Media Relations

Funny Headlines From News in Utah, California, Pennsylvania. Enjoy!

With my thanks to the Columbia Journalism Review.  The magazine collects these great bloopers from subscribers and reporters.  By the way, if you really want to see inside the news business, understand the challenges and ethical dilemmas, subscribe.

 

 

www.Examiner.com, A Salt Lake News Site With More Than 60 Local "Examiners." Are They "Reporters?"

Some people you should get to know if you're in PR.  On www.examiner.com, in the Salt Lake City section, there are a number of news beats, including Paranormal, Parenting, Horror Movies, Politics, Business, etc.  There are a total of more than 60 local "examiners" (note that the word "reporter" is not used).  One more thing...the Examiner creators are looking for local writers.  I don't know if it pays...but the site is also seeking sponsors for the writers.  Do the writer's get some of that money?  Not sure...

Featured Examiners

Salt Lake City History Examiner My Bio · Articles

Salt Lake City Political Buzz Examiner My Bio · Articles

Salt Lake City Headlines Examiner My Bio · Articles

Salt Lake City Parenting Examiner My Bio · Articles

Salt Lake City Paranormal Examiner My Bio · Articles

Laugh At The News: Funny Headlines

Correct Me If I'm Wrong is a book full of funny blooper headlines collected by the Columbia Journalism Review.

 FYI...you won't find the book on Amazon.  Be sure to go the the Newseum Store .  I get no commission for this plug :)

Some great examples:

People "Perspiration"...A Neat Research Approach For Campbell's Soup

No...no...say it isn't so!  We will soon be saying farewell to that familiar little red Campbells soup can label.  The company chose to perform what it calls neuromarketing research...hooking up people in a focus group with wires and a vest measuring heart rate, perspiration, etc. as they shopped for soup.

What an interesting new direction for research to take - measuring physical and emotional engagement before it is filtered through the brain and delivered verbally by the person. 

New media, social media is successfully teaching product producers to build more personal and warm-hearted relationships with their consumers, something display ads have a hard time doing.

I will miss the old Campbell's labels...they contain so many childhood memories.  But to tell the truth, the label has not persuaded me to buy it in my adult years.  Did I have a bad childhood?  Have my taste buds changed?  Am I buying heartier, perhaps more adult-tasting soups?  Or am I overwhelmed at the store?  Too many choices for me!  I found one brand I liked and stuck with it.  Some people love variety.  I have trouble ordering coffee at Starbucks.  I'd like some simplicity in a detail fixated world.

See the article and video here, in the Wall Street Journal.

Funny Headlines. When The News Is Depressing, Read On...

Correct Me If I'm Wrong is a book full of funny blooper headlines collected by the Columbia Journalism Review.

 FYI...you won't find the book on Amazon.  Be sure to go the the Newseum Store .  I get no commission for this plug :)

Some great examples:

 

 

 

If Everyone's A Celebrity, Who Is The Audience? Do All Social Media Dreams Come True?

Disclaimer:  Don't get me wrong.  Social media is amazing. I love it and respect those who've harnessed its power. 

When you meet a high-level blogger, Tweeter, FBer, etc., can you see the stars in their eyes?  They've tasted the drug of celebrity.  Addiction levels are off the charts.  Visions of speeches at conferences, their books sold at the back as the audience exits. Webinars, Amazon orders & profits rolling in.  Attorney level consulting fees and the joy of the freebies.  It's a heady rush.

When Seth Godin spoke in Salt Lake several years ago, an audience member cried out, "we want to be like you!"  For some reason...that made me sad.  It seemed to bother him a bit, too. 

The slice and dice of once powerful media into cell sized morsels has brought power to the people.  May we use it wisely.

Can this be sustained?  Some questions I'd like you to ponder with me.

1. If we can all get our 15 minutes of fame, who will be our audience?
2. If we each publish our own newspaper, blog, have our own TV & radio (podcast, YouTube) outlets, how many followers can we attract before the excitement levels drop?  How much information can one human consume in a day, let alone generate? 
3. And now that we have all written and published a book (or plan to), who will read it?  What profit, if any, will we see as our copy joins the thousands of advice books outdated within mere months?

Online activity resembles a blur of swarming bees, all buzzing around each other, all frantically trying to give each other attention....and asking the same in return.  Pedestrians, drivers, people on dates, kids at the dinner table...eyes locked on mini-screens as their latest Google alert, Alexa rank, and online analytics confirm their new star status.

So it has come to this.  A country that strives to be so respectful of individual rights is now packed with citizen celebs.  In the anxious grab for audience...any audience...whatever audience is out there, to what lengths will people go?  Balloon boys?  Crashing presidential dinners?

Bloggers Be Warned, Time To Be Crystal Clear About "Blogola" ....Freebies, Payments

This is a big one. Pay attention. Bloggers...this means us too.  This week the Federal Trade Commission issued new and final guidelines that reach into social media, PR and marketing.  After clarification discussions with an FTC staff attorney, the Public Relations Society of America issued the following letter today. I hope it helps you in your business decision-making.  Thanks PRSA!

[Email begins]

Dear Members,

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued final changes to its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. While advisory in nature, the new guidelines will reset standards of behavior that public relations, marketing and advertising professionals should adopt to avoid violating underlying laws against unfair competition and false advertising.

The Guide changes, as set out in the FTC's notice, make three key departures from previous guidance that could impact public relations practice:

• The FTC advises that "endorsers" as well as advertisers can be held liable for false or unsubstantiated claims or for failing to disclose material connections between the parties.

• The Guides no longer offer the "safe harbor" whereby testimonials can be qualified by a "results may vary" disclaimer.

• Regarding endorsements, the Guides specify that celebrities should disclose relationships with advertisers.

While the FTC will approach each potential violation on a case-by-case basis, the new guidelines will impact how professionals should approach some common practice scenarios. Here are some applications of the guidelines:

• Bloggers who receive cash or in-kind payment (including free products or services for review) are deemed endorsers and so must disclose material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.
  

• Any firm that engages bloggers by paying them outright to create or influence editorial content or by supplying goods or services to them at no cost may be liable if the blogger does not disclose the relationship.

• Advertisements or promotions that feature a consumer who conveys his or her experience with a product or service as "typical" should clearly disclose what results consumers can generally expect or specify how the results were unique to the individual circumstances.

• If research is cited in an advertisement or promotion, any sponsorship of the research by the client or the marketer should be clearly disclosed.

• Celebrities who make endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media, should disclose any relationship with the advertiser or marketer.

From an ethics perspective, the new guidelines parallel key transparency principles in the PRSA Code of Ethics, as well as Professional Standards Advisory PS-9 condemning "pay for play" practices. However, for practitioners, the guidelines go beyond ethics to recommended practice to avoid legal liability. While the ethics are clear, the triggers and nature of adequate disclosure are not fixed. As I recommended in a recent PRSAY post, thorough understanding and self-regulation can help public relations professionals avoid legal repercussions.

While the guidelines are advisory in nature, failure to comply increases the risk of professionals finding themselves in violation of the law. Moreover, non-compliance can result in a communication from the FTC warning professionals against the potential offending action. If that warning is not heeded, it may be followed by a cease-and-desist order. Intentional violation of that order may result in referral to FTC enforcement, which may include civil monetary penalties.

There has been information circulating publicly on the new guidelines that is confusing and conflicting. With this notice, PRSA hopes to bring members up to date on the facts as currently understood. This information is based on FTC documents and an in-depth conversation with a Commission staff attorney. Going forward, PRSA will continue to provide you with information, clarification, case studies and interpretations as they unfold.


Best regards,



Michael Cherenson, APR

[End of email]

Utahstories.com - Meet Utah's New Media

What do you do when you want to be a journalist, yet the world of journalism is in chaos?  Like many former or laid off reporters, you can always shoot for the stars and start your own news operation.  With some sweat equity, good journalism ethics and an eye for the hyper-local news no one covers anymore, you just might get a good reputation.  You just might one day make enough money to live on.

Here's one story, right here in Utah.

Meet Richard Markosian, creator of Utahstories.com.  "Read all about it" here.

Don't Disrespect Mommy Blogs - These Women Have Clout And Advertisers Know It

Do you have an attitude about "Mommy blogs?"  I've seen a few people, especially several men I know, roll their eyes when I mention the mommy blog phenomenon. 

Moms aren't just moms.  They can be CEOs, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, or even simply a mom raising her kids.  All have incredible influence and power when it comes to how their household dollars are spent.

One Utah woman, who has a mom blog, also conducts weekly events called Girls' Night Out, on Twitter.  She has ad sponsors and 7,700 followers.  Her name is Jyl Johnson Pattee and she is showcased in a column on Utahpulse.com this week.

Her husband, who calls himself her "assistant" and has a great attitude about his wife's online obsession, once painted his toenails blue...just to see how long it would take for her to notice.  Answer:  One week.

Read all about Jyl  and her Mom It Forward network on Utahpulse.com

My Sudden Career Change And A New Golden Rule

I finally have a new career. 

Same PR business, same clients…but my toolbox is brand new and full of social media strategies.  Even better, my clients are stepping up and are willing to try them. 

I studied Web 2.0 for four years, engaged in a forced reorganization of my brain cells.  I’m so glad it finally paid off.   I’m no longer forced to focus only on news releases, public events, media training, and story pitching.  Now I roll up my sleeves and teach clients how to communicate directly with their customers, via social media.  This is as good as it gets, and it didn’t come easy.

The arguments were fierce.

1. "We’ll lose control of our message."

Did you ever really have control?  Your news releases, news conferences and community events were either read or witnessed by only a handful of people.  The reporter wrote your story. 

Also, if you aren’t currently talking with your customers online, you have already lost control.  Anyone can say anything they want about you and you won’t even know.

2. "Our industry has regulations that limit this kind of communication.  Or…we have a profession that will lose credibility if we blog, twitter, etc."

Top government agencies, publicly traded companies, businesses that normally cloak themselves from the light of day…they’ve gone online.   My friend’s son has a new job…he blogs for an attorney.

3. "We need to be able to measure our communications."

Yes you can!  Social media will overwhelm you with details: Numbers, activity tracking, interest tracking, unique visitors, partial but not final clicks, audience reaction, and regular feedback to help you sharpen your message.  In the past, our measurement depended on traditional media via circulation, subscribers or ratings.  Social media measurement is to business what DNA testing is to the criminal justice system. 

4. "We could hurt our reputation.  Employees could offend our customers with photos and even offensive posts."

Yes and yes. But measure this risk against not using social media.  Your competition is or soon will be.  Meanwhile, you will be perceived as hunkered-down and non-transparent.  Write a social media policy and open your doors to the world.

My new PR mantras:

1. BLOG.  Companies that blog have far better marketing results.  Blogging increases Web traffic by 55 percent and grows inbound links by 97 percent (HubSpot research).

2. Become the news.  Put a newsroom on your Website and link your releases to your blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn pages and others.  Oh yes, you can still send news releases to media but I’m warning you, reporters are overwhelmed.

3. Send your announcements to industry bloggers. Do it delicately and do it right.  Do not nag!

4. Buy a good still-camera, an HD video camera, a professional microphone and MP3 voice recorder.  These are so inexpensive it will make your heart sing.  Become the news reporter at your company and document, document, document.  Then post the visuals and your announcements on all of your social media pages.

5. Give your online customers something of value:  Research, prizes, product to sample, free Webinars, ebooks, white papers, a sneak peak at your latest whatever.  If you give, you will get back.  Almost sounds like a new Golden Rule, doesn’t it?