First the Gay and Lesbian Community said they were boycotting Ford Motor Company, then after some money donations were given and some PR got underway all of a sudden the Gay and Lesbian Community is now endorsing Ford. Why? Well originally the Ford Motor Company had cut back on some of their advertising and some of this advertising was in a Gay and Lesbian news outlet periodical.

Now things are patched up with the Gay and Lesbian Community and there is no longer a threat to boycott. I have one question for everyone? Why is this news? What a non-news event simply to propel the Gay and Lesbian Communities PR machine. This is not news at all. Additionally the original attacks by the gay fringe caused a rift with Corporate America and it is as if they are trying to bully their way to get Corporations to submit.

That continued tactic is simply going to turn off potential cross over voters to their cause. By attacking brand names and causing boycott issues these groups do not help their cause they hurt it as others see their vindictive ways and side with the company. It is these tactics and slanderous acts against company brand names, which must stop. When these attacks occur those groups causing it, owe the company for any lost brand name recognition suffered. So if this hurt Ford Motor Company in the millions of dollars, then the Gay and Lesbian Community which damaged the company must be held responsible and pay that money. Consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

They say that image is everything and some of us have seen it all. Have you ever went into a store and just could not believe what you were seeing behind the counter? Is that a real human? Without trying to make the world into a civilization like the “Borg” there are a few things you need to think about in your small business. You need a grooming policy; one, which allows for individualism to a point but conveys confidence to the consumer.

Obviously if you run certain types of businesses such as; a head shop, tattoo parlor, a funky novelties retail store, new age spirituality store, adult book store, alternative music shop or cyber café; then grooming policy is not as critical. As a matter of fact the more unique the grooming from mainstream the better following of clientele you will have. For the rest of it is different.

All employees and crewmembers must be well groomed. Shirts should be tucked in. Men should be clean-shaven. Facial hair is ok but beards must be trimmed and mustaches should be well kept. We don’t want anyone looking like Charlie Manson or Adolf Hitler. Everyone should like they have just left ettiqutte school for girls or graduated from the boy scout. Well, let’s not take this too far, however we as business people must be thinking here to insure repeat customers and lots of referral business. So, hair should be brushed and controlled even on windy days or wear a hat; not just any hat, a company logo’ed hat. In the summer most workers cut their hair to stay cool and keep perspiration out of their eyes. If you are an outdoor service company like ours, we run a car wash, then we recommend sweat bands if this continues to be a problem (company colors, of course). Additionally in our company we go so far as to instruct workers to be careful not to wipe their face after handling tire dressing because your hands will have black on them and you will eventually get stains all over your head band and in your eyes. Each company has a different set of things to think of. Food vendors have other issues, clothing stores others; every business is different and your grooming policy needs to be cognizant of how you business differs from others and what type of policy is safe and smart for you.

All workers should shower each morning before work. This keeps them smelling nice; body odor can be a real turn off to customers and kill a sale faster than anything else. If a crewmember perspires a lot, that worker should bring an extra towel and shirt if they work outside. Politely suggesting body deodorant may not be such a bad idea either to help you from losing sales.

In the car wash business we must be concerned that a worker should not use car wash towels to wipe sweat off their face and body. The towels will dry out and someone else will accidentally pick up that towel and use it for windows or wax and smear dried sweat all over a black Mercedes. If your company works out doors on humid days; the heavily perspiring worker should change in to their new second company shirt at 2:00 pm after wiping off with the towel they brought.

Extra deodorant, preferably roll-on with a cap that fits snug, can be kept in the break room with the employees name on it. If you work outside with a work crew out of a work truck, keep it behind the seat, rather than in the glove box. Roll-on left in the glove box on hot days will heat up and leak. The best thing to use is baking soda. If you rub a little under your arms, it will absorb sweat for hours.

What ever grooming and personal hygiene policy you have must fit your individual small business, do not simply adopt another businesses policies, make your own and think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

When the “experts” tell you you’re going to need a press kit for your small business I’ll bet you’re wondering why on earth you’d need one. At least, I think you’d wonder why if you think a press kit is just for the press. But the term ‘press kit’ is misleading if you ask me because press kits aren’t just what their name implies.

I prefer to call them small business information kits or information packages instead because that’s what they really are. They are meant to inform everyone, not just the press about you and your business.

Once you have a small business information kit, you’ll find you’re often giving them when someone asks for information about your company–who you are, what you do, how you can benefit them. In fact, you’ll probably find you’ll give out almost as many of your information kits as your business cards.

Sometimes it’s more appropriate to simply hand out just your card, but other times, you might like to give someone more information than what’s on your business card.

Say you’re at a party and someone asks what you do. You’d probably just give them your business card. But your business card gives this business contact only the briefest information about your company.

So, you might also ask for their name and address, and send them an information kit the next day. Sending your information kit the next day also works as an important reminder of the evening’s discussion.

On the other hand, if you’re a plumbing company, you might want to contact construction companies in your area to see if they’re interested in subcontracting your company from time to time, or better yet all the time!

Sending them just a business card probably won’t get you very far. Even sending a well-written letter introducing your company together with your business card probably wouldn’t be as effective as a complete information kit.

You could think of your business card as the “who and the where, and a little bit of the what” of the 6 interview questions—who, what, where, when, why and how. Your card probably has your business name, contact information and possibly a slogan, motto or some saying suggesting what you do.

Your information kit on the other hand, answers all the questions. It tells people who and where you are, just like your business card does. But instead of one little line suggesting what you do, your information kit tells people exactly what you do. How well it tells them what you do depends on how good your copywriting is.

And it tells them how to buy, (with your convenient order form for example, or by phone or fax, with cash, check or credit card) and when to buy (today, right now, before the special offer expires).

Your business card doesn’t have the room to tell people why they should buy from you, but your information package does. And not just by telling them you’re the biggest, the best, and of course the most innovative either.

The real secret is convincing people they can’t do without your product or service, remembering that along with a great description of your product or service, to consider your information kit from your clients’ perspective. Everyone wants to know how what you do can benefit them. How you can save them time or how you can save them money, or how you can make their life just a little bit easier.

One last word on presentation of your small business identity package. It’s almost as important as what you say, so make sure that along with saying everything it needs to say, it also looks professional. A professional image can go a long way in assuring potential clients your small business is the one they want to do business with.

You cannot compete with big companies without one, and you’ll be miles ahead of the small businesses that don’t have one. And while we’re talking about professional image, imagine how your small business will be perceived when you have the ultimate in professional image– a matching corporate identity package, information kit and small business web site.

Eve Jackson owns and operates Details Small Business Solutions. . Details SBS is dedicated to helping small business do big business with communication and image consulting. We write small business business plans and direct mail sales letters, and we design company identity packages, websites and press kits, including all the copy.

DetailsSBS.com

1. Your press release should sound like news, not an ad.

2. You should only send your press release to the media related to the topic of your press release.

3. Keep your press release one page in length.

4. Your header, contact information and release date should be at the top of your press release.

5. Use short sentences and double space your lines.

6. Your header and first few sentences should grab the readers attention.

7. You should tell a story and mention your business, product or service in the body of the press release.

8. Proofread your press release many times. Look for grammar and spelling mistakes.

9. Write a press release about the new products or services you’re offering on your web site.

10. Create a press release about the results of an online survey or poll you have completed.

11. Submit a press release about a trade show or seminar you’re hosting.

12. Write a press release about no cost chat room classes you are teaching.

13. Create a press release about your opening of a new web site.

14. Submit a press release about an online award your business or web site has won.

15. Write a press release about a free e-zine you’re publishing.

16. Create a press release about online products or services you’re giving away.

17. Submit a press release about an online business association or club you’re starting.

18. Write a press release about a famous person that’s endorsing your business.

19. Create a press release about a joint venture you are doing with another business.

20. Submit a press release about a new book or e-book you wrote.

21. Write a press release about an expert who is speaking in your chat room.

22. Create a press release about a fundraising event you’re doing at your web site.

23. Submit a press release about a new contest or sweepstakes you’re having at your site.

24. Write a press release about major sponsorships you’re doing online.

About The Author

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com As a bonus, Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter - visit his web site to subscribe and place a FREE Ad! http://adv-marketing.com/business

As a business, non-profit, government agency or association manager, are you satisfied with using a collection of communications tactics to move a message from one point to another. You know, creating print and broadcast exposures? Publicity, if you will?

No problem, if that’s all you believe you really need.

But, have you ever thought about pulling out all the PR stops to help achieve your unit’s managerial objectives?

I mean, you COULD do something really significant about those important outside audience behaviors that MOST affect the department, group, division or subsidiary unit you manage. Then take advantage of the perception levels you’ve achieved as those key external audiences of yours become persuaded to your managerial way of thinking.

And, for that matter, once you’ve persuaded a number of members of that key external audience to your views on the issue in question, watch their perceptions closely as they morph into behavioral actions that allow your unit to succeed.

That might even make your day! And it’s all very doable.

But not if you insist on limiting your offensive public relations effort to simply creating print and broadcast exposures. Instead, you should be preparing to do something positive about the behaviors of the very outside audiences of yours that MOST affect your operation. Because that’s when public relations can actually create the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving those key managerial objectives of yours.

Thus your real managerial opportunity arises when it becomes painfully obvious that counterproductive behaviors by target audiences are the direct result of negative perceptions about your organization or its services, products or personnel.

Suddenly, it becomes clear why you have to monitor opinion among members of your most important outside audiences to (1) determine how they perceive your organization; (2) to identify and prioritize your public relations goals; (3) to create and communicate corrective messages to those key outside audiences and (4), to carefully monitor how and when those perceptions inevitably convert to the key audience behaviors you know, as manager, you need.

In brief, what you really require is an action-based blueprint that leans on you to do some meaningful things about the behaviors of those important outside audiences that MOST affect your operation; to create the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives; and to do so by persuading those key outside folks to your views, then help move them to take actions that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

You can count on the underlying premise of this kind of managerial public relations: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving- to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is usually accomplished.

A variety of results are possible when you work public relations this way: customers making repeat purchases; a rebound in showroom visits; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; membership applications on the rise; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way; fresh community service and sponsorship opportunities; prospects starting to work with you, and even stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.

It always pays off when you clear some time for planning meetings with your public relations people. For example, get their input on your plans to monitor and gather perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Suggest queries along these lines: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the exchange? Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

You might also reinforce your confidence in the PR team by insuring that they really accept why it’s SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services? And do you believe THEY believe that perceptions almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your operation? This is essential to PR success.

One of the facts of life in dealing with opinion polling matters, is that things often go better when a professional survey firm helps monitor your key audience’s perceptions. But real pros cost real money, compared to using your existing public relations staff who, while they ARE already in the perception and behavior business, also cost money. But whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the questions, the objective remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconception and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Setting your public relations goal is the tip of the spear. Your new PR goal should call for action on the most serious problem areas you uncovered during your key audience perception monitoring. You may, for example, decide to straighten out that dangerous misconception, bring to an end that potentially painful rumor, or correct that terrible inaccuracy.

Seldom can public relations people, or most other managers for that matter, establish a new PR goal without the support of an action-oriented strategy. If, that is, you are to know HOW to get to where you’re going. Plus, remember that you have just three strategic options available to you when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion: change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Needless to say, the wrong strategy pick will taste like fish sauce on your grilled quail. So be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You certainly don’t want to pursue “change” when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

Recruit the best writer on your team to prepare a carefully -written message targeted directly at your key external audience. To move that key audience to your way of thinking, s/he must produce some really corrective language that is not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Carefully selected communications tactics (and there are many such available) will be needed to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. You may pick from such time-honored devices as speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

As “opening day” approaches, you may want to partially neutralize any opposition to your message by unveiling your corrective message before smaller meetings rather than using higher profile news releases or broadcast announcements. Reason is, a message’s credibility can be fragile and often suspect, depending on how it is delivered.

It’s always a satisfying feeling when you can illustrate how the monies spent on public relations can pay off. That’s why the time needed to prepare and distribute progress reports is time well invested. They are, however, also your alert to start a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Here, you’ll use many of the same questions used in the benchmark interviews. Only difference now is, you will be on strict alert for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

If you feel impatient with the program’s rate of progress, you always have the prerogative of adding more communications tactics, and/or increasing their frequencies to address that problem.

In essence, making sure you get the right managerial public relations requires that you resolve to do something about the behaviors of those outside audiences that most affect your operation; to create the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives; and to do so by persuading those key outside folks to your way of thinking by helping move them to take actions that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary unit to succeed.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. Only requirements: you must use the Robert A. Kelly byline, and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2006.

Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published 245 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit:http://www.PRCommentary.com

And not results you can measure only in terms of magazine circulation, TV audience numbers, or news release pickups.

But rather, results that come from a public relations effort that creates the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

In other words, results that come from doing something positive about those important outside audiences whose behaviors most affect your operation. Particularly as you persuade those key external audiences to your way of thinking by nudging them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

When you think about it, public relations boils down to these realities: the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors that help you win. But your public relations effort must involve more than parties, videos, booklets and column mentions if you really want to get your money’s worth. What you need is a basic schematic that gets everyone working towards the same external audience behaviors insuring that the organization’s public relations effort stays sharply focused.

Coincidentally, here is such a schematic! People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is usually accomplished.

Look at some real results that can come from this approach to public relations. Membership applications on the rise; customers making repeat purchases; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; prospects starting to work with you; and even bounces in showroom visits.

You may be forgiven for wondering how such managers deliver those kinds of results.

They take the time to analyze who among their most important outside audiences behaves in ways that help or hinder the achievement of their objectives. Then, they list them according to how severely those behaviors affect their organization.

On the point, just how do most members of your key outside audiences perceive your organization? If paying for professional survey counsel isn’t in the cards (or in the budget!), your PR colleagues will have to monitor those perceptions themselves. Actually, they should be quite familiar with perception and behavior matters since they’re already in that business.

So you meet with some of those outside folks asking questions like “Are you familiar with our services or products? Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory encounter?” And if you are that manager, you must be sensitive to negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. And watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. When you find such, they will need to be corrected, as they inevitably lead to negative behaviors.

Big job now is to pick out the actual, offending perception to be changed, and that becomes your public relations goal. You obviously want to correct those untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions or false assumptions.

The toughest part of this exercise is that a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, will taste like hot sauce on your yogurt. So, as you select one of three strategies (create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change or reinforce it,) what you want to do is insure that the goal and its strategy match each other. You wouldn’t want to select “change existing perception” when current perception is just right suggesting a “reinforce” strategy.

With your strategy in hand, you and your PR staff must create a compelling message carefully written to alter your key target audience’s perception, as required by your public relations goal.

An idea to keep in mind: remember that you can always combine your corrective message with another news announcement or presentation which may give it more credibility by reducing the apparent need for such a correction.

The art in preparing such a message lies in the fact that the message you convey must be not only compelling, but quite clear about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Of course you must be truthful and your position logically explained and believable if it is to hold the attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception in your direction.

It’s understandable when some folks refer to the communications tactics necessary to move your message to the attention of that key external audience, as “beasts of burden.” In reality, they must carry your persuasive new thoughts to the eyes and ears of those important outside people.

The good news is that you have a really wide choice of communications tactics because the list is a long one. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might choose radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. There are scores available and the only selection requirement is that the tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just like the members of your key target audience.

By the way, you can always speed up things by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

Around this time, someone is bound to mention progress reports. But you will already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among your target audience members to test the effectiveness of your communications tactics. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, you’ll now become cross-eyed looking for signs that audience perceptions are beginning to move in your general direction.

You need actual changes in behaviors among your most important external audiences, and that’s no small matter. In my view, the quality of your public relations results will, and should be directly dependent on whether you spend your PR budget primarily on communications tactics, or the creation of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

end

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1110 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com

People often ask me how to make their stories more attractive to the media. I tell them that providing examples is one of the best ways to do just that.

What do I mean by examples? Examples may include:

1. Client comments or testimonials.

To promote http://www.vegangal.com/: "Jane Johnson spent most of her life overweight. After trying every type of diet, she found a video on becoming a vegan at http://www.vegangal.com/. Six months later, she had lost 30 pounds and gained a great outlook on life."

2. Expert quotes and opinions.

To promote the benefits of a particular hedge fund: Notes Dave Fields, a leading hedge fund analyst, "Hedge funds typically offer investors a 5% greater return than any other type of investment."

3. Anecdotes about people related to current trends.

To promote Pamella Roland white pantsuits: "White pantsuits have recently been seen on the bridal runways of Richard Tyler, Saison Blanche and Pronovias. This year a Pamella Roland client in her late 30s got married in a white pantsuit in Palm Desert, California. And trend-setter Ashleigh Banfield, Court TV reporter, wore ivory silk palazzo pants, as well as a veil, to her wedding in 2004."

In fact, examples can actually help promote your business more powerfully than just a story about your business. And they’re exactly what many reporters are looking for. Why? Because we all like interesting stories. And examples provide depth to those stories.

Business stories in particular often contain examples. "Examples can be critical for the right article," says freelance writer Jeff Zbar. "I prefer two examples. I especially like examples from different types of people, such as an expert and a customer."

Providing examples can also give you the edge over other sources. Stephane Fitch, a reporter at Forbes Magazine, notes that he will often choose to quote someone who has provided a great example, vs. one who didn’t provide one.

So, be sure to collect promotional examples about your organization. They may be the key to getting great media coverage.

Copyright 2006 Margie Fisher All Rights Reserved

Margie Fisher, President of Zable Fisher Public Relations, is the author of the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit. For more information on the Kit, the Pay for Results Publicity Program, and to sign up for the complimentary PRactical P.R. newsletter, visit http://www.zfpr.com.

UNDER FIRE

A friend whose organization is often in the media spotlight recently told me a story about her boss. Her boss, let’s call her Susan, is on the leadership team for a lobbying group that represents a somewhat unpopular industry.

Susan was interviewed a few months ago by Dateline NBC Correspondent Lea Thompson about a topic that could make her organization look bad. She knew she’d have to answer tough questions.

Nervous about saying something embarrassing about her organization, Susan carefully prepared for the interview. She developed her main messages, thought about the worst questions she could possibly face and practiced her responses.

When the interview began, Susan stayed on message. Thompson tried to throw her off, but Susan wouldn’t budge. Thompson pushed and prodded, trying to get Susan to say something – anything – more controversial. She wouldn’t.

That’s when Ms. Thompson employed the old journalistic trick of trying to intimidate her subject. In middle of the interview, Ms. Thompson asked the cameraman to stop recording, scolded Susan for not answering her questions, and asked for a five minute break.

And my sources tell me that this is not the first time Ms. Thompson has used this tactic – she’s used it before with at least one other interviewee from a different organization.

An inexperienced spokesperson would have been flustered. He or she would have returned from the break with something different to say. Not Susan. She knew that Dateline NBC was simply a conduit to a larger audience and that she had full control of her own words.

It worked. When the interview aired, Susan’s quotes were right on message. By sticking to her messages and consistently repeating her most important points, she ensured that Dateline’s millions of viewers heard the most important things she had to say.

WHY CAN’T I BE MORE…REAL?

The trainees I work with often wonder if they wouldn’t have more credibility if they acknowledged a few of their own weaknesses during an interview, instead of being perfectly on message. Doing so is occasionally appropriate, but here’s why it’s dangerous:

1. The answer you give which points out your own shortcomings will be the one that is used. Your other answers – including your positive points – will be edited out.

2. It is not your job to be your own critic – that is the job of the reporter and your opponents quoted in the piece. In order for a truly “balanced” piece, you have to be positive toward yourself – your opponents will happily point out your imperfections for you.

BUT BE CAREFUL

I’d like to raise three cautions with this approach. First, frustrated reporters will occasionally edit together clips of the guest repeating the same answer over and over again and will air it to show the guest’s evasiveness. It’s a technique that can severely damage a guest’s credibility, but is easy to circumvent – if you develop multiple ways of saying the same thing and support your messages with specific examples.

Second, this approach works well if you’re defending an ideology or point of view you truly believe in. But if you or your organization did something wrong, it’s not good enough. You’ll need to admit your faults, apologize, and articulate your action plan to make it better.

And third, this approach worked because the interview was taped, not live. If the program was live, the audience would have quickly tired of Susan’s antics. But since she knew that Dateline NBC tends to use short sound bites instead of longer interviews, she was confident the audience would never see her repetitive messaging technique.

THE END GAME

In the end, both women performed their jobs admirably. Ms. Thompson led a tough journalistic investigation, exposing an industry that probably deserved the scrutiny. And, as for Susan? She represented her organization’s point of view perfectly.

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com

We’ve noticed that while there are increasing numbers of news media outlets, the numbers of stories being reported on is actually less.

This year’s “State of the News Media” report from the Project for Excellence in Journalism calls this “the new paradox of journalism… more outlets covering fewer stories.” Simply put, increasing numbers of news media outlets – print, electronic and online — are thinning out the audience, thus reducing the number of journalists each outlet can afford to have.

Having more media outlets with fewer reporters each is redefining the relationship between the business press and the institutions they cover. On a national level, corporate newsmakers often have more leverage to manage major story coverage because there are so many competing news organizations jockeying for fresh information and access to official sources. Competitive pressure can also cause a stampede to unconfirmed headlines, as when the national media reported that the Sago miners had been found alive.

And some companies make their own negative situations worse when they arrogantly interpret the media’s limitations as an blanket invitation to obfuscate or obstruct coverage of bad financial reports, industrial accidents, executive malfeasance and other “bad news” events.

On a more local level, competition among thinly staffed newsrooms keeps many corporate stories – positive and negative – from being covered at all. Business editors are obligated to commit reporters to the same major stories as everyone else, and this understandably makes them protective of what discretionary news hole they have left. As a result, local-market business editors around the country routinely pass on legitimately newsworthy events because they simply don’t have reporters available, or because the story is being covered by someone else.

This of course doesn’t phase the flackery industry, which continues to inundate business media with unsolicited company press releases and story “pitches.” Rocky Mountain News business editor Rob Reuteman figures he gets 1,200 publicity pitches each week.

If he spent on average two minutes reading and considering everything directed to him – he’d spend 40 hours a week doing nothing else.

. . . . . . . . . .

Originally published in Scatterbox by Steven Silvers at http://www.stevensilvers.com

Steven Silvers is an accomplished reputation management, corporate affairs and communications strategy consultant with 25 years experience helping organizations navigate through today’s increasingly complex nexus of business, government, news media and community.

For information on having Steve speak to your business or organization, please drop a note to scatterbox@stevensilvers.com

When ABC News anchor Peter Jennings announced he had lung cancer last month, reporters who cover the media went into breaking news mode.

What did it mean to the future of network news, they wondered? What would ABC News do to recover from the tragic announcement? And what sources could they talk to who would fill them in on the latest rumblings at ABC?

That’s when my phone rang. A reporter from PR Week, a prestigious public relations magazine, was ready to interview me. As a former ABC News production coordinator, they thought I might have something to say.

Since the reporter and I had corresponded over e-mail prior to her call, I knew the call would be coming. I took some time to prepare my comments, the same way I coach my clients to do so.

But when the story came out, something had gone terribly awry.

Here’s what the author wrote:

“Brad Phillips, a former production coordinator for Nightline who now owns his own PR firm, said the network made a mistake in not grooming an obvious successor for Jennings. ‘The day of the star anchor is over,’ he said. ‘The news about Peter Jennings may be the tipping point that dismantles the news division.’”

Note that last line. Here’s what I actually said:

“The sad news about Peter Jennings may be the tipping point that devastates the news division.”

Far from proclaiming that ABC News was dismantling its news division, I was saying that the loss could be a deeply hurtful blow for ABC.

Upon reading the article, some Nightline producers walked out of their offices, saying, “Did you see what Brad Phillips said?” They thought one of their own was rubbing the bad news in even further. The only problem, of course, is that I didn’t say it.

So how can a full-time media trainer have his quotes reported inaccurately? Simply put, it happens. This is a business of percentages, not perfection, and whenever you’re dealing with another person, in this case a reporter, there is a margin of error. But since this was the first misquote I’ve ever had after dozens of successful interviews through the years, it reinforces that being well prepared for interviews almost always works.

Still, I now personally understand how frustrating it feels to have your name followed by words you didn’t say, and I had to temper my instinct to respond with the advice I’ve always given my clients.

First, I tell clients, the closer you are to a story, the more inaccurate it appears.

Second, if they respond to an error that the reporter regards as a nitpicking point, it could alienate that journalist for future stories.

Third, if a correction is ultimately published, you’ve then widened the number of people who are aware of the original error – those who read it the first time, and those who read it as part of the correction.

To be clear, corrections are sometimes warranted. In this case, I didn’t deem this infraction serious enough to request one. Instead of assuming the reporter spiced up my quote to add more drama to her story, I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt that she had just made an honest mistake.

Ultimately, I did what I tell my clients to do. I contacted my friends at ABC News directly to tell them what happened. I decided not to correct the record with the reporter, since I’d rather have her as an ally for future stories. And the most important thing I will not do, which many clients understandably want to do in these circumstances, is avoid the phone the next time a reporter calls. It’s the wrong response. When properly prepared, you’ll get it right the vast majority of the time. And I’ll take those odds every time.

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com