I think the two key points to remember from this week's readings are the importance of the relationship between the media and a PR practitioner and the various media tools available to a PR practitioner when dealing with the media.
As I mentioned before in my previous post, relationships is a crucial asset to any PR practitioner. This is even more so when dealing with the media. By getting to know the people who will play a major role in whether your story gets published or not (for example, the news editor and the reporters), it facilitates in getting the story out as you know who to contact. Developing good working relationships with them also allows you to "control" the effects of a negative news story.
Media tools like media releases, media kits and press conferences are also essential when dealing with the media. Tools like these allow PR practitioners to properly disseminate the required information to the media and also in the case of press conferences, providing a public face to the organisation. This is especially important in times of crisis.
The readings made me think more about public relations practice in that media relations is not as easy or simple as one might think. There are many more things to consider when it comes to publicity. Things like news values, timing of the press conferences and even items in a media kit can affect how your organisation is viewed in the media. Even getting to know various journalists on a first-name basis can have an effect on the publicity that your organisation gets in the media. PR goes beyond just putting out a story for the media; one also has to have good organisational and planning skills. Keeping an eye out on current news events and other possible news stories that might overshadow the news that your company is putting out is also essential. A PR practitioner needs to have a good understanding of how the media works in order to organise the most effective PR campaign. It's not just the theory that a PR practitioner needs to know but the technical and practical aspects as well.
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2 comments:
Media tools are indeed very crucial to a PR practitioner. There may be a spectrum of media tools waiting to be utilized but it is not easy to pick one which is the "best" for the project.
I think more often than not, the discrepancy to know which media tools are effective to use depends on the experience of the PR person.
Many a time, more experienced PR personnels have a "better eye" for such things :)
I think this is a job where experience really can count for a lot. So for newbies, it would be good to have someone mentoring them along the way...
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