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Powerful Press Releases
June 2008 | Volume 6 Issue 6
Learn how to get the most out of all your press releases with the tips in this issue of the CW Bulletin. Our experts reveal what journalists look for in a press release, how to control the press release process, and how to employ social media press releases to speak directly with your target audience.
Natasha Nicholson
Executive Editor
Amanda Aiello
Associate Editor |
Features
NEWS RELEASE
by Ken O’Quinn
Too often, communicators yield to pressure. Managers or executives who know nothing about news judgment or about the communication business cannot resist adding individual touches to the news release that serve their own agendas or their word-choice preferences. What began as a news release emerges from a protracted, often inefficient editing process as a fluffy promotional flier. But there are ways professional communicators can establish greater control over the news release process.
NEWSROOM PERSPECTIVE
by Henry Eason
If you want an effective public relations program, always put the cart before the horse. This seemingly backwards approach is the fastest way to get good media coverage. Instead of coming up with your message then trying to jam it into a newsroom, you should first ask, What do journalists want? Then work backwards from there. You’ll be pleased with the results.
SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE
by Valerie Jennings
It’s critical for companies to recognize that the online conversation can no longer be ignored; now they must move forward with new tools and tactics to enhance communication. One such tool is the social media press release (SMR), which allows organizations to participate in online conversations and reach niche segments through the use of search engine optimization.
TYPES OF RELEASES
by Ephraim Cohen
Companies continue to use the term “press release” without really meaning, or really thinking of, the press. Their intention is to put out a formal release of information for various audiences. The problem that develops from automatically using the phrase “press release” is one of semantics, mind-set and distribution strategy.
Columns
Looking at the World Through Rose-Colored Glasses
by Suzanne Salvo
Seeing red, green with envy, feeling blue, in the pink. Symbolic use of color is such a powerful part of our vernacular that we don’t even register the words in these clichés—red, green, blue, pink—as hues and tints. Instead we instinctively understand and feel the meaning associated with the color, without actually picturing red, green, blue, pink in our minds.
Color symbolism is universal in art as well as language, making it a very useful photo communication tool.
Understanding the Income Statement
by James K. Gentry
The financial report that receives the most attention from companies, investors and business reporters is the income statement. Every quarter and at fiscal year-end, a public company issues an income statement showing performance for the just-concluded time period. Since companies regularly issue earnings reports, more business stories are probably based on the income statement than any other document.
The Rules of Grammar Are Meant to Be Bent
by Dean Askin
Sometimes I really wish somebody would have a word with the guy who came up with the Tim Hortons trademark. As a professional communicator, it irritates me to see so many Tim Hortons donut shops when we really should be seeing Tim Horton’s shops. Do you see where I’m going here?
- “Prospecting the Future: Mining in Canada,” MAVERICK Public Relations Inc./Mining Industry Human Resources.
- “Brin de jasette: The Launch,” Brin de jasette Inc.
- “2005 Minneapolis MOSAIC,” Padilla Speer Beardsley Inc.
Communication in the News
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month’s topic of powerful press releases. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- “Press Release SEO Tips,” by Lee Odden
- “The Long Tail of Marketing and PR,” by David Meerman Scott
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