Chapter Blog
Pikes Peak PRSA Chapter members share their thoughts on public relations issues!
“School of Hard Knocks” - Rules for Dealing With Media
18 January 2012
Since many of you deal frequently with members of the Fourth Estate, I thought it might be appropriate to share the seven golden rules of dealing successfully with media I developed during the past 49 years in this business. While these rules may seem obvious to you, many practitioners continue to break them on a daily basis – and pay the price!
Rule #1. If you don’t want to read it in the newspaper, see it on TV, hear on the radio or read on someone’s website – then don’t say it!
Rule #2. No interview is over until the reporter is in his or her car and on the way home. Don’t be fooled by the closing notebook, small talk while waiting for the elevator or the pregnant pause.
Rule #3. “Off the record” rarely is (see Rule #1). All interviews should be on the record and for attribution.
Rule #4. Always tell the truth. This doesn’t means that you’re obligated to tell everything you know on any given subject
Rule #5. PR people and reporters should enjoy an adversarial relationship. This is both healthy and professional.
Rule #6. Never agree to an interview without having a list in mind of the major points you want to make.
Rule #7. Don’t answer questions that require you to speculate. Such questions usually start with the word “if.”
Over the years, I’ve found that the time spent working with the media to be the most challenging and rewarding of my career. But with these challenges comes danger – and I guess that’s what makes media relations so exciting. And this reminds me of the old saying: “Unlike doctors, who bury their mistakes, PR people print (or air) theirs for the world to see.”
Good Luck!
Fred Morgan, APR, Fellow PRSA
Chapter members, please submit your blog entries to Stacey Knott at staceyLknott@gmail.com.
Thoughts on Blogging and Our New Chapter Blog
Dec. 19, 2011
If you check the internet, you’ll find there are literally thousands of blogs on every conceivable topic imaginable. Some are very well written and are entertaining, poignant, profound or inspiring. Other blogs, sadly, are only read by the author’s mother and his or hers stalker.
I’ve found that the most readable blogs are not only well written and personable, but more importantly, have something important to say that leads me to think and/or feel. Those thoughts and feelings may be positive or negative, but the blogger has accomplished a goal. Occasionally, some of the best blogs become viral and spark a dialogue, debate, and sometimes even societal change.
This is not to say that every well written blog will be as important to one reader as it might be to another. For example, I enjoy the occasional blog on parenting and the calamities of motherhood, but since I don’t have children, those are not usually the type of blogs I feel driven to read every day. But hey, that's just me.
Which brings me to my point… I think the members of the Pikes Peak PRSA chapter do have something important to say. I would be interested in reading a blog about our members’ thoughts on the public relations industry, local PR issues, chapter changes and issues, their own PR challenges and victories, and much more. Not only would these blogs be interesting, since they will revolve around public relations, but I think these will also be very informative and educational.
My hope is that our chapter blog will include some great benchmarking, tips, ideas and lessons learned. An added bonus is that we’ll see first-hand the outstanding caliber of PR professionals we have right here in Southern Colorado.
So, I lay down the gauntlet to our members to submit their blog entries for inclusion in our new Pikes Peak PRSA Chapter Blog. Personally, I’d like to see at least one blog a month, but I would be absolutely thrilled to post a new blog every week.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to send this blog to my mother and my stalker.
Happy blogging,
Stacey Knott
Communications Chair
Pikes Peak PRSA Chapter
Chapter members, please submit your public relations related blog entries to Stacey Knott at staceyLknott@gmail.com.