News has taken on a life of its own on the Internet and it has
become more demanding. Internet users, including members of the media,
can search the Internet for information they need and turn-it-around as
quickly as it takes to type. The rules are different and they are
blurred; advertising isn’t necessarily clearly separated from
editorial, and corrections are not necessarily posted as corrections –
the information is usually quietly up-dated (and sometimes ignored
altogether). And of course, there’s also the issue of photo
manipulation.
Who
The number one priority of surfing journalists: contact
information. If you want to remain friendly with the journalists
covering your beat, you better provide names and phone numbers right on
the media relations home page. In fact, it’s best if you organize this
contact information into categories including areas of expertise and
geography (two great examples of this include the
IBM and
Microsoft
media relations home pages).
"It's amazing why companies keep information such as addresses and
phone numbers a secret," Hollywood's
KNX Newsradio Executive Producer Ed
Pyle told
ClickZ (March 20, 2001). "Unless you're located in Area 51, you
ought to make this information very easy to access.”
Despite the basic necessity and learning of anyone that’s ever
received one hour of media or public relations training, it is still
not uncommon to come across press releases that have NO CONTACT
INFORMATION!!! There is absolutely no excuse for such an omission which
deserves a rap on the knuckles.
And if you do publish the contact information, you better make
sure that person is available to return a journalists phone call
quickly (within an hour or two, or use a substitute).
Stan Sutter, in a poignant
Marketing Magazine
Article entitled
10 Things I Hate About PR” also points out yet
another unforgivable shortcoming of bad PR:
“So many press
releases we see are just badly done. They're often overwritten and take
forever to get to the point. And they're often missing the basic who,
what, where, when, why and how much: information that journalists all
need as the starting point of any story.”
What
Everyone, especially media, want information fast and they want it
to be current. Therefore, be committed to keeping your information
up-to-date and make it easy to find – have descriptive, clear headings
and date information.
Your media room should contain:
-
Contacts, addresses, phone numbers and email (for each contact or
office)
-
News – up-to-date and newsworthy
-
Fact sheets and backgrounders (include number of offices, number
of employees, safety info – if applicable, etc)
-
Press Releases – clearly named and dated, with an archive for
older releases
-
Biographies of executives
-
Press clippings – links to other articles
-
FAQs
-
News features
-
Case studies
-
Speeches and presentations by senior executives – in html, PDF and
original formats (Word or PowerPoint)
-
Executive and product photos – high and low resolution options,
easy to download
-
Product/service information (brochures in downloadable
formats)
-
Brand your site (but don’t recommend downloadable logos because
logos are part of your branding, image and reputation – if you post
downloadable logos you lose control of how and where they are
used)
-
Audio and Video clips – name them clearly and indicate size and
format; Provide sound bites from the CEO
-
Global and local information
-
Calendar of events – with a contact for more information
-
Quick links to affiliations, partners, community, industry
information etc.
Why
Media need a quick reference tool to find the details about your
organization – and let’s face it, you’d rather they find out from you
then someone else. No matter what angle the reporter’s story, if they
can’t find the information they need you will be giving them the
message that you’re not being cooperative or transparent and you will
lose credibility. If you lose credibility, then who knows what angle a
journalist will cover. If you hang your clothing on your line then
there is no need for anyone to look for dirty laundry!
How
It can’t be said enough...
- Make sure your information is current and accurate
- Make sure online information can be found and is accessible – this
includes:
- clear taxonomy (naming conventions)
- structured information architecture
- following through on posting information you said you would
- no broken links
- information available (as appropriate):
- in a variety of formats (html, PDF, Word, PowerPoint and
Excel)
- in a variety of languages
- Make sure your story is news worthy (especially press
releases)
- Write well – be concise and spell check
- Forums and blogs can create dialogue and interaction but make sure
you moderate them
Conclusion
Stan Stutter further advises media relations professionals “you
should know your target and their needs. If it's clear you know what my
media organization is about and what I'm delivering to readers, I'm
much more likely to take you seriously. Don't waste our time with
useless and badly targeted information.”
Therefore, availability of contacts and corporate information is
the most important means for online media rooms to be effective agents
for transparency and credibility. It’s hard to measure a media room’s
success but everyone knows the consequences of not having a strong
media relations presence.
Prescient Digital Media is a
veteran web and intranet consulting firm with 10+ years of rich history.
We provide strategic Internet and intranet
consulting, planning and communications services to many Fortune 500 and
big brand clients, as well as small and medium-sized leaders.