Dave Lockett

Being a member of Public Relations Global Network is one of my favorite parts of REED Public Relations. Birthdays are always special but getting nice remarks from our friends all around the world yesterday was extra special. Plus, with the time differences, I essentially had a two-day birthday! From Malaysia to Brussels and everywhere in between, read more about the Faces and Markets of #PRGN. #PublicRelations #PR #Marketing

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Journalists are spilling the tea about what they like and don't like. Frank Strong of The Sword and the Script shared the results of a recent Cision survey. He pulled the stats that PR pros need to know about to improve their odds of success. 42% of reporters say credibility is the top challenge facing journalism. Tip: Avoid adjectives and hyperbole when you pitch. 67% of journalists use social media to source information. Tip: Keep your social feeds active and relevant. 55% of journalists want exclusives. Tip: Consider using them judiciously. #PR #publicrelationsagency #journalism

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Demo'ing your technology can be an important part of your PR campaign. However, based on the current media landscape, they are very hard to secure if you are not Microsoft (for example). If you do land one with a journalist, the stakes are high to get it right. Based on my experience being involved with demos that have gone awry, here are two things you need to know before going into it.

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In the world of media and communications, the relationship between journalists and PR professionals is often misunderstood. However, the reality is far more nuanced and symbiotic. Journalists rely on PR folks to provide them with access to newsworthy stories, expert sources, and valuable insights. In turn, PR depends on journalists to amplify their messages and bring attention to their clients or organizations. A recent report by #MuckRack on the "State of Journalism," found that journalists acknowledge PR professionals 70% "as at least moderately important to their success." This mutual dependence highlights the essential role each plays in the dissemination of information to the public. Trust forms the foundation of our collaboration and ensures that the stories that reach the public are credible and impactful. Journalists rely on us to provide accurate and reliable information, while those of us in PR trust journalists to report the news fairly and accurately. Journalists are skilled storytellers who strive to craft compelling narratives that resonate with their audience. PR pros, on the other hand, are adept at identifying and shaping stories that align with our clients' goals and objectives. Together, we work to create stories that inform, engage, and inspire. I encourage you to read the attached report which provides many insights of today's newsrooms. #Journalism #PR #MediaRelations #PublicRelations #NewsMedia #MediaIndustry #JournalismEthics #Storytelling #MediaCollaboration #InformationSharing #MuckRack #StateOfJournalism #PressRelations #MediaPartnership Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Natan Edelsburg

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One of my favorite PR programs is Subject Matter Expert or Commentary PR where we work with experts and connect them in real-time (yes, AI helps here) to journalists who need that expertise or comment to finish a story under a tricky deadline. It’s the closest thing to a win-win in PR that you will ever experience. Great for the expert’s profile, SEO results, social media amplification and equally great for the journalist/media outlet—and the PR pro gets to enjoy all of that good stuff. I’ve gotten some AMAZING results with this program and it’s less expensive than you think. If you or someone you know if an expert and doesn’t mind investing some time helping journalists, I always love doing this kind of work. DM me and let’s talk about getting this going! #pr, #publicrelations, #mediarelations, #publicity

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Trust and transparency are built through consistency, not perfection. That has to start internally & your comms team has to live this core value. Why? ⤵️ PR often helps lead the charge in mobilizing the internal and external distribution of your message, so it’s helpful for communications pros to be honest with themselves on where they themselves might be the issues. Been there. We can all improve. Recognizing when you’ve skewed towards the “bad” examples from sports PR below -- and then working to quickly shift back to the fix -- is how you grow, sustain or rebuild trust. Small shifts in approach can dramatically improve team effectiveness.

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You're an executive about to interview with a top-tier reporter and publication. This is your chance for significant coverage. Ahead of the call, the PR team prepared a smart briefing email with talking points and background notes on the reporter. You didn't look at the briefing notes and left an opportunity on the table. Why? ▶️ Because research and preparation are key. ▶️ Because your PR team put information in the document based on working with this reporter several times. ▶️ Because journalists can be particular, and each outlet has its own style and POV.

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Audience identification is an area of improvement for many #communications and #marketing pros. We tend to stop at broad categories. We should get to more targeted levels. Doing so requires closer collaboration among sales, marketing, and communications than is typical. A lot of orgs don’t dedicate the time or resources to do it. Then we wonder why we miss the bullseye.

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Do journalists really want to hear from you? As has been the trend for years now, the number of working journalists continues to dwindle, primarily due to layoffs, outlet closures and consolidation, leaving those still in the field with longer hours and much tighter work schedules. In fact, most journalists today work between 41-50 hours, including at least one or two days after hours or on weekends, according to the recent 2024 State of Journalism survey*. While their work schedules may not be of prime importance to you, it should be…if you’re trying to get their attention with a story idea.  And do you know if these journalists even want to hear from you? As long as you’re a PR pro, maybe. Some 70 percent of journalists surveyed ranked PR pros as either important or very important to the success of their jobs, while 29 percent said they are either slightly or not at all important. And frankly, don’t get too puffed up about that 70 percent…because nearly half said they seldom or never respond to PR pitches, while just 18 percent usually respond and 8 percent always do. One possible reason for the relatively low response rate could be that the majority of those surveyed said they get up to 25 pitches per week, while another 23 percent said they get up to 50 per week. There’s simply not enough time in even an extended workweek to reply. Or, perhaps they don’t feel the need. After all, the journalists tell us that nearly 75 percent of the pitches they receive are not pertinent to their coverage area.  So, do you know the reporter(s) who cover your industry or subject matter? And what exactly should your pitch consist of? And is your “news” even pitch-worthy? If so, when and through what means are the best to reach these journalists? A lot more questions than answers here. If you’re unsure of the answers to any of these questions, or more, it’s likely time to call in a PR pro. After all, 70 percent of journalists said they do want to hear from us. Before you venture into the unknown, or worse, turn off one of the few journalists covering your industry, get an expert involved. Rountree Group has an experienced PR team who can develop and implement a successful plan of action that will drive results. Connect with us here for info. *Of the 1,106 journalists surveyed for this year’s State of Journalism, the majority work primarily in the United States, with the remainder worldwide. The majority work full time in the journalism industry, half serving as freelancers. Some 33 percent work locally or regionally, with 30 percent nationally and 29 percent internationally. And 40 percent work with digital publications, 31 percent with newspapers and the remainder work with magazines, broadcast television, trade publications, radio, non-profits, podcasts, etc. An experienced group, nearly 30 percent surveyed said they’ve been a journalist for more than 21 years and another 24 percent for 10 to 20 years. Some 58 percent are reporters or editors.

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Worth reading from NiemanLab: Readers prefer to click on a clear, simple headline — like this one By David Markowitz, Hillary Shulman and Todd Rogers In an era when people trust news less than ever, how can journalists break through and attract the attention of average people to provide information about their communities, the nation and the world? By not complicating things. Our research, published in Science Advances, shows that simple headlines significantly increase article engagement and clicks compared with headlines that use complex language. In our research, typical news readers preferred simple headlines over complex ones. But importantly, we found that those who actually write headlines — journalists themselves — did not. We first used data from The Washington Post and Upworthy to see how language features, such as word length and how common a word is, changed how many people clicked on an article’s headline. These datasets included over 31,000 randomized experiments — also known as A/B tests — that compared two or more headline versions of the same underlying article to determine which one generated the most clicks. Headlines with more common words — simple words like “job” instead of “occupation” — shorter headlines, and those communicated in a narrative style, with more pronouns compared with prepositions, received more clicks. For example, The Washington Post headline, “Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah. Here’s why they shouldn’t say too much” outperformed the alternative headline, “Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Don’t bet on it.” This example illustrates how sometimes a more straightforward headline can generate more interest. In follow-up laboratory experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple rather than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand. When journalists participated in the same experiments, they didn’t show any preference for simple headlines over complex ones. Put differently: Those who write the news appear to be less responsive to simple writing than regular audiences. Generations of communication consultants have advised that communicators follow the rather crass acronym KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. We suggest a modified version applied for journalists. Since KISJ isn’t all that simple, we propose: Keep It Simple, Staffers. Simplicity increases the number of people who click on a news story headline and improves reader recall of the material in the article. Most importantly, simplicity boosts reader engagement, such as how much attention they pay to the information.

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🕒 Mastering the Timing of Media Pitches 🕒 Timing is everything in media relations. In this week's Association Insights, I discuss how to convey the importance of strategic timing to your internal stakeholders, from senior leadership to board members. Here's how to get everyone on board: 📰 Educate on News Cycles: Demonstrate how aligning pitches with current trends or news can drastically improve media pickup. 🎤 Capitalize on Industry Events: Use events as natural platforms for pitches, prepping in advance to capture media interest. 🍂🌸 Utilize Seasonal Hooks: Show how pitching in context with the time of year can enhance relevance and engagement. 🥇 Be First or Unique: Encourage support for pitches that lead conversations or introduce new perspectives, aligning with industry movements. Understanding the critical role of timing can transform your media outreach from good to great. 💬 How do you ensure your pitches are timely? Share your strategies below! #MediaPitching #PRStrategy #AssociationInsights #OnWrdUpWrd #StrategicCommunication #PublicRelations

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History teaches us that mistakes are inevitable. How can we use that knowledge in our crisis communication planning? https://lnkd.in/gya8hWG7 #pr #crisiscommunications #crisismanagement #eriklarson #history

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  Communications professionals have an obligation to defend and support credible media outlets producing journalism grounded in shared facts, ethical reporting standards and protecting the public interest. In the disinformation age, shady websites like The Hub have spilled out of think tanks to prop up political and corporate agendas while passing themselves off as ‘independent’ media outlets. At least in this social media graphic they’re transparent about the far-right agenda they’re amplifying (though not so transparent about who funds them). I have nothing against the opinionator industry as long as they’re honest that they’re little more than Substack curators and a long way from credible media outlets that aim to meet basic journalism standards and engage in newsgathering.

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Does your PR team know how to explain the work we do? In too many instances, asking different members of your team how to explain public relations may bring many different answers. The obvious problem with that is that it creates confusion. As we all already know, too many people already don't get what we do. It is less about saying the exact words but more about general cohesion of the story. If your agency hasn't gone through this exercise with your team, it is something to think about.

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The good-old news release remains a valuable part of the suite of communication tools. Delivery has expanded over the years, but the news release has many benefits, as noted in this article from CommPro: #corporatecommunicatin #publicrelations #businessstrategy https://lnkd.in/grMD7jPX

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📢 Leveraging PR Success for Fundraising 📢 Welcome to this week’s Association Insights! Today, I’m tackling a vital topic: How can you leverage PR success for fundraising with earned media? Here’s a quick breakdown: 🌟 Capitalize on Visibility: Share media mentions across your channels to boost visibility and credibility. 📰 Integrate Media Coverage: Use quotes and stories in your fundraising materials to add credibility and show media recognition. 🔗 Connect to Your Mission: Explain how positive media attention aligns with your goals and impacts your work. 💬 Engage Your Audience: Use media coverage to start conversations, encouraging supporters to share and discuss the news. By leveraging PR success effectively, you can enhance your fundraising efforts and further your association's mission. Use media visibility to build trust, engage supporters and demonstrate impact. 💡 How has your association leveraged PR success for fundraising? Share your strategies and experiences in the comments! #AssociationInsights #Fundraising #PRsuccess #Communications #MediaRelations #OnWrdUpWrd #AssociationCommunications

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