10 Ways PR Professionals Drive Journalists Crazy

TOW #13 – COMM 4333

It is important for Public Relations professionals to keep good connections with journalists, do not tick them off 😀

1. When PR professionals do not regard deadlines.

— A PR professional needs to remember journalists have strict deadlines to follow and have their information together. By working together, both parties are able to be effective and on time.

2. When PR gives journalists a unreliable story.

— Give journalists the information they need, and enough facts and details that they are able to write a story. Do not waste their time with a story that will not work.

3. Repeated calls and follow ups.

— This is a technique used in the PR industry a lot more often with journalists. They have a lot more stories to cover than just your client, therefore stop calling them – it is not necessary.

4. Public relations professionals use different writing techniques than journalists.

— PR professionals use a lot of hype words, journalists are not trying to interest the reader as much as inform them. Try to avoid words that are to just get people’s attention or make a story appear better than it really is. This is just a way to better relate and work together.

5. Journalists can never get a hold of public relations professionals.

— Hilarious to see that PR people will call a journalist 100 times, but they are never available either. If you are always calling journalist, then the least you can do is pick up the phone.

6. Lacking cooperation

— Most media guidelines emphasize that public relations personnel should always be helpful/cooperative with the media. There are many times that PR people are not helpful or available to give more information.

7. Inappropriate Requests

— PR people shouldn’t make more work for Journalists. They hate it when PR people bombard them with further requests about publications, etc.

8. Public relations professionals try to sell their story.

— Keep the story to the facts and let that sell to the public. You can not have a story sold, it needs to be truth and journalist have to keep it to facts.

9. News Release Spam

— You have to submit releases in the correct format. Journalists hate it when they receive incorrect releases. They consider such as “nothing but spam” in their inbox.

10.  Journalist do not want public relations professional gifts.

–Journalists feel like these are bribes and do not accept it the way PR people do. There is no reason for gifts to be given in this industry, just don’t do it.

Drea ! xoxo

INFOGRAPHICS

TOW #12 – COMM 4333

An infographic is a visual representation of information. It is a logo that is a good representation of the company that can show statistics and relevant information. Google has some incredible infographics on their site. Click here to see.

if you are trying to promote something, then infographics are a great tool to express data to your audience. They are very useful in a story for your client for a couple of reasons. First of all, they are a great way to show information without having to list words and write a lot of information, because this is a much better attention grabber. When clients use the infographics, they are telling their audience that they are versatile and trying to keep the information relevant and interesting. Infographics are fun and make information clear and easily comprehended.

Are you interested in making one yourself? Here is the way to do that. The picture you choose has to represent your company well. I chose a basketball jersey for the Little Giants basketball league. This worked well to show the information I needed to show. You need to also know what information will be useful for your company to know and track, my information was attendance, ages of the children involved, and how many families in the community were involved. Keep it simple for everyone and clear information. Do not want to get too overwhelmed by information and creativity in the business world, therefore, keep it clear and simple for those you are trying to reach.

Client: Little Giants – River of Life Church Miami. Fl.

 

Writing for the Ear

Topic of the Week #9 – COMM 2322

NewsU courses have been pretty exciting for me. This is a new resource Professor Nixon introduced me to this semester and it has taught me on all different grammatical and legal issues we will face when hired to that first corporate job. The most current lab I took was Writing for the Ear. This was an assigned course to sharpen our storytelling skills that will be a great skill to keep on point. When writing feature stories journalists are in charge of writing their piece to evoke emotion and to tell a story. Whether a light or heavy issue, the goal is to draw listeners into the event and show them how they relate.

I learned how to tell stories with all the facts and emotions without having too many words or including unimportant tidbits. I was able to read the information on storytelling and then play games that had me determining whether or not the track was narrated, fake or a recorded audio feed. I also got to learn to split a story into short, and concise sentences; it was very informational.

I was shocked at the amount of information I questioned even after going hrough multiple communications classes and reading the material. I know this has a lot to do with my writing style and structure, both are elemens I have een trying to improve. Piching stories is an art for the persuasive. I was shocked by the amount of planning and time goes into the pitch and depending on how prepared and sharp you are, will depend on your stories sucess and demise. Even though a great story is important, having a solid pitch is imparative to that dream becoming a reality.

I would love to learn more about the tools of revision. They mentioned the tools that will help us proofread our stories  but I would love to research more about this part of the process. I know the more proofreading, the more respected my story will be since multiple errors are unacceptable.

Drea! xoxo

PR: OpenMic

Topic of The Week #9 – COMM 4333

AHHHHH! I just fell in love with this website. PR: OpenMic is a social website for students, faculty and practitioners. They are able to share all types of information in the professional world. While checking out this site, I first noticed the section about blogs. This is my favorite because this is when I am able to glean important information from others in the industry. I am also able to comment on other blogs, of people that I do not even know. the connection this creates over boundaries and states allows a broader spectrum of information and knowledge. Blogs are always informative and helpful, but having them incorporated to a “social media” type website makes it even more beneficial.

The second greatest section of this website is the events section. Here you can choose between visiting a group, an event, or to add an event. This is an amazing way to connect with other professionals and faculty to let them know about upcoming events. More people are able to get involved and network through the groups and event section. I even searched for events in the Lakeland area, but no events are planned in the area.

The final section I want to discuss on this blog post is the job/interns section because a PR student or professional can check on all the newest opportunities in this industry. Whether looking for a vice president position or a entry level job, there are many opportunities that are shown on this website. It s also has very easy instructions for sending a resume and applying since it is still a small wesite.

Come check out this website for all yor public realtions needs and connect with other professionals. Also using the members page, search for friends from the University or your current job. Find others who share the same experience and learn from those who have more knowledge in PR. I was able to find alot of current and past classmates along with Professor Nixon (: love her.

Drea! xoxo

The Lead Lab

Topic of the Week #8 – COMM 4333

I always recommend these NewsU courses because I just have enjoyed them and gotten a lot out of them. I would love to describe my reaction to the NewsU the Lead Lab I took last week. This course focused on the basics.

What did you learn?

I think this was a great confirmation and reminder on the basics because I was able to practice writing the leads for a story. This was very beneficial because it sealed into my understanding by applying what I had just experienced. One of the best aspects of these mini classes is the interactivity because I learned the information of the lead through writing it and was fully involved the entire time. I also learned the different ways to write a lead and the styles for each one. This was a great exercise for me also since I have not learned many lead differentiations and now I have a bunch of references and can write them better than before NewsU lab.

What surprised you?

A lot of the details I learned in the lab were just confirmation from other communication seminars and classes. I was not aware of all the leads mentioned and I was surprised that I could really enjoy writing the leads. I improved through this practice and really loved getting all the ideas for leads.

What do you want to know more about?

I want to see more examples of the different kinds and from people’s feature story writings. I should look up all types so that I can make sure it has all the necessary elements for a great lead. Many time I get into a rut and only right the most direct lead, but taking some time to brainstorm would make my story that much more intriguing for the reader. It is always important to cover all basis in the lead, since it will make or break the story.

Drea! xoxo

168 Hours of Twitter

Topic of the Week #6 – COMM 2322

I was introduced to twitter by Professor Nixon because she showed the importance of networking through this website. I never got into the craze at first, but now see it as a useful tool for companies and even Public Relations agents. It is important that each person can keep up with their account in order to learn and teach others key tips they learn. The best part about twitter is that companies are able to see what the general public is “tweeting” about their customer services, products or image and they are able to benefit their company. They can respond when their name is used in a “tweet” and then address a large crowd at once, using the website twitter.com

I was surprised that I was able to connect and learn a lot from the posts others were commenting on. I was able to know a lot of current events that I usually would not have known about. Since I am a working college student, time for television and especially news. This is where I am able to pull up my twitter on the iphone and find out all the newest stories around the globe. For example, last week GAP re-designed their logo and within an hour of their release, the entire world was commenting on the change via twitter. They thought the change was not positive for the company because it was not a logo that stood out. They got the exact opposite reaction than they counted on. Now, because they knew immediately how their consumers were reacting to the change, they could take it into consideration and now re-design it once again. Twitter has many benefits, I plan on using it in my career in the future

Drea! xoxo

Be Original- No Copy and Paste

Topic of the Week #5 – COMM 4333

I once had an extreme issue with writers block, especially with a 5 page paper on the theory of pursuassion, with 3 hours to turn it in. I was in a bind but I knew if I could only find some valuable websites explaining the topic, I could gather the correct information and get an A. Although I had great intentions, I would scroll to a website and find that the other person worded it perfectly. It was the exact way I would have written it, if I was slightly knowledgeable in this subject. ‘What to do’ was always my immediate question. While reaching for my mouse, I right click and copy the entire essay and… STOP! Even though it would be really impressive and relatively effortless, It is wrong.

In Chapter three of Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques, it discusses the issue of plagiarism. Plagiarism has become a recent epidemic with the internet access to free information and viable resources, people do not give enough credit where it is due. I have personally seen and participated in plagiarizing both unintentionally and for lack of more time. This can not be acceptable for students and professionals alike because we should be credited for the hard work we have done and not rewarded for someone else’s time and effort.

There were many techniques found in the chapter, trying to advise how to avoid plagiarizing other people’s work; the one that works best for me is STAY AWAY FROM COPY AND PASTE. That will be my downfall every time because I will attempt to “only get the idea” and then find myself trying to only change a few words. This is unacceptable and everyone needs to write their own, and gather their own ideas. Plagiarism can be on a variety of different levels, from writing an essay to the logo of a product, when gathering ideas from someone else’s project or paper- don’t stray from your own thoughts and words.

Drea xoxo

Practice Makes Purrfect

Topic of the Week #4 – COMM 4333 and 2322

NewsU course was a really interactive learning experience for me because in that course they had exercises where I needed tocorrect grammar errors and this is something I love to do. I have always achieved high scores in reading and writing but I am learning that my skills need to be continually sharpened. In this lesson, I thought it was valuable to be incorporating the already known tidbits with the new information presented in the lesson. I thought it was great to brush up on my punctuation, style, modifier and pronouns but was very surprised I did not do much better on that quiz. This just goes to show you that no matter what level of education you have achieved, there is always room for growth. My course also showed me great style for journalism, which I have never previously noticed, but the course shows the way it should be done in the industry.

When I practice these rules and begin to apply the tips from this course, I know that it will completely revolutionize my writing from “great information but grammatical errors”, to professional writing for my career. This is the most beneficial aspect of these courses because we are reading information above and beyond the limits of our University’s curriculum into the world of Public Relations and all it has to offer. Whenever I need better information or knowledge on a subject, I will turn to Poynter University for further knowledge and practice to sharpen the skills I already possess.

Take time to visit the website and take advantage of the free resources available to us through the world wide web, all resources that will enhance and improve your writing, puntuation, style and understanding of the media industry. Enjoy!

Drea xoxo

Run-on Sentences Can Be Short !

Topic of the week 2 – COMM 4333

This week I had the opportunity to learn about another common mistake in grammar, thanks to Grammar Girl!! (You have to visit her website, its great)

The blog post that I read from her was on the issue of run-on sentences and that they are not necessarily ‘long’. This term “run on” refers to the fact that these sentences are in need of punctuation. My mother is a very strict grammar teacher so while I did have problems with mistakes and errors in my writing, run-ons were not my issue. It is very important to remember that punctuation tells the reader how the sentence should be read, where the pauses go and when the subject changes. We always have to put in correct punctuation when publishing or printing your work because it differentiates an educated writing from amateur writing. Grammar Girl uses the example of, I’m a woman I am a truck driver, being a short run-on sentence. The writer has fused two separate sentences together and there are no internal punctuation marks for the reader. This is an important mistake to notice so that you can make the corrections before a final draft or blog post. She taught us how to fix the run-ons in the same blog post, so read on to learn the trick.

As with anything, the writer first needs to decide in which tone and meaning is in the sentence, should it have a hard tone or something more conversational. After that is decided, there are many ways to fix this little issue. First, is the mighty comma, a simple but very effective way to correct the run on; also, a semi-colon can be used to fuse the ideas into one sentence.

GG WIDGET

Regardless of the technique used always include the best fit for your writing style, being true to your flow and your specific assignment. Grammar Girl is a great tool to sharpen your skills in grammar and writing. She always encourages the writer to find their own way to use these techniques and apply great skills in your writing.

Drea xoxo

How Did You Know That? ..Facebook!

Topic of the Week 1 – COMM 4333

I am involved in all types of social media. Some of my favorites include blogging and facebook because both of them are personalized, I am able to get out information of my own life and create relationships with those who have similar interests. When blogging, I am able to tell a story using both pictures and links into my daily life, both the important and not so important topics. When I write, I am able to tell the story and express myself, which can allow me to have an outlet, a place to be me! I think that is the most unique part of blogs, its just my own personal space on the web. The other type of social media that distracts me from any other work I have to accomplish is facebook. The one source of procrastination for me. But there are many other uses for this website as well. Through facebook people are able to connect and network with each other regardless of their global location. This is used both for social and business reasons, meaning that all types of people and companies flood the airwaves. I love to be on it because my favorite restaurants and retail stores offer discounts and promotions all the time and all my friends are also on facebook. I will be chatting with friends in California while seeing advertisements for stores and seeing pictures from family vacation on the other side of the world. The many aspects of facebook attracts and holds the attention of many different people – making it the biggest social website around. In conclusion, I love social media and do not remember life without it. There are many different aspects and ways to connect with social media but my two favorites are blogging and facebook. I have not yet explored the amazing features of twitter, but once I do, I know that it will be another favorite to add to my list.

Drea xoxo