Dennis Grubaugh

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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The Midpoint (Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 7 of 12) via Helping Writers Become Authors #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/ewEiumuZ

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We lead today’s Connecting with the viewpoint of Columbia Journalism Review on the plans announced by the AP to create a new sister organization to fundraise for and support state and local journalism.   Governed by an independent board of directors, the 501(c)3 charitable organization will help AP sustain, augment and grow journalism and services for the industry, as well as help fund other entities that share a commitment to state and local news.   We also deliver more of your stories of working in your first AP bureau – continuing an ongoing theme that’s proven highly popular.   Our colleague Norm Abelson observes: “Of all the compelling, humorous, moving and enlightening pieces I have read on Connecting, the recent stories on first AP assignments rank near the top.   “Often they're as interesting as a novel, as educating as a J-school grad course, as personal as a memoir. The stories are told with honesty and openness, recalling both the successes as well as the miscues and bumps along the way.   “Both for those who opted for a career with the news service, as well as those of us who moved on to other interests, I'd argue there is no better foundation for a meaningful and fulfilling career than time spent at The AP.”   Here’s to a great day – be safe, stay healthy, live it to your fullest. https://conta.cc/4ciWKsA

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A tip for journalists conducting interviews! I always like to end my conversations with the following question: If readers could take away just ONE thing from this article, what's the most important point they should remember? I've gotten some of my best quotes from this single question because it forces experts to get to the most compelling aspects of their research and explain why the work matters to the average person. #journalism #freelancejournalist

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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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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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My time in journalism and then in corporate communications taught me: the truth will come out, get ahead of “the story,” listen first and well, help leaders be people, and anticipate and plan for every contingency…among other lessons.

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#Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but that doesn't mean #writers should toil alone from start to finish. Communities like these provide support, education, and sometimes credibility. Browse this roundup and see if one or two groups might be a good fit for your needs. https://lnkd.in/gMfC7vAX #writetip #writingtip

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✨ Reclaiming Authenticity in the Era of Misinformation: 5 PR Lessons from Wicked ✨ Kim Markus beautifully illustrates how lessons from Wicked can help PR professionals navigate a world often clouded by misinformation. Her insights on authenticity, nuanced storytelling, and the power of perception are timely and timeless. This piece is a must-read for anyone navigating the complex media landscape. It reminds us that even when the truth gets twisted, staying authentic can help us cut through the noise. https://lnkd.in/g9nYUW7f

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Advice on press releases ? - I received an inquiry about how to write your first press release. I said the following. Some of you are PR pros. Good advice/bad advice?: — Hi (recipient), While I was not taught anything about press releases in my journalism classes, I receive tons of press releases being a member of the media. Here are my tips: - In the title of the email, if brick and mortar, place your business’s city location in the title - For length, shoot for no longer than 400 words. - If you’re looking to have your press release just run straight thru vs. attracting a journalist to write the story, also include a longer press release below the main copy of the email. Never use PDF. It’s an extra step to extract the PDF to create a raw text to use it/ or the recipient has to retype the material to use it. Attach photos as attachments vs. embedding in the document. Add a personal flavor into your email, tell them a little little bit about yourself/why you started the business in a couple of sentences. —— Additional Be sure to include all ways to reach you by phone and email. Be sure to be ready to take interviews or schedule quickly. We’re not waiting for you. Be sure to put the recipient’s name in the greeting of the email. Be sure to study who you are sending to. The crime reporter doesn’t want a pitch about Easter egg hunts. ….What would you add?

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A course I really need to take: This is a deeply comprehensive strategy and skill course on how journalists should apply for grants from Alanna Dvorak and Arina Lekht at the International Fact-Checking Network: Highly recommend! It's free! #GrantWriting #nonprofitnews

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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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How to get your email deleted by journalists or really anyone else… 1. Misspell the person’s name or address them by an entirely different name. 2. Keep [First Name] and all the areas that you left highlighted. 3. Fail to tailor your message to the recipient. 4. Neglect to research and become familiar with their work or needs. 5. Pitch them irrelevant topics or services. 6. Send them a poorly worded, grammatically incorrect email. 7. Don't get to the point quickly. 8. Avoid pitching them anything original or a unique value proposition. 9. Copy everyone and their mother! 10. Send them a book-long email. 11. Include a lengthy document or press release without context. 12. Forget to provide necessary resources like links to high-resolution photos and b-roll. 13. Attach huge files that clog their inbox. 14. Be annoyingly persistent with your follow-ups. 💡 Pro tip: Want your email to actually get read? Avoid these common pitfalls like the plague. P.S. What are your biggest email pet peeves? Share your tips in the comments below. 📧 #MediaRelations #PitchingTips #JournalistStruggles #EmailEtiquette

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Long-form journalism is great. It's important. It's fun to write. We also really, really need more news. Well written, short pieces of 300 words. Or 80 words. Most people don't read journalism (check the RISJ research to be depressed on that). And of those that do, most of us don't read even medium length pieces. If we want to inform, educate, challenge and entertain then we've got to write for that reality. At The Continent News we do focused journalism. High quality, well edited and short. That then creates a habit and trust, so people read the longer piece when you publish it.

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