Springfield, take heart PR pros! What we all knew to be the truth has just been confirmed via research: a new survey of journalists shows that journalists still rely on traditional PR methods for the facts and much of their initial story-building. Social media and less traditional methods are still gaining credibility and popularity - and some day they may be the first thing a reporter looks at - I'm sure this depends on your market - but the journalists polled in the study still wanted a press release. Read the article here
What are the takeaways:
1. Know your audience - know which journalists want different forms of communication and how to best reach them
2. Stay up-to-date with the latest communication methods - understand the benefits, styles and needs for each type of social media
3. Integrate your communications plan to best accomodate all audiences - an integrated plan means you should never get left completely behind and that you are working with early and late adopters

Press Releases 101

Some of the most basic skills are the easiest to lose if you're not paying attention to WHY you do things the way you do them. This Journalistics blog reminds us of the inverted pyramid style - something every journalism teacher likely taught each of us at one point in time or another.

Read the article here

Remember: our chapter has a Delicious account to share and bookmark great articles!

Remember, you are one press release among many

Although there are a million different ways to distribute information about your organization, you probably still write press releases in a traditional format as well. Here's one journalist's views about receiving them and an example of one that caught her eye. Read article

Don't forget: our chapter has a Delicious account to share and bookmark great articles.

Think before you send

Here's a little piece to get you thinking about your media distribution list and strategy for distributing your news, and it will also refresh you on "pitching" stories.

The primary takeaway from the article is this: think before you send....easy enough, right?

Don't forget: our chapter now has a Delicious account to share and bookmark great articles!

Evidence of a resurge for journalists

Here's a glimmer of hope for the journalism industry: The Evolution of the Journalism Job Market. For those of us in public relations, we still need to grow and change with technology and non-traditional media. The fact that journalism is experiencing a bit of a resurge, though, is definitely a good thing, even if it's in a less traditional setting.

Don't forget, we also have a Delicious account bookmarking interesting articles to share!

The relationship between journalists and public relations

I found this interesting post reminding public relations professionals that your PR efforts shouldn't solely be aimed at journalists - it should start at home. It's a good reminder - especially in an age where most PR pros are busy with social media and the web as well - that each of our actions should be part of a greater strategic and integrated plan. And that writing a press release alone means very little.

Read the post here

Reading the right stuff to keep you on top of your game

Twitter is a great consolidator/aggregator - if you follow the right types of people who distribute the right types of information, you can receive links to the best news, tips, articles and research in your area. Jay Rosen is a professor of journalism at NYU, and in this article, he talks about who he reads and follows to stay on top of his field.

Read the article here

And don't forget, many of the great articles you find on here are bookmarked and available also through Delicious.

Another Gem from Journalistics

Jeremy Porter has yet another great post today about timing news releases. In a never ending news cycle, is there a "best time" to send a news release?

Read what Jeremy has to say.

Keeping up with the changing landscape

As we began plotting out some possible speakers for the September 30 Professional Development Conference, one of our members mentioned Sree Sreennivasan, Columbia University, as a possibility. Several of us had heard him at a conference earlier this year, and we thought he could be a perfect fit for this conference. Although he is not available to speak to our local chapter of PRSA, you might still find his resources useful.

You can read his Social Media Guide, see his perspective on the changing world of journalism and get any number of tips from following him @sreenet.

President's Monthly Message: The link between journalism and PR

Blogger Kathryn Hubbell, APR, Fellow PRSA, this week created a stir on PRSay, one of two blogs published by PRSA. Hubbell asked if former journalists can ever succeed as PR professionals. Headlined “Turning Journalists into Public Relations Pros? Training Required,” the post declares that “without the proper education and training, it’s no more realistic to expect that a former journalist can competently perform a public relations professional’s job, than it is to expect that they can capably conduct a symphony orchestra.”

At our April meeting of the SWMO PRSA board, we had a freewheeling discussion of the curriculum required of PR majors and how journalism and business courses should be among those required for graduation.

Then comes board member Tom Ellis’ post on our chapter blog titled, “Imagine Life Without Those Frustrating Journalists.” Tom recounts his experiences as a young journalism student on a tour behind the Iron Curtain where he observed a way of life severely diminished by a shackled press.

Our speaker at the April 27 membership meeting planned to become one of those “crusty old journalists.” Instead, Andy Cline has made it his life’s work to teach and research journalism. Cline, associate professor in Missouri State University’s department of media, journalism and film, will speak to us about social media trends, a hot topic these days. But Cline also is an expert in journalism as a whole. “Despite many of its problems, journalism remains, in my opinion, the most important discoursive practice in our culture,” Cline states. “It is an honorable profession practiced by honorable people who are vitally concerned with public affairs.”

It seems journalism and public relations are inexorably intertwined. And that’s a good thing for both journalists and PR professionals—and the audiences and clients they serve.

~Ann Elwell

President, SWMO Chapter PRSA

How does your online newsroom stack up?

Jeremy Porter's Journalistics blog is packed with great information. Today, he's looking at online newsrooms of small businesses.

How does you online newsroom compare?

Follow up: Jeremy Potter contacted me to thank me for the link to his blog and welcomes any suggestions for future topics. Any ideas of what you'd like to see?

Users say they may be willing to pay for content

We all know the world of journalism has been changing, and online content has been the culprit for many subscription newspapers' losses. In order to stay vital, journalists struggle to balance their print work and maintaining online content. But the question still remains: in an increasingly web-dependent society (which demands free access), how will print (and other media) stay alive?

Nielsen recently produced a new study that should be good news for journalists. Younger users may be willing to pay for content.

Read this article at paidcontent.org: The Maybe of Paying for Content Online.