Blogs Killing the Newspaper Star

Over the last few years, sport writers (in particular baseball beat writers) have had to evolve because of the ever changing times of media. No longer can a beat writer just file their stories for the morning’s paper, or simply post it to their media Web site. Now beat writers are required to write blogs. And I don’t believe that they get paid anymore, so they are doing more work for less money.

 

I think it’s important to note that from the beginning, I haven’t liked reading any blogs, even if the author is credible. I don’t like the way they are written and they seem to me to be a little unprofessional, meaning they are too informal. Also, there are so many of them and everyone has an opinion. A lot of blogs out there are just blow-hards trying to get their opinion out there…assuming that someone wants to hear them, such as Curt Schilling and Rosie O’Donnell.

 

San Francisco Giants have three beat writers who travel with the team and are with the team everyday. They are required to write a story almost everyday and sometimes two or three. Even in the first few days of training camp when there is nothing to report, they still write something. I will use Andrew Baggarly for my example. He is a beat writer from the San Jose Mercury News. He not only has to write a story each day, a feature once or twice a week, but he is required to write a blog as well. I feel that most of his blogs topics have already been covered. But media companies want blogs, because blogs are whats hot right now.

 

So are blogs the future of sports journalism? I hope not. A few years ago, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, allowed bloggers to have press credentials for press conferences and games. He didn’t allow for them to be the locker room after the game, simply because of the lack of room.

 

The problem I have with bloggers, who don’t work for a reputable media company, is that they are not journalists and more than likely they didn’t go to journalism school. So what makes them credible? How can we trust what they write? And why should they have access to media credentials? If I could get media credentials to write a blog, then why am I wasting my time and money getting a degree?

 

So what do you all think? Do you like blogging? Do you read very many blogs? Why or why not? Do you feel that paid journalist who work for the media should be required to write a blog, among the other stories they write?

 

I know that blogs are the future; I’m just an old-fashioned guy who likes good-old news reporting and not loosely written blogs. Maybe someone can bring me around to see the light.

Nine Ways to Avoid a Pitch Slap

Pitching is a vital part of Public Relations and includes building relationships and appeal for the benefit of the client.  I came across a post called, 9 Ways to Avoid a Pitch Slap from Valley PR Blog by Dan Wool who handles corporate communications at Arizona Public Service (APS) and it describes two things that are most important in the creation of successful media pitches; consideration and customization.  By being considerate and customizing attention for particular journalists they will become more receptive to pitches, which ultimately builds trust.  Establishing trustworthiness among the PR community and media outlets is important to your client’s success.  Although some PR practitioners might not know a lot about journalists they are pitching to it’s beneficial to consider the publication or station they work for and gauge what works best for them.  Consider who the journalist is as well as what he or she likes and customize your pitch accordingly.

Wool suggests nine ways to make considerate and customized pitches:

1. It’s not about you or your client – it’s about the journalist.
2. Actually read the publication.
3. Never pitch the editor.
4. Read the journalist’s recent material.
5. One pitch per outlet.
6. Their time is short, so make your pitch short.
7. Make it exclusive.
8. Let the product/service speak for itself.
9. No form letters.

I strongly suggest visiting the blog post and reading the in-depth explanations for each idea.  Wool includes good examples on how each step can be customized in a way that garners positive reactions from journalists.  I think it is advantageous to understand how pitching can be made to work for you.  These nine suggestions can contribute to the success of PR practitioners as well as their clients.

Mena Trott: Building a friendlier world through blogs

The best presentations are those that tell a story and relate to an audience on an emotional level.  Often PR practitioners utilize presentations to propose solutions or ideas that will generate positive outcomes.  I found a very interesting presentation on TED.org by Mena Trott called, Mena Trott: Building a friendlier world through blogs.  Trott is the co-founder of Six Apart, which allows individuals, media, companies and other organizations to create blogs and interactive communities.  Her passion for blogging is evident in her speech as she discusses her personal life and the reasons people relate to blogs.  As she tells stories about herself, she visually supports each aspect with relevant photos and graphics.  Often times these tools add humor to her presentation.  As a result, she effectively adds color and meaning to her story.  And Trott is no stranger to the human experience since her personal blog covers happenings in her day-to-day life.  In fact, she learned to promote herself so effectively through everyday storytelling that she became widely popular online, even receiving a blog award.  As PR practitioners, it’s important that we also find ways to appeal to stakeholders and pitch presentations in a manner that relates well to the audience.

During Trott’s presentation she explains the growing influence of blogs in the world.  Her PowerPoint slides display articles, magazines and blog sites to keep the flow of her story moving.  For example, she cites a blog that posted flaws about Kryptonite locks, which resulted in the company taking action to fix these elements for their consumers.  Trott makes the point that blogs can have great influence in today’s society.  She skips being highly technical in her presentation and focuses on stories and examples of blogs changing the way people do business.  Mena Trott is an engaging, funny speaker and this presentation is a prime example of what good presentations should be like.  For PR professionals like us, it’s useful to watch this video for unique insights into blogging as well as Trott’s effective presentation skills.

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Since our class has been focusing on the topic of effective presentations, there is one particular presentation that immediately stood out to me. Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was told by his doctors that his time left to live was limited. Instead of dwelling on the terrible news, he created a now famous presentation, “Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.“

While the presentation topic is not related to PR, it is worth watching and I suggest everyone take the time to do so. Pausch delivered a speech that was so effective, that it gained a large amount of media attention and is still being talked about today, a year after the presentation took place.

During his presentation, Pausch incorporates videos, photos, and props. He engages the audience by telling jokes and laughable childhood stories. He is active on stage, at one point he even does pushups. The slides that he used were simple yet still creative. His presentation is successful in telling a story, a story that also offers really great words of advice.

Pausch was faced with having to deliver an effective lecture during a very trying time in his life. In PR, if we are faced with a having to give a presentation on a topic that is not so audience friendly, or maybe we are representing a client that is going through some troubling times, how can we still create and deliver a presentation that doesn’t dwell on the negative? What are some ideas to make the dynamics of a presentation more engaging and interactive and how can we effectively deliver a positive outlook in our presentation during a crisis situation, just like Randy Pausch was able to do.

Your Search Engine Results are as Important as Your Resume

by Metis PR

I selected a posting from the PRos in Training blog called, “Your Search Engine Results are as Important as Your Resume.” Most public relations professors, like many of the people in this class, focus on honing their skills while gaining experience. But it’s also important to develop a positive professional image and this includes online reputations. As many students and other up-and-coming pr practitioners are being urged to join the social media bandwagon, it’s essential that they understand and utilize the latest online trends such as social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook and Twitter. In a digital age, public relations must, too become digital. And this begins with immersion in cyberspace. Being internet savvy certainly gives people an advantage as they pursue PR positions and advancements. Clients and other stakeholders want people working for them that understand all things digital.

With this in mind, I think this particular blog is interesting because it discusses professionalism amidst the internet. As college students, it’s likely that everyone in this class at one point or another has posted information about themselves such as photos, videos, blogs, bulletins, and the like on a social networking Web site. With background research only a mouse click away, more and more employers are now Googling job candidates’, searching for any discrepancies. In fact, many job hopefuls have been turned down based on embarrassing or racy search results. It’s important that JMC 417 students are mindful of this trend. I have both a Myspace and a Facebook, and I’m always careful to privatize my information and monitor what other people post. Although privacy settings and a sense of responsibility usually keep online content appropriate, I don’t believe many college students are as careful as they should be. As we begin joining the workforce it’s essential that we become aware of our “digital footprint”. In this blog you’ll find some helpful tips on how to protect your online reputation.