Chapter 14- News Releases, Media Alerts, and Pitch Letters April 30, 2009

This chapter can be found in “Public Relations Strategies and Tactic,” the ninth edition, written by Dennis L. Wilcox and Glen T. Cameron.

These are the important points I read in Chapter 14 for my Introduction to Public Relations class.

• News releases are written by someone who wants to inform the public of an event, product, or company.
•  These releases are sent to editors of news papers.
• This is the largest source that is published into a news paper.
• The key thing when writing a news release is to make sure the key message gets across.
• It is also important for the writer of a news release to reach the right audience.
• Publicity photos make news releases more interesting.
• The photos angle, lighting, and objects are important.
• A mat release is a news release but it has a featured angle.
• The featured angle can give tips or information on an object.
• A mat release is usually located in the food or travel section of the paper.
• Advisors let news papers know about events that are in the near future.
• Fact sheets are used to get the basic information.
• Media kits are folders that contain photos, releases, and all information about a company or product.
• E-kits are media kits put on a CD.
• The most costly thing about a media kit is the printing for it, so many journalists now put all their information on a CD.
• Pitch letters are ideas sent to editors on articles to write about.
• Publicity letters can be sent in five ways: mail, fax, e-mail, electronic wire services, and web pressrooms.

A Dutch Tragedy April 30, 2009

What was supposed to be a holiday in the Dutch community turned into a tragedy. During a Dutch parade to celebrate the Queen and her family, a black car drove through the crowd and then crashed into a monument. The driver, who is a 38 year old Dutch, told police that he was trying to hit the bus that the Queen and her royal family were on.  The driver killed 5 people and injured 12 others. He was sent to the hospital with a head injury.

The queen gave a speech, expressing her sympathy to the victims and their families.

I think that it is sad that people dislike others so much that they would drive through a crowd to try to hit them. There are other ways to handle situations. The man who drove through the parade has never been in trouble with the law before and he does not have any metal disabilities.

I think this article is interesting because this report was posted so quickly. I think that it is very impressive how a reporter can get information out so quickly. This article already had quotes from bystanders and what police officers had said. There are videos posted of the actual event taking place. Technology is everywhere, and this proves it. People in the crowd videoed the car on their phone cameras and then sent them into news stations.

It is important to get information out quickly in order to inform the public. Letting people know might lead to more answers that the police have.

PR#2330 April 30, 2009

 

This blog is dedicated to my Intro to Public Relations class and the organization built into it. Barbara Nixon is the perfect teacher for this job because not only did she expose us to every aspect of public relations, but she went into great detail. I can honestly say that I have learned the most in this class than any other class this semester. Now, I might be bias to this class because it is my major, but Professor Nixon has made me realize that this is the field I want to pursue.  This class explained each section thoroughly. Examples used in ever day life were given in order to better understand.  Professor Nixon had an audio every Monday on questions about recent news events. This helped me to remember that public relations is all about keeping up in what is going on with the world. A client wants a professional who is well informed in every area.

Technology is extremely important in the public relations world. Professor Nixon taught her class with every type of technology available in order to give us a taste of them. She taught lectures with power point, slideshare, and youtube videos. She opened our eyes to Twitter and of course WordPress.

Allowing us to see various forms of how public relations is used within technology helped me understand the overall concept. I now know what is needed in order to be successful in this field. This class was the perfect introduction into a career of public relations.

Swine Flu April 30, 2009

As most have you have already heard on the news, there has been an outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico. The flu has now killed 150 people in Mexico and has effected 68 people in the United States. There has been one death from the swine flu in the Untied States. A Mexican toddler died while visiting family in Texas. A private school in New York has had 48 students with the swine flu symptoms.

Symptoms include fever, coughing, swollen throats, and trouble breathing.

I think the government is doing the right thing by taking precautions. This could turn into a serious case throughout our country. Cuba has stopped all flights to and from Mexico, and I think we should do the same. The children at the school in New York got swine flu from vacationing in Mexico. I do not think citizens should be able to go there because there is a risk that they could bring the flu back.

Although, experts have said that the swine flu does not come from eating pork, people are now scared to order it. Pork companies are losing a lot of business. Along with dealing with earth quakes and the swine flu, some countries are no longer ordering food products from Mexico. This country is suffering economically because of the out break of this illness.

Scientists say that they are 1/3 of the way to finding a cure. Once they find the right vaccine, they will have to test it, and this could take months.

Until the swine flu is under control, the economy in different countries will continue to decline. Companies are struggling.

News Releases April 29, 2009

In our Introduction to Public relations class taught by Barbara Nixon we discussed what needs to be in a news release in order for it to be properly formatted.

1.       Letterhead with address

2.       The words “News Release”

3.       The words “For Immediate Release” or “Embargo”

4.       Media contact information

5.       Headline (and subhead)

6.       Dateline

7.       Lead

8.       Quotations

9.       Body

10.    Page slugs

11.    Additional contact information

12.    Boiler plate

13.    End sign

 

News releases are sent out to announce an event or new product. The release can either be posted right away or can have a date

when it needs to be published later on. It is important to have these 13 points within a news release. Having contact information

for the company and the writer is important in case more information is needed. A page slug signals when a news release

continues on to a another page. It can either be seen as either a “-30-” or “xxx” or “###.” This tells the editor that the release is

also on another page. Another point that might be confusing to understand is “boiler plate.” This means that the writing can be

used over again. For example, the company’s history does not change so you can use it again and it does not change in the press

release.

 

News releases are a great way to spread the word out to the public. You can write one months in advnace or send it in when it is time for it to be printed. The news release you write needs to be interesting and catch the editor’s eye so that it will be printed in the paper.

Friends April 29, 2009

I have always been a “people person.” I love socializing and just plain being around people.  I have lived in the same town my entire life, so I never really had to make friends. When I came to college I was worried if I would find a group of people that I could fit in with. Joining Alpha Delta Pi made it easier because there are 125 members. My friends at home are amazing, but now that we have all left and gone to different schools, we have nothing in common. I think that we all hung out because our parents were friends, we all attended the same church and schools. Now that we no longer have these in common, we have nothing to talk about. Sure, we can share stories, but it is not the same because we do not know the people that are involved.

The bonds I have made with people here are strong. I feel like I have known them my entire because we are so close. I have shared some of my darkest secrets with them, without a worry of being judged or looked down upon. I have become especially close with three young women here. These girls have made me laugh when I needed it the most. We can vent to each other and share stories that happened throughout the day. I can now honestly say that I have found my place here at school because I have a solid group of great friends.

My Secret Passion April 29, 2009

My secret passion is home decorating. I love re-arranging rooms. I like to paint and shop around in stores like IKEA that have example rooms for you to see how things would look when they are actually set up. I am always buying magazines on home decor. My favorite TV channel is HGTV, (Home and Garden). I like to watch shows that show viewers how to create their home into the “dream home.”

I am also interested in real estate. I love to hear my aunt talk about her job as a real estate agent. I enjoy watching TV shows on people searching for a new home, and I like to pick up flyers that are outside houses that are for sale. I am really into home decore and i like to see other’s ideas on designing.

I can offically say that I know exactly what I want my house to have and what I do not want it to have. I already know how I want to design certain rooms and what kind of appliances and furniture will be in them.

If you are interested in home design check out some of these shows on HGTV.

1. Desing to Sell
2. House Hunters
3. Design on a Dime
4. My Amazing Renovation

Chapter 11- Reaching a Multicultural and Diverse Audience April 29, 2009

This chapter can be found in “Public Relations Strategies and Tactic,” the ninth edition, written by Dennis L. Wilcox and Glen T. Cameron.

This chapter was my favorite to read because it was the most interesting. Reading about how public relations affects different groups intrigued me.

Beginning on page 279, there is a section based on the different age groups and how public relations is related.

Youth and young adults is the first section. This group includes Generation Y (those born after 1980) and Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1980). Facts such as the average Generation Y spends 23 years online and as much time seeing their friends in person as they do talking to them online.

The next section is about Baby Boomers. These people were born between 1946 and 1964. They are called “baby boomers” because this generation appeared after World War II when all the soliders returned from over seas. This generation cares about the world. They work hard for a cause.

The last section is about Seniors. These people are not easily persuaded. They volunteer often. They are better off than many think because they are good at saving money.

It is important to make sure that whatever you are working on in the public relations field is ethic. You would not want to offend anyone. Some professionals in the public relations field focus on a certain group. Advertising to  a certain race may help you gain the most business.

In today’s society, people watch television and get on the internet multiple times every day. They are constantly seeing advertisements.

Chapter 9- Public Opinion and Persuasion April 29, 2009

This chapter can be found in “Public Relations Strategies and Tactic,” the ninth edition, written by Dennis L. Wilcox and Glen T. Cameron.

• Public opinion is how the audience feels about the speech, product, or company.
• There are different types of leaders.
• One type is “power leaders,” who are those in formal leadership roles.
• Another type is “informal opinion leader.” This type is leader within a group of peers. These leaders are admired and looked up to for this work ability.
• Persuasion has been around since mankind. People persuade others on simple things like what to eat for dinner or what to wear.
• In publie relations, persuasion can be used to solve issues within varying opinions.
• Factors within persuasion are: audience analysis, source credibility, appeal to self-interest, message clarity, timing and context, audience participation, suggestions for action, content and structure of message, and persuasive speaking.

On page 241, there is a list of the ethics of persuasion. Here are the ones I found most useful.

• Do not intentionally use specious, unsupported, or illogical reasoning.
• Do not deceive your audience by concealing your real purpose, your self-interest, the group you present, or your position as an advocate of a viewpoint.
• Do not advocate something in which you do not believe yourself.

I feel like the quote that describes the entire chapter is on page 241. It says, “Persuasive messages require truth, honesty, and candor for two practical reasons.”

What is Public Relations? April 28, 2009

In Barbara Nixon’s Public Relations class #2330 discussed our personal definitions on what “public relations” means.

My definition is: public relations deals with communicating information about an event or company to the public, whether it be through advertising or speeches.

We then watched a video with professionals giving their information. I took notes throughout the video and wrote down the facts on what PR professionals need to be with that I strongly agreed with. Here is the list I came up with.

• PR professionals need to know the next  question the client is going to ask before they ask it. Being well informed with the facts while working with a client, will not only show that you are dedicated, but that you are intelligent.
• Professionals tell stories of past experiences. This shows that they can handle any situation that arises.
• Professionals adapt rapidly. They learn the style of the client so that they can work together to please them.
• Professionals have a backbone. They work to please the client, but also know when to stand up and voice their opinion in order to receive the best results.
• Professionals must be up-to-date with technology. I know I have written about this numerous times, but I find it to be very important.
• Professionals must have passion in what they do. Passion drives people to success.
• Professionals must be creative. They have to be able to come up with ideas that are “out of the box.”
• Professionals must know the client’s company well. Being well informed with the background of a company will help you get to know them, along with their needs.