PR CAUTIONS

By Ronald T. Smith*, Managing Member

JournalistPR LLC, Tampa Bay FL

Here are some things you need to be aware of, if you're attempting to get continuous and large-scale publicity:

1 PRESS RELEASES RARELY TRIGGER BIG COVERAGE

A good subject (see below) can get you small mentions here and there, but media staffs are so decimated that they're really not giving press releases much time any more. The financial editor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer told us once that he receives nearly 1000 press releases a day. Imagine the staffing he'd need to go thoughtfully through them! And imagine the larger cascade at The New York Times. Big publicity comes now via the system outlined in #4 below.

2. KEEP THE LEAD TIGHT

Watch out if your opening paragraph runs more than a couple of lines on your computer screen. Better: one line. The problem is the same as noted above: if they're looking at releases at all, editors don't have more than a few seconds to get the idea of your release and decide either to look further at it, or spike it. (Some antiquated terms: once we shoved stories onto a spike if we weren't going to use them. "Lead" now is spelled "lede" in some newsrooms. Finally, "press release" is not very accurate since broadcasters don't have presses.)

3. SUBJECT: IF YOU WRITE A NEWS RELEASE AS A FEATURE, YOU'LL FAIL

We reviewed a news release the other day from a contributor and liked the lead, but asked ourselves -- as you should ask -- who is going to print or broadcast it, and where?

Do you know where your assets are?

Often the answer is: Yes, no, and maybe.

(Nice job, but where's it going to fit? Instead of a news release, better you should use this as a summary of a proposed article, and propose it personally to the editor if might fit. More below.)

For success, turn out news releases that fit existing departments or features in the newspapers or magazines. Such as new personnel. Office or factory expansions. Honors won or bestowed. And of course, real news such as landing a major contract or aligning with another company.

4. DON'T WRITE AN ARTICLE TIL YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING. MAYBE DON'T WRITE IT AT ALL.

If you write a lengthy piece -- say 800 to 1200 words -- and then look wildly around to find someone to print or broadcast it, you're heading for big disappointment, not to mention overwork. Instead, write a brief summary, perhaps three lines (short enough that you can talk it quickly). Make it sound like the stories that are covered or featured by the editor who is your target. Then call. They'll plead with you to use email, but if they don't respond, it's a black hole -- you have no idea whether it might appeal or not. Call! Ask if the editor or reporter can spare three minutes for a story idea. When they say Yes, as they usually will, read your summary. Let them respond. Or ask "Want to cover it?" If they're interested, they may ask if you have something in writing to email, and you can send your summary.

If they don't have staff available, which is often the case except at the biggest media, they may ask you to write it, and if you're going to charge them. If they do, assure them that it'll be a journalistic job, without puffery, and then fulfill your promise.

The charm of this approach is that by the time you sit down to write the piece, you know the style of its destination. You know length desired, assuming you've discussed this with the editor or reporter. And you may even know a deadline.

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*The author left home at 14 to work for a newspaper, then was recruited by United Press International for its Boise, Idaho, bureau. At age 19, he was transferred to New York and transformed into an editor. Moving into PR, about five years ago he formed JournalistPR LLC in the Tampa Bay of Florida, which may be the only all-journalist agency in the Southeast. His theory: You get more coverage with journalists talking to journalists. The firm has arranged an astonishing, and perhaps record-breaking, 18 covers or section-fronts this year alone.