Girls behaving badly

Well, if you hadn't seen it already, here it is again in all it's glory. New Mexico soccer player Elizabeth Lambert, engaged in a uh "friendly" conference match with BYU, and then, of course, all hell...or should I say, hair breaks loose.

But since that ugly incident, Lambert has broken her silence and wants to set the record straight that she is not a dirty player. She spoke with the New York Times and said this:
"I look at it and I'm like, 'That is not me.' I have so much regret. I can't believe I did that. I think the way the video came out, it did make me look like a monster. That's not the type of player I am. I'm not just out there trying to hurt players. That's taking away from the beauty of the game. And I would never want to do that."
Let's look for a moment at the line from the quote "I'm not just out there trying to hurt players." Now, I'm sure she meant nothing by saying that; however, the casual reader may look at that line several times and think that she's out there to play the game, as well as trying to hurt players. Read the sentence again with emphasis on the word "just" and see how it sounds.
"I'm not JUST out there trying to hurt players."
It has a whole different meaning doesn't it? The word is unnecessary. In fact, the sentence could be state a bit differently:
"I play the game aggressively, but never with the intention to hurt another player," might be a better way to make her point.

MMA not OK in BS School District

It's never a good idea to do something you really aren't supposed to do, especially if you think it's just for fun. It's definitely a bad idea if that something results in someone getting hurt. It's even a worse idea when it's videotaped. Let's examine the Blue Springs (Mo.) School District, a suburban school district of Kansas City, Mo.

About a year ago, several wrestlers were videotaped at the school participating in a mixed martial arts-style competition, while another member of the team shot video footage of it. A Blue Springs assistant wrestling coach watched and cheered while this "competition" went on. One member of the team suffered two broken teeth, and another tooth was knocked out. He had a rod placed in his mouth and needed two root-canal surgeries, costing the family more than $7,000. The family expects to spend at least $20,000 more on future surgeries.

A year later, a lawsuit has been filed against the assistant and head wrestling coach, the activities director, the principal and superintendent.

For the most part, the district has remained silent except for this quote that ran in the Oct. 9 edition of the Kansas City Star: "Because it is a legal matter, we're not at liberty to discuss (it)," district spokesperson Leslie Evans said. "That's probably all you're going to get from the district folks."

Hmmm. That's all we're gonna get from the district folks, huh? Obviously, you never want to give a "No comment" to the media. It makes you look even more guilty than you may already be, if that's possible. But a better quote might be: "Because it is a legal matter, we're not at liberty to discuss the situation; however, I can assure you that we are conducting an internal investigation. The Blue Springs School District has always provided a top-notch education for our students, while giving them a safe and secure environment in which to learn."

It's all about finesse.

So what exactly is public relations?

In one of my first blog postings, I did a three-part article, an Introduction to Public Relations. Here, I want to delve down a little bit deeper into exactly what public relations, or media relations is and where it is most beneficial. Public relations is a cost-effective way to build credibility and awareness. More specifically, it is the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and the public. Public relations, often referred to as PR, gains an organization or individual exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. Because PR places exposure in credible third-party outlets, it offers a third-party legitimacy that advertising does not have. Common activities include speaking at conferences, working with the press and employee communication.

TYPES OF MEDIA
Print
Examples
Newspapers and Magazines

Benefits
Shelf Life: Readers clip and save articles. Reprints are effective sales tools with the implied third-party endorsement.
Targeted Audience: If you are looking for a niche in a particular geographic area, you can select the print media with specific readership.
Credibility: Newspapers, although facing tough times, continue to be a valuable news source for people in your community.
Capacity: Print articles typically contain more details than a 30-second television news story, which is often helpful when explaining complex topics.

Opportunities
Local and national newspapers, business journals, or local and national magazines

Broadcast
Examples
Television and Radio

Benefits
Speed: Immediate news source with a faster turnaround than print.
Market Size: Reaches a large audience.
Hungry for Content: Many local networks and stations are always looking for story ideas and experts to fill news time (particularly all-business radio format stations).

Opportunities
Local business radio shows or local and national television news business segments

Internet (Social Media)
Examples
Websites and Blogs

Benefits
Speed: Immediate news source with stories posted at a moment’s notice
Market Size and Coverage: Online stories can reach expansive audiences around the world at lower costs.
Warning: You must carefully choose your site to target only local markets.
Key News Source: As technology continues to evolve, experts are calling the Web the major news source for most people.

Opportunities:
Many times stories from print and broadcast are run on Web sites, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace

A good quote

In past blog posts, I have noted how people have made mistakes, missteps and misquotes in their interviews. Here's one that actually does it right. In a story from the Oct. 5 Los Angeles Times about hotel employees wanting to unionize, a representative from the Hyatt Regency Hotel chain actually sympathizes with the same housekeeping employees that are protrayed as the victims.

But Jeff C. Pace, the Hyatt general manager in Long Beach, said that attendants cleaned a maximum of 24 to 26 rooms a day and that completing 18 to 20 rooms a day is more typical. Many Hyatt housekeepers participate in a bonus program allowing them to earn more if they opt to clean additional rooms, the company said in a statement.

"The safety of our guests and associates is a serious concern for us," Hyatt declared. "Every associate, including housekeeping staff, undergoes extensive training to ensure a safe work environment."

Huh?

One of the major cardinal sins of doing an interview is when the subject speaks in terms your audience doesn't know. You should never, ever use industry jargon, or talk above your audience's head. This gentleman provides the perfect example of what I'm trying to explain:

The Ultimate PR Nightmare

Recently, a Mexican restaurant in Kansas was shut down when approximately 20 people fell ill with nausea, vomiting and dizziness. The restaurant said it was from carbonic acid poisoning caused by faulty water lines; however, the state health department said not all those who got ill had carbonated drinks, and preliminary testing had not confirmed that was the cause. It was the second time in less than a month that patrons became sick at the establishment. According to a restaurant spokesperson, the problem was caused by carbonated water for drinks getting backed up and making contact with copper tubing, causing a chemical reaction that led to the poisoning. But a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said not all those who got sick had a carbonated drink. “We can’t say that’s the cause yet,” she said. “They are looking at the water and the ice as well.”

Now, how can a restaurant, any restaurant rebound from a nightmarish incident such as this, especially when there are conflicting stories from the restaurant and the health department? First, clean the restaurant like it has never been cleaned before. And comply with all health department regulations before you even consider reopening the doors. Once all that has been completed, relaunch, and by doing this, take the restaurant to the people. Show the public you are for real in what you have done to fix your problems. Remember, you have had two health incidents in less than a month. Set up a stand at a busy (foot traffic) area, and give out free samples of your popular dishes. Hand out coupons to passersby. Take out ads in the local paper with coupons. Go on the local midday news show and prepare one of your popular recipes. Have a kids eat free night. There are a myriad of solutions to this problem, the key is to keep it up so that people will know you are serious about your turnaround and will keep coming back.

More interviewing 101

Even those who've been in the business forever can come into an interview unprepared...or at least make it look like they were unprepared. Take this clip from "Larry King Live" where Jerry Seinfeld talks about the end of his show "Seinfeld."




I always wonder how uncomfortable it is in the studio during the commercial breaks.

The next big food debate

It's not that corn is at the top of everyone's mind these days...especially corn syrup, but there's a recent push making news that may put it at the forefront very soon.

Kraft Foods Inc. has been removing high-fructose corn syrup from several of its most popular products because some consumers believe this ingredient to be dangerous.

According to a story in Chicago Business ("Kraft touts efforts to skip corn syrup," 8/24/09), Basil Maglaris, a spokesperson for Kraft stated: "We saw some consumers were interested in products without high-fructose corn syrup, so we decided as part of this quality improvement to eliminate it."

Other companies are also taking steps to eliminate HFCS such as beverage companies. PepsiCo launched "throwback" versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew, which are essentially HFCS-free formulations in retro cans.

The Corn Refiners Association has taken notice and staged a full-fledged media assault aimed at what it perceives to be "misinformation" in the media. According to the article, its campaign, from agency DDB, Chicago, depicts people such as mothers in a kitchen, or a young couple on a picnic blanket, talking about whether corn sweeteners are bad for you. "It has the same amount of calories as sugar or honey, and it's fine in moderation," a woman says while handing her boyfriend a popsicle stick.

"It has really been a nationwide multimedia and advertising campaign targeted principally at moms, given the role they play in buying food," Corn Refiners Association President Audrae Erickson said of her group's effort.

But here's what the other side is saying:

"I don't know whether it's laughable or tragic that the corn refiners association is likening its product to sugar," Rory Freedman, co-author of "Skinny Bitch," wrote in an e-mail. "Neither HFCS or refined sugar is good for us. Our bodies simply do not like foods that have been highly processed, especially those which cause spikes in our blood-sugar levels."

The real issue here is money...for both sides. Studies have shown that people are obviously gaining weight from the massive amounts of food they are taking in containing high-fructose corn syrup or sugar. Companies that are producing these foods know they have to change for the sake of potential lawsuits somewhere down the road. The Corn Refiners Association members have do whatever they need to do to put food on their tables. The story here is that there are two sides of an argument where each party is making a compelling case, but the side that's getting the most negative publicity has hired a PR firm to clean up its tarnished reputation and maybe help persuade people that are undecided on the issue or quite possibly on the other side. These types of stories are very common in the PR world, as this is just one recent example.

How to right a wrong

Wanna know how to fix a big PR blunder? Take the billboard advertising campaign for Coors Light beer in Toronto, Canada. According to a story in the Aug. 19 edition of the Winnipeg Sun, approximately 30 billboards were scattered throughout Toronto recently that stated: Coors Light is "colder than people from Toronto."

Some citizens of Toronto were offended by the ads, and a handful of emails were sent to Coors; however, when the Toronto newspaper reported on the ads, a backlash brewed (no pun intended), and Coors pulled the ads.

"Sometimes we get it wrong," said Adam Moffat, Molson brand and marketing public relations manager. "This is one instance where we misfired, and we realized that after seeing people's reaction here in Toronto."

The key message here was that a large corporation admitted to being accountable for its own actions and then acted on it rather than let what could have been a potential PR nightmare fester.

Interviewing 101

One of the major mistakes a reporter can commit is coming into the interview completely unprepared. Here's a classic example:

So is it the money or the students?

According to an Aug. 17, 2009 Wall Street Journal story "Hard-Hit Schools Try Public-Relations Push," many inner-city school districts throughout the country are trying to stem the tide of a mass student exodus to suburban, private and charter schools. These school districts are turning to public relations and marketing firms to help get the word out that their schools aren't so bad while enrollment numbers continue to plummet. Some of the tactics used are billboard, television and radio ads, as well as direct-mail campaigns.

In St. Louis, the urban district's enrollment has plunged 40% in the past decade because of students moving to charter schools and suburban districts. The school district has been through eight superintendents in 10 years and lost its state accreditation. It faces a $53 million deficit and recently closed 14 schools. But administrators have set aside $1 million to pay for publicity that may include bragging about a top-ranked high school and magnet programs in culinary arts, aeronautics and international studies.

Now here is where it gets interesting.

According to the article: A marketing firm will spend the next two months asking residents, "What would it take to get you to send your children to school here?" said Patrick Wallace, a district spokesman. "We're losing 1,500 to 2,000 students a year," Mr. Wallace said. "If we can get those kids to come back, that's a whole lot of money."

Now, I understand school districts need to make money to "stay in business." They have to pay for teacher and administrator salaries, books, supplies and general upkeep and maintenance of the buildings, but the last quote from Mr. Wallace has the completely wrong focus. As a spokesperson for the district, his number one concern should be the quality of education for their students rather than the amount of money they are losing. A better quote might be: "We're losing 1,500 to 2,000 students a year," Mr. Wallace said. "However, our chief concern is providing the best education we possibly can to the students that have remained as we continue to look for new ways to attract new students to the district."

Any qualified public relations professional could have helped hone the message and put the focus where it should be.

Understanding the media: Part III
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com

Internet
For the Internet, we will look at publication Websites, blogs and the explosion of social media, as these have risen in popularity over the last few years.

Like the broadcast medium, the Internet is an immediate news source with stories posted in a matter of moments, and one difference here over the print medium is that when a mistake is made, it can be corrected within a few seconds. A newspaper may take a day or several days to correct a mistake, while a magazine could take a week or even a month to correct a mistake.

Online stories can reach expansive audiences around the world at lower costs. As technology continues to evolve, experts are calling the Web the major news source for most people. Many times stories from print and broadcast are posted on Web sites.

Almost all newspapers and magazines have their own Website. Some require you to subscribe to the print version before you can access the online version. Then there are publications that are only Web-based and do require a fee to access. An example of this is the mutual fund Web site Ignites.com. It covers the mutual fund industry and investment-related issues and is solely available online for a fee. It is primarily targeted to mutual fund industry insiders; however, it picks up wire stories and mainstream print stories for its site that all relate to its target audience.

Blogs are also on the rise and are written by pretty much anyone with an opinion and a computer these days. They are usually short opinion pieces about an event, news item, person or any particular subject the blogger deems important to them. There are several types of blogs including: personal, media, corporate and genre. Most legitimate blogs are attached to a legitimate news source; however, there are many rogue blogs out there that can say pretty much anything they want about anything they want, and those can be hard to find and track.

Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in participatory journalism, differentiate themselves from the mainstream media, while others are members of that media working through a different channel. Some institutions see blogging as a means of "getting around the filter" and pushing messages directly to the public. Some critics worry that bloggers respect neither copyright nor the role of the mass media in presenting society with credible news. Many mainstream journalists are now writing their own blogs.

Finally, there are the social media sites, i.e. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Today, many people are getting their “news” from one of these sites because it can be delivered in short, concise bits that doesn’t take the end-user long to read, digest and relate. Nearly every celebrity, politician, news organization, entertainment outlet, etc. is connected through at least Facebook or Twitter, and the follower’s of each site seems to grow by the tens of thousands each day. As these sites continue to grow in popularity, there is no telling where or what it will lead to in the future.

Understanding the media: Part II
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com/

Broadcast
The broadcast medium is television and radio. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but we will look at both and what they have to offer.

One of the major appeals of television is that it can reach a large audience in a matter of seconds. It’s an immediate news source with a faster turnaround than print. Many local networks and stations have expanded their news coverage and now have a larger news hole to fill. They are always looking for story ideas and experts to fill this time, especially when it comes to localizing a national or international story.

The downside to television is that there are time constraints and you may not always get your message across, and just like print, there is the danger of being edited or taken out of context. If it’s a live interview, then the chances of getting your message in are greater; however, the line of questioning may not be to your liking. Whether the interview is live or taped, always try to get an idea of what the questions will be ahead of time so that you have time to prepare. And unless you are ambushed by a reporter, practice as much as you can.

Radio, like television, is an immediate news source with a fast turnaround; however, depending on the format of the radio station, the time constraints may not be as limited to a 10-second sound bite as they would on television. A radio interview could last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, live or taped. There’s still the chance of being a sound bite in a news story, as well, but radio has a little more freedom.

There are still the same downsides of misquoted or taken out of context, and again, the news editor has the final say. The same rule goes here when doing a radio interview: try to get the questions in advance whenever possible. Being prepared for a broadcast interview will make the process go a lot smoother and make for a less nerve-racking experience.

Next up, I'll take a look at what the Web has to offer.

Understanding the media
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com

In the world of public relations, there are those who tell the story, and then there are those who relate the story. The two questions here are: How are they different and why?

Well, those who tell the story can be the public relations person themselves. They can be the CEO or president of a company. They can be any designated spokesperson. They can also be the average person off the street. It’s anyone who is on the spotlight side of the pen, camera or microphone. The key is to have the right message and deliver it in the right way.

But let’s look at the other side. Who are those that relate the story to the world, and why is it so important to know and understand them? They aren’t the newsmakers, they are the news reporters, and what they say and how they say it can make or break a person’s, company’s or product’s reputation.

A question that has come up so often in my work is, “What is news?” Although there is no right or wrong answer, I’ve learned that there is a main answer: It’s whatever the news editor says it is. It’s whatever piece of information makes it to print, to air or online.

To first indentify the media, you must have a general understanding of the types of media that are available and how each one works. The three main types of media we will focus on are print (newspapers, magazines, etc.), broadcast (radio, television) and Internet (blogs, Websites, etc.).

Print
Print consists of newspapers, magazines, newsletters, etc. There are other forms of print publications, but we will keep it to the mainstream for our purposes.

Most news stories are written in the inverted pyramid style. Think of an upside-down triangle when you read your next story. Most of the information (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How) is near the top, and as you get further down, it becomes filled with less pertinent information. It makes it easier for the editor to edit for content and space. Also, a news story should contain just the facts about what happened with quotes from the parties involved to add color.

Feature stories are more creative and in-depth writing and usually will focus on a person, event or an item. It can bring together people telling stories or giving their opinions about the topic which end up as quotes in the story. A major difference between a feature and news story is that the feature is written in a more narrative format.

Columns or editorial pieces are the writer’s opinion on a topic. That’s it. The author can say pretty much whatever they want about said topic, and these are usually found on the Op-Ed pages of the newspaper.

Tomorrow I'll take a look at the broadcast medium.

Come inside, the show's about to start

Welcome to "The PR Picture" a blog that I hope will be an interesting, informative and fun look at the world of public relations. As regularly as I can, I will take a look at PR issues that we all face in our day-to-day lives and try to break them down in a concise and simple manner. I will try to focus on trends that are out there, what works, what doesn't. And I will look at some of the ways people use PR tactics, for better or for worse, what works and what doesn't. I appreciate you coming along for the ride as I will do my best to make it as smooth and enjoyable as I can.

Brian Spano
Owner
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com