These questions — and more — were addressed by a panel of journalists and bloggers at a recent webinar, “Responding to Media Queries: How to Stand out from the Crowd,” hosted by ProfNet on Nov. 11 and moderated by Ted Skinner, vice president of public relations products, PR Newswire.

Panelists:

• Dale Buss, a contributor to various publications, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, BusinessWeek, Forbes.com, Edmunds.com, Advertising Age, Chief Executive Magazine, Industry Today, Newsmax
• Stephane Fitch, Chicago bureau chief, Forbes
• Samantha Rose Hunt, technology editor for TG Daily and founder of the SocialLite.org blog network

To listen to an archive of the webinar, go to http://budurl.com/pnwebinar

Following are highlights:

Dale Buss

Buss has been using ProfNet for about as long as it’s been around, and calls ProfNet “the single most effective reporting tool available.”

Buss said there seem to be fewer and fewer people who really understand the news business. Those who do, tend to be the ones he relies on most. He stressed the importance of responding to queries quickly, and said timeliness can often be a determining factor in which experts he chooses.

Among Buss’ pet peeves:

• PR people who ask him what he’s working on (unless he reaches out to them). His needs change every day.
• PR people who write, “Here’s who I represent,” and expect him to figure out how they’ll be useful to him. It’s up to the PR people to keep track of his needs.
• People who reply to a request and promise interviews with clients, especially CEOs, before they know whether they can actually deliver on the promise. Find out availability before replying.
• People who respond to queries with clients who only vaguely, if at all, match the expertise he requested. Only reply if you really match the expertise he’s asking for. Don’t offer “Y” if he’s asking for “X.”
• People who offer e-mail-only interviews. He hates them and tries to avoid them at all costs. Actual interviews result in much better stories.

Stephane Fitch

“The best way to work with me,” said Fitch, “is probably to use ProfNet. I’ve been using it on just about every story for 11 years.”

More and more companies are issuing much of their news on their sites, but Fitch said he wished more would also use one of the big newswires, which he trusts and which are reliable for asking for information the media need.

Some of Fitch’s dos and don’ts:

• Don’t reply to query with, “What’s the story all about?” He doesn’t know before he writes it.
• Don’t offer an e-mail-only interview. Fitch prefers to talk to the expert via phone or in person.
• Don’t send a “form letter” offering a story. Custom-pitch him, explaining why you think the story is right for him and Forbes. Fitch said he throws away about 95 percent of the pitches he gets, because they’re obviously not targeted specifically to him.
• Don’t worry about “sound bites,” which can be useless. Just tell your story; he’ll find the sound bites.

• Do know the company you’re pitching. Some PR people don’t know enough about the companies they rep, he said. Know the details.
• Do contact him to set up a coffee/lunch meeting. If you or your CEO is passing through Chicago, let him know. He values connecting with people/companies, and has never turned down an in-person meeting with a PR person who wants to find out more about what Forbes does.

Samantha Rose Hunt

Bloggers are a huge market — if you’re targeting correctly.

“Pitching to bloggers is different from pitching to journalists,” said Hunt. “Bloggers need to be pitched on a personal level. They’re the reality-TV version of the Internet.”

According to Hunt, bloggers live their lives on a more personal level than journalists. Pitches can’t be generic; they must be personalized. She recommends consulting with a company that deals closely with blogs/bloggers.

Bloggers prefer to interact with people they know, so it’s important to make a personal connection. Hunt suggests commenting on the blog and introducing yourself.

When pitching, be brief and to the point. Let the blogger know how it’ll benefit their audience, what they’ll get out of it.

Be persistent, but avoid overkill. Most bloggers have an editorial calendar. If they’re interested, they’ll let you know.

Lastly, don’t share confidential info. “If you say it, they will write it,” said Hunt. Only share what you don’t mind being blogged.

DEMO brings the most comprehensive portfolio of credible emerging technologies to light, including early stage, market-ready products vetted exclusively by Matt Marshall, an influential authority on startup and emerging trends. Marshall emerged from within the VC community to launch VentureBeat, lauded by the New York Times as being one of the “best blogs on the Web.”

Since its inception, DEMO has built an unmatched track record of selecting, coaching, promoting and making successful some of the most game-changing products the world has ever seen.

Apply at to launch as a demonstrator or pitch your business idea, plan or prototype as an AlphaPitch entrant at www.demo.com. The application deadline is Jan. 18, 2010.

Peer2Peer sessions are limited to 25 attendees who share a common interest and want to discuss or learn more about a particular security issue. The sessions are interactive and moderated by someone who knows the subject at hand and also can keep the conversation flowing. No PowerPoints are allowed. A Peer2Peer session facilitator is an expert in a security topic area and has the ability to moderate contributions from an entire group.

The submission deadline is Friday, Nov. 6. More information and the submission form can be found at http://www.rsaconference.com/2010/usa/agenda-and-sessions/peer2peer.htm. E-mail questions to speakers@rsaconference.com.

ProfNet, along with all of PR Newswire’s services for journalists, is always free for reporters.

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What are Expert & Topic Alerts?

Expert Alerts are sort of a “reverse query” — instead of a reporter asking for an expert, a PR person will compile a few sentences “alerting” reporters to an expert who is available to discuss a timely topic. Example:

LAW: New Patent Rules Equal New Strategies for Lawyers, Companies.
Jim Murphy, intellectual property attorney with Thompson & Knight: “New rules designed to make the government’s patent examination process more efficient likely will force significant change in the way some companies and attorneys manage the process. The rules essentially place limits on the number of continuations that can be filed and on the number of claims that can be made for each application without penalty. It will make it much more expensive and more difficult to justify stringing cases along as a protective or competitive strategy, requiring firms to make a more precise initial set of claims.” Murphy cautions that it may take at least a year to assess the full impact of the new rules, which go into effect Nov. 1. Contact: …

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Alerts are distributed to reporters by e-mail, posted on PR Newswire for Journalists, and sent to more than 5,000 news organizations via PR Newswire’s US1 newswire.

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* Subject to change, depending on volume and breaking news.

If you add up the circulation or audience reach of the top 10 traditional media outlets, it wouldn’t come close to meeting the 175 million current Facebook subscribers — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the explosion in social media outlets.

That was the consensus of a Publicity Club of Chicago luncheon panel featuring specialists who offered sound recommendations for tapping into the power of social media. The panel included: Chicago Tribune Reporter Wailin Wong; Manning Selvage & Lee’s Jud Branam; Zeno Group’s Dan Skinner; and Business Wire’s Raschanda Hall, who moderated the discussion.

Following are highlights of the discussion:

Raschanda Hall
raschanda.hall@businesswire.com

According to Hall, Facebook is among the 30 fastest growing sites and has 175 million subscribers, with 18 million updates being posted on that site daily. More than 70 percent of its participants are outside the U.S.

LinkedIn, which was created so business people could network, has over 36 million members in more than 200 countries, while Twitter, which is gaining 10,000 new accounts daily, is fast becoming a force to reckon with and already boasts nearly 6 million users — 70 percent of whom joined in 2008.

However, according to Hubspot, since Twitter is a relative newcomer, the average Twitter profile has 70 followers, while more than 30 percent of all Twitter profiles have less than 10 followers. If you are trying to grow your following, you should find comfort in knowing that less than five percent of all of their accounts have more than 250 followers.

Hall suggests that those who use social media “do best cross-promoting with Twitter, blogs and Facebook.” However, she also warned that if you represent a company or a brand, make sure you “own” the name in these spaces. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to pay for it in the future, when you are in the position of buying it from someone else at a hefty price.

Wailin Wong
wawong@tribune.com

Wong talked her way into her current job at the Chicago Tribune by drawing on her youth, which she leveraged to convince editors that she could target younger readers — a key demographic for any newspaper. She writes about consumer technology, including a weekly social media column called Digital Life, discussing how social media changes life.

While the Tribune is a traditional newspaper, this is not to say they don’t tap into the social media to cover news. Essentially, there are four ways in which Tribune reporters rely on social media:

1) Reporters monitor breaking news in real time, occasionally using “citizen reporters” who submit stories electronically though cellular phones, BlackBerrys, computers and the ever-present Twitter (a “tweet” from a user was the first report of the US Air crash into the Hudson). In fact, Facebook was instrumental in helping reporters contact friends and families of those at Northern Illinois University in the aftermath of the 2008 campus shooting. “It is important to be on top of that kind of trend and find people on the scene,” said Wong. She indicated that the Tribune can monitor traffic tie-ups through contact with Chicago drivers who can report road conditions in real time.

2) Social media is a key way reporters can stay current on cultural trends, monitoring influential bloggers who are shaping the conversations.

3) Reporters can build relationships with bloggers and sites that give them access to experts in a variety of fields.

4) Social media is a potent way for newspapers to expand their influence and compete with other forms of media that are drawing away readers and revenue. Wong is optimistic that social media will ultimately drive more readers to the Tribune site.

“Twitter is a community where you need to listen, stick around and have patience,” said Wong. “You sometimes wonder if anyone is reading what you are saying. If you start to ‘tweet,’ begin with your interests and listen, then engage in a conversation about what you follow. As you do that, word of mouth about you grows. Don’t be afraid to break the rules to get yourself started.”

“We recently did a feature about not-for-profits using social networks for fundraising,” continued Wong. “So many pitches come in daily that we sort them by niches. It is sometimes hard to sort through the hype. We need to be selective, looking at trends and what is happening, but it’s a real struggle. We are encouraged to be digitally minded.”

Wong jokes that Twitter is nice, “but my stories need to be more than 140 characters long.” To write longer stories, she spends most of her day on the phone, although Twitter helps her know what is happening and identify those trends without blowing her deadlines.

While social media is an important tool, Wong urges those using social media to establish clear boundaries on what they will post, separating the personal from business. For Facebook, she obsessively edits her account so she is not divulging personal information. “I would rather find sources than have them find me. I need to be tough and determine how to get people to read our content without giving it away for free,” she added.

Jud Branam
jud.branam@mslworldwide.com

With 10 offices in North America, MS&L helps blue-chip clients understand emerging media and counsels them on effectively participating online in the marketplace. Branam came to MS&L after 10 years as a newspaper reporter. He is driven by the challenge of matching new technology with pressing client needs to deliver real-world results.

“You need to know whose conversation it is,” said Branam. “After five years of blogging at MS&L, we developed an influential multi-site marketing model. GM used this to segment their audience into trusted sources. We have a multiblogger tool that allows us to innovate and navigate in a constantly changing landscape.”

Branam added that it is very important to look at three ways of engineering social media platforms:

· Know what the conversation is. Listen and have a way to hear it.
· Take part in the conversation. Do outreach.
· Start your own platform and have a way to communicate in that space.

Then “evaluate your audience, your platform, what people you want to reach and what you want to make them do,” Branam said. “This is a technique, an approach that will work.”

He added, “There is a constant evolution and the need to navigate for clients, new platforms, new audiences and how to get into those spaces. We need to reach and follow influencers with an audience, keeping it REAL:

· Reach out.
· Engage with people, determining what you can contribute. Who are the thought leaders? What knowledge do they have?
· Amplify by adding links.
· Listen and loop it back.”

“Don’t get into a deadline crunch,” he added. “Evaluate your strategy and make sure it is the right approach. You often need to pull back before you can go forward.”

According to Branam, the metrics used to measure results depend on the platform. “This is the new version of impressions. This includes video view, comments, friends and click-throughs, all based on expectations.”

As changing jobs is becoming the norm when working in the world of PR, Branam suggested that LinkedIn helps keep people in touch. He encouraged people to become part of different groups on LinkedIn and be part of a lot of conversations.

As for reaching and pitching bloggers, “soft sound the appropriate bloggers before sending out pitches. Send a note saying something like, ‘I know you cover X. If you want to monitor (something specific in the industry), we can set you up.’” Some of the people who consult on Twitter and blogging are Steve Rubell, Chris Abraham ad Steve Witkowsi.

Branam noted that a lot of online coverage involves philanthropic causes, because groups can draw on targeted e-mail lists and present stories with strong personal appeals. He admits that social media in business-to-business (B2B) clients is a tougher sell and takes more effort to get media buy-in. He suggests using intranets and extranets in the B2B space, rather than private Facebook accounts.

Dan Skinner
dan.skinner@zinogroup.com

As senior account supervisor, social media expert and editorial consultant for the Zeno Group, Skinner has worked with a number of high-profile brands to build awareness for and drive sales of new products and services. His current clients include Pizza Hut, SKIL Power Tools, and Porter Airlines.

Despite the fact there are new media tools available, Skinner warns PR professionals not to “get caught up in all the bells and whistles. Look at the tactics that are best for the clients,” he said. As an example, Pizza Hut connected with its core audience using YouTube to search for a “vice president of Pizza.” Recently, they updated their Facebook page and now have 900,000 fans who can order pizza through Facebook. Out of these fans, 99 percent will probably advocate for the brand.

Other tactics Zeno used were a sweepstakes that involved the launch of a new lasagna; by becoming a “friend” of Pizza Hut, a site visitor could win a trip to Italy. They also went after “Mommy bloggers,” appealing to their desire to have home-cooked meals in 30 minutes, offering free samples and giveaways, and providing places to advocate for Pizza Hut. Their strong blogging placements have received positive feedback from readers who reviewed the product.

“This has changed the way we interact with journalists,” said Skinner. “It offers more opportunities to get coverage through their blogs. Stories are now finding homes that wouldn’t have before.”

The company also helps clients develop their own blogs. “It’s a great way to keep up with what’s going on,” Skinner said. “I use RSS feeds to keep up with content that is meaningful to me and to my clients. Following stories yields more opportunities for writers.”

To clients, he recommends that using social media should be only a part of an integrated campaign, and that they set realistic guidelines. For example, he is in favor of buying ads on Facebook to boost reach because these ads are highly targeted to your audience.

Sites like Facebook are particularly valuable for monitoring perceptions about your company or brand. Often a negative online review or consumer complaints are the result of miscommunication that can be addressed by opening a dialogue. By being able to quickly address problems, negative perceptions can be addressed before they gain momentum.

Measurement tools are still up for debate and interpretation. He suggested that if one has 15 hours of conversation online with bloggers and that garners 300 positive comments, it is a good media placement.

As with traditional media relations contact with journalists, interacting with blogs requires clear, concise messaging with relevant information to share. To locate blogging site and ratings for effectiveness, consult Technorati (www.technorati.com).

Finally, Skinner advises, “Don’t put up on your site anything you don’t want your mom to see.”

Getting Started:

To get a toe-hold in social media, the group advised:

· Stay engaged in the community
· Start a Twitter profile or join a LinkedIn group (such as PCC’s)
· Listen to the conversations and read what is being said online
· Follow people you think are interesting
· Interact and reply to messages where you can contribute to the conversation
· Be patient. It takes time to build a personal network
· Be proactive and promote yourself
· Try to energize and activate various audience groups

Media specializing in the Hispanic space still prefer to receive news and story ideas in Spanish — and soon, with ProfNet en Español, you will be able to do just that.

With more than 5,000 Spanish-language journalists, producers, bloggers, reporters and more on our ProfNet en Español press list*, you will be able to reach them in-culture and, more importantly, in-language.

A few stats on the Hispanic market in the U.S.:

• According to the Pew Hispanic Center, by 2020, one out of every six people living in the U.S. will be of Hispanic descent.
• U.S. Hispanics will represent $1 trillion in purchasing power by 2010**.
• Spanish-language Univision beat ABC for average viewers, 3.76 million to 3.21 million***.
• According to eMarketer, there are now 24.6 million U.S. Hispanics on the Internet, and by 2012, the number of U.S. Hispanics online will reach 29.4 million.
• The Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University estimated that the Democratic presidential candidates spent at least $4 million on Spanish-language television advertising this term.

Stay tuned for more information and for details on how you can develop or expand your relationships with U.S. Hispanic media.

In the meantime, if you currently have Spanish-speaking experts listed in ProfNet’s Experts Database, we recommend updating their profile to contain the words “Spanish” or “Español,” so their profiles are searchable by reporters looking for Spanish-speaking sources.

Also, we are now accepting Expert Alerts in Spanish. For more information on how to submit Expert Alerts, click here.

Questions? E-mail us at productsupport@prnewswire.com

* Powered by Hispanic PR Wire
** USA Today, January 2006
*** Nielsen ratings for Monday, July 21, 2008

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SPEAKER SERVICE: Retail Brand Representative
I am looking for a retail brand representative to speak on a panel at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition. The session will outline methods for winning customers back and increasing their lifetime value. It will include how to reach dormant customers through demographic and behavioral targeting and how user-specific content and message timing can prompt customers to open and buy. The speaker must be a retail brand representative and have experiences, successes and/or lessons learned to share. You will receive a full conference pass if accepted. The conference is June 15-18 in Boston. Contact…

SPEAKER SERVICE: Job Losses in Journalism
We are looking for speakers to address the topic of journalism layoffs. We are looking for: 1) a job placement expert to discuss career opportunities for laid-off journalists, both in and out of journalism; 2) a labor attorney to discuss employees’ rights during a layoff; 3) a CPA to discuss financial planning for laid-off journalists and those who fear losing their jobs. Speakers must be from the NYC area. The panel will be held in Manhattan on a weeknight this month. The program date will be determined by speakers’ availability. Contact…

SPEAKER SERVICE: Speaker for Camp Conference
We are looking for an expert to participate on a speaking panel for a conference of camp directors and staff. The speaking opportunity would be pro bono but the exposure to camp industry leaders would be great (over 100-200 camp directors and staff are expected). The speaker should be able to address how lessons learned from their industry apply to camps and/or teen programs. We are looking for a speaker from an industry that has similarities to the camp industry but is also quite different. For example, the speaker might be (but is not limited to): a military expert speaking on recruitment techniques, a toy-industry or youth expert who can speak about kids trends they predict for the future, a retirement home manager who creates facilities to allow their residents to feel at home, or a juvenile detention expert who creates constant programming for large youth groups. We are open to other creative responses that fit the criteria above. Please send your expert’s bio and some information about how you think the expert could apply their expertise to the camp industry. Contact…

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Branding integrates public affairs, media relations, reputation management and marketing, so “you can do nothing better than create a great brand that shows value and creates and emotional resonance with its customers,” according to branding expert Jack Trytten, who addressed the January meeting of the Publicity Club of Chicago. Trytten was joined by Kristine Pasto, director of marketing and brand steward for Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), who accepted PCC’s first-ever Brand Builder Award.

Following are highlights of the meeting.

Jack Trytten

Trytten, author of “The Failure of Marketing,” specializes in marketing strategy and brand development. He gained his insights via his undergraduate and graduate work with psychology, cognitive neuroscientists, psychologists and psychiatrists, as well as through his agency work at BBDS and McCann Erickson and as president of Insight Direction, his consulting company. It’s here that he has developed successful products for companies like Amoco, Schlage Lock, Ingersoll Rand, Wells Lamont and Kraft.

A devotee of Peter Drucker, widely considered to be the father of “modern management,” Trytten advocated that marketers, especially PR people, must rethink the approach to market success. “You should be concentrating on gaining new customers, not on sales,” he said. “When you gain customers, you generate sales. You need to understand your customers and make sure that what you have offers a maximum value to them, then create your product that way, creating value.”

“Many marketing professionals are bottom-line oriented and don’t want to get into the psychology behind marketing,” he continued. “That psychology is an integral part of the marketing process. Understanding the psychology behind the marketing of a product or service can mean life or death for an organization.”

Trytten noted that brands live in the minds of consumers, who may forget them if not reminded, or if they are damaged. “Cutting resources can impact the brand; once the brand promise is diminished, it is nearly impossible to patch it over,” he said.

He illustrated his point by talking about AdAge Columnist Bob Garfield, who was disgruntled with Comcast and wrote a series of columns suggesting “Comcast must die.” One of his complaints was that since cable service is tied to the Internet, television service and phone, if cable goes down, there is no access to the home phone to call and complain. “The Internet has changed the dynamics of the world. Customers talk to each other, which can quickly spread negative news,” Trytten explained, adding that Garfield’s anti-Comcast campaign evolved into www.comcastmustdie.com, which morphed into four additional like sites. A feeding frenzy evolved that still has not been quelled.

Another example is Dell computer, which had the lion’s share of the computer market during the 1990s, earning its place through exceptional customer service. In fact, Dell sales matched IBM’s. When founder Michael Dell left the company, the new administration cut customer service and converted it into a profit center, pushing tech support to the Web and charging a fee in order to obtain support.

When Michael Dell returned in 2003, he noted an abundance of complaints about his company on the Web. Turning to his PR and marketing people, he directed them to monitor these chat rooms and find out how this happened. A month later, he reconvened the group to discuss the customer complaints. He asked his team not to dismiss these sites, but, instead, redirect these complaints to Dell’s own Web site. The message was that Dell is listening and should be considered the solution to solving customer complaints. This tactic helped to turn the company around, even though Dell never regained its 1999 level of success. This proved that “a brand lie takes a lot to get back.” Trytten said. “You need to know the brand promise. If you cut that brand promise, you cut yourselves.”

Trytten urges that all brand promises must resonate well into the future; sustainability is key.

Kristine Pasto

IIT received PCC’s first Brand Builder Award for the way the university skillfully integrated PR into a major brand repositioning. Accepting the award was Pasto, who has been at IIT since October 2006 and played a key role in the research, ideation, planning and execution of the IIT brand launch in April 2007. The goal of the campaign, which was created after eight months of intensive research, was to bolster the levels of institutional awareness in the Chicago area and continue to create a unique brand identity that serves as a focal point from which to deliver IIT’s new brand promise.

Research started by engaging more than 20 alumni, students, faculty, parents, prospective students, staff and trustees. The process continued to spread through the university via street banners, benches, bus panels, billboards along expressways and train platforms, and a radio campaign called “Spelling Bee,” featured on Chicago’s major radio stations. All the stories must reinforce the message in order to offer sustainability.

Capitalizing on the schools acronym, IIT, the campaign positioned the university with four pillars:

· The curiosIITy of an academic experience grounded in engineering, science and technology;
· The tenacIITy of exceptional students with an intense work ethic;
· The ingenuIITy of innovation of entrepreneurship; and
· The total experience of Chicago cIITy life.

These words define the brand promise, resonate with the target audience, eliminate name confusion in the marketplace and are words that only IIT can own, explained Pasto.

To quote Kristin Zhivago, editor of the Marketing Technology newsletter editor, “The simple truth about branding [is] a brand is not an icon, a slogan or a mission statement. It is a promise your organization can keep.”

As a follow-up, we asked some of those members to also share a few of their best practices for using ProfNet to connect with reporters.

Our tip: Always include “ProfNet” in the subject line of your response, so reporters know your e-mail is in direct response to their query rather than unsolicited e-mail or spam.

If you’d like to share your tips or success stories, e-mail me your info and I’ll include it in our next follow-up piece.

Thanks!

– Maria Perez

Julie Lenzer Kirk
President & CEO, Path Forward International
www.PathForwardIntl.com

1. Be memorable. Reporters often get inundated with responses. Figure out how yours can stand out both in the subject line and the body of the e-mail.

2. Be brief. Unless the query asks for specific information, provide a preview of the type of information you can provide, rather than a novel. Less is often more.

Melanie Rembrandt
CEO, Rembrandt Communications, LLC
www.rembrandtwrites.com

When responding to ProfNet queries, be succinct and only provide relevant data. Give the media member the information requested and avoid sending attachments. Instead, provide a link to more information, and make it easy for the reporter to find your contact information and get in touch with you.

Cristal Perriello
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
College of the Holy Cross
www.holycross.edu

1. I include fun facts or a top three list, then I ask the reporter to contact me to find out the rest of the list or more information. For example, I told the History Channel about a possible experiment they could use on the show. They loved the idea and contacted me. Give the reporter enough to be interested, but not too much. Sell, don’t tell!

2. Always follow up! If I don’t hear from a reporter, I always check back in right before their deadline. Worst-case scenario — they don’t respond; best-case scenario — you make a new contact.

Julie Baron
Communication Works

1. Read postings carefully and follow directions (e.g., if the poster requests use of a specific subject, use it).

2. Keep it short and to the point.

3. Include specific examples that support your comments.

4. Offer up interviews, photos, product samples, etc., when available and appropriate.

Loren M. Gelberg-Goff, LCSW
Well from Within
www.wellfromwithin.com

1. I copy and paste the query into my response (especially if I’m not responding from my ProfNet mailbox). This way, the reporter knows exactly which query I am responding to, since they may have many out there, and of a similar nature.

2. I always put exactly what the heading is in my subject line — whatever the title of the query is, is what appears in that line.

3. I usually come up with a list that is responsive to the query. This keeps my answers clear, focused and direct.

Eric Papp
Generation Y Results-Based Consulting, LLC
Developing and Retaining Gen Y employees/customers
www.ericpapp.com

1. When you respond, get right to the point. Reporters like numbers or bullet points

2. Read the query at least two times before answering. Discover what the reporter really wants.

3. It’s about their story, not yours. You will succeed when you operate from a mindset of how you can help the reporter. If you do this, you will get what you want.

Liz Goodgold
Branding Expert, Speaker and Author
www.duhmarketing.com
www.redfirebranding.com

My secrets to success:

Give reporters a tasty soundbite — you don’t have to serve up the entire meal, but just enough to whet their appetites.

Do *not* send them elsewhere — merely firing off an e-mail that states you have had success with the requested topic, but only providing information such as “please see my Web site” will certainly end up in the “delete” file.

Explain your expertise. Reporters receive many off-target responses. Let them know quickly and easily why and how you are the expert in this subject matter. Example: “As a branding speaker with over 20 years of experience, I know firsthand the changes occurring in the speaking business as a result of this economy.”

Adrienne Mazzone
VP Arts & Entertainment
The TransMedia Group

Responding to queries could be challenging. I like to keep it short, to the point and always include a “why” my client would be the perfect candidate for the interview. So every pitch has the “why.”

I always include, unless specified otherwise, my client’s name and catchy wording in the subject.

Jillian Lubarsky
Media Relations
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)

1. Short and to the point: If a reporter is looking for an expert on a certain topic, simply offer the name and credentials of the person you have in mind. It doesn’t hurt to attach the expert’s resume, if available (unless the reporter explicitly states “no attachments”).

2. Make it easy for the reporter to contact you. I always write out my e-mail address and phone number in the last sentence of my e-mail.

3. One time, I was working with a reporter on a story about diabetes research and I began to realize she would be better off contacting another organization, and even helped her get in touch with the correct person. This shows integrity and demonstrates that I take my job — and a reporter’s job — seriously. Although we didn’t get placed in a story, I now have a reporter who trusts me as a reliable source for information.

4. Tell the reporter why his/her readers will benefit from the information you can provide. Make sure you stay relevant and on topic.

Jillian also shared the following media hits that resulted from ProfNet queries:

ProfNet queries played an essential role in helping the JDRF media relations team promote the mission and accomplishments of our organization in 2008:

1. JDRF placed Miss Black USA 2007 on a call-in radio show in New Orleans (http://kids.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=110952)

2. Paul Strumph, senior VP of research at JDRF, was quoted extensively in a special report on Diabetes 9-5 — diabetes in the workplace on WebMD (http://diabetes.webmd.com/features/tips-to-help-you-manage-your-diabetes-at-work)

3. Lisa Iannucci’s blog, CelebrityDoGooders.com, profiled Elliott Yamin for JDRF. Yamin has type 1 diabetes and supports the work of JDRF.

4. Greenwise, Publix Group ran a story on why it’s important to know your family medical history and how one can go about creating a medical family tree; this piece featured a family actively involved with JDRF.

5. Non-Profit Times ran an article on their front page about the role of social networking Web sites and fundraising. JDRF’s social networking site, www.juvenation.org, was included and featured: http://www.nptimes.com/08Nov/npt-081101-1.html

6. Singer twins selected as spokes-teens for “Heart of Gold” Web site (https://www.heartofgoldgirls.com/entre_singers.cfm)

7. The Macomb Daily (Michigan-based newspaper) posted a query on ProfNet seeking “Non-profit organizations that sell holiday cards with proceeds benefiting their mission.” I responded to this query and suggested More than Cards, a company that designs greeting cards and holiday cards for nonprofit organizations. More than Cards was founded by a couple in Colorado after their daughter was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. When this company first began, it started off as a way to help JDRF raise money for diabetes research; now it has matured into a wonderful company and has branched out to include other worthy causes. The Macomb Daily was impressed with More than Cards and featured a JDRF-themed holiday card in their roundup of greeting cards to purchase for the upcoming holiday season. Because of ProfNet, Macomb Daily readers were introduced to a company where they can not only buy their holiday cards, but also help charitable organizations.

Whether it is hospital and healthcare systems mergers and acquisitions, medical advances or the impact of the economy on healthcare delivery, health topics remain in the forefront of the news.

To help provide an idea of where PR can contribute to healthcare coverage, the Publicity Club of Chicago meeting on Dec. 3 featured five representatives from consumer and trade medical/health publications to help PR professionals better understand what they are covering and how to approach them.

Following are highlights of the discussion:

Emily Berry
Staff writer, American Medical News
Emily.Berry@ama-assn.org

Berry covers health plans for the business section of American Medical News, the AMA’s weekly newspaper for physicians, most of whom are in family practice. AMA News is trend-driven, so Berry urged everyone to research the publication to determine the trends.

Berry came to Chicago in 2007, from the Times Free Press of Chattanooga, Tenn., where she covered health care for two years. She has an unusual double-major in English and neuroscience from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, which actually gave her a solid foundation for her current editorial responsibilities.

Berry predicted that 2009 will be a big year for healthcare policy changes, which will greatly shape her coverage.

“There is a groundswell that indicates that something needs to be done in healthcare and policy,” said Berry. “This is a story we see as a must-cover. Physicians and hospitals have parallel concerns, with the economy overshadowing everything. For physicians, it’s about the survival of their practices. Is there a permanent fix to the Medicare payment formula? There is also a question of the role health plans will play under Obama. Will there be new a Medicare plan or private pay policies? For the short-term, are physicians insured enough to stay in practice?” These are among the issues pressing the minds of those at American Medical News.

Companies are selling new technology solutions for physicians; however, this is happening at a time when doctors are wondering if they are going to survive. As a result, they are not about to make large investments. “A magic answer doesn’t exist,” said Berry. “Physicians are being pragmatic.”

Berry is most interested in a story if she has “not seen a lot written about it or isn’t something I’ve gotten to dig into yet.”

She added that if the pitch is disease-specific, she “needs something to hang it on — a new angle.” When talking about healthcare reform, it helps to have specific stories and people with insight into the issue available. She is looking to personalize the story, but notes that she often files these stories away as a resource if she cannot use them immediately. She wants to cultivate and identify experts, rather than receive pitches.

“I love it if I can call you on a Friday at 4:30 p.m. and not get an eye roll,” said Berry. “I expect an earnest effort, not an attitude. Do your best to be helpful, but don’t over-promise. Just let me know if you know someone for a quick quote.”

Berry understands that PR people cannot know all the deadlines of every publication, but she loves it when someone calls and asks, “Is it okay to talk now?” She added, “I don’t want to be rude, but there are good and bad times to call. All I ask if that you understand our deadlines.”

“Some PR people will conduct interviews with new physicians at their organization to determine whether or not they are media-ready,” she added. “This helps us avoid some people who should never speak to the media because they are grumpy or don’t like to be reached on their cell, for example. That is good to know in advance.”

The publication prefers to do its own graphics. Occasionally, because it will receive statistics or numbers that are not attributed, red flags are raised. Berry urges PR people to be sure to cite sources of the information they provide and make sure the source is credible.

Matthew Weinstock
Senior editor, Hospitals and Health Networks
mweinstock@healthforum.com

Hospitals & Health Networks, a 76,000-circulation monthly business magazine, is published by Health Forum, a for-profit subsidiary of the American Hospital Association, and is targeted to the “C-suite” audience. As senior editor, Weinstock is responsible for conceiving, assigning and editing features and news briefs, although he still manages to write a story from time to time, as well. With nearly 20 years of experience as a reporter and editor in the business-to-business press, he joined Hospitals & Health Networks as senior editor in 2003. Prior to that, he spent 12 years as a reporter in Washington, D.C., covering Congress and a number of federal agencies for business publications, most recently Government Executive.

Since Hospitals & Health Networks is a national publication, Weinstock finds it difficult to get to meet and know a lot of people; however, he is not adverse to meeting people who are local or visiting the area — or meeting them over the phone, just to connect. Like most editors, he values reliable sources.

Weinstock monitors the entire healthcare field; as senior editor, he does not have a specific “beat.” His interests at Hospitals & Health Networks encompasses everything about how to run hospitals, including patient safety and quality of care, as well as healthcare reform and the economic implications of the federal budget.

“Some of the stories that interest me are that Medicare is running out of money three years earlier than anyone predicted access to capital by hospitals, and the uninsured,” he said.

Hospitals & Health Networks is a monthly publication with a long lead-time. “We work at least two months ahead, so January’s issue is in production and we are working on February stories now,” said Weinstock. “These are due in by Jan. 1. We can do things on the fly, but we are not a breaking-news organization.”

Six times a year, they run specific features, such as topics on clinical management, a service line or the latest industry findings. In the back of the book are shorter pieces, such as a piece on a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) health report, with a link back to the report. Be sure not only to check the editorial calendar, but also “know the publication and its audience. This audience includes CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, CIOs and other executives.”

Weinstock added, “We do not cover products or do reviews or company profiles. Look at the magazine’s Web site before pitching a story.”

He also encouraged the audience to make sure their Web sites are updated and clearly include the PR person’s name and contact number(s). “This information should be easily available. If I have to do more than two or three clicks to find them, I’ll stop looking.”

Although he prefers to interview executives so the discussion is virtually peer-to- peer, he explained, “a senior vice president or above should be the one telling the story. If you tell us a story and it’s something we are working on, but you only have a manager who is tuned into this and that person is a better source, we are willing to talk to them. We won’t just talk to someone with a title,” especially if someone else is more knowledgeable.

Weinstock especially likes calls where someone tells him, “This story just broke. Here is an expert and what he can talk about.”

“I love stories that no one has done,” he said, adding, “If you can supply graphics and data, that’s even better. We love that stuff!”

As for the future look of the magazine, “We are evolving,” said Weinstock. “Check back for more updates in six months.”

Jean DerGurahian
Reporter, Modern Healthcare
jdergurahian@crain.com

Having joined Modern Healthcare in 2007, DerGurahian reports on quality of care and patient safety, which she calls “the heart of health care,” as well as covering regional healthcare business news in the Southeast. Before joining Modern Healthcare, she was a business reporter for the Albany, N.Y., Times Union and served as technology reporter at the Capital District Business Review in Albany.

What DerGurahian looks for most in her stories is a business angle. For example, in 2008, hospitals showed record profits; that may not happen again. With more hospital consolidation taking place, it is likely that the use of electronic health records will increase and accessibility issues will become much more prominent.

“With more than 5,000 hospitals,” said DerGurahian, “I cannot call all of them to check on what’s new.”

She does not cover technology product stories, since physicians most likely will not be investing in them. She would love to “see more numbers, more data that will gauge the improvement against Medicare issues.”

Her special frustration is to receive a pitch asking, “What do you cover?” To avoid feeling the need to ask that of her, DerGurahian urges people to visit the Web site and go to the “About Us” tab. “All the contacts and their beats are there, along with our Code of Ethics,” she said.

As Modern Healthcare, a weekly, is actually part of a family of publications including the Daily Dose and IT Strategist, Modern Physician and six online e-mail publications, deadline pressures are felt daily. DerGurahian asks people to keep that in mind when they contact the publication.

“We don’t cover products or companies,” she said. “What we want to hear about is the experts that are around, especially those in the C-suite and physicians.”

The publication has just begun to explore using videos but has done a fair number of podcasts. DerGurahian is reluctant to take videos from outside sources. However, she does read blogs. She also gathers and files possible resources.

As the publication covers “the whole country, if you are local and have someone who is an expert and want to have coffee with me for about five minutes in the city, I’d love to hear what they’d like to talk about,” DerGurahian said, adding, “I read and keep all my e-mails but I don’t always respond.”

Katharin Czink
Medical producer, WGN-TV
kczink@tribune.com

As producer of WGN-TV’s Medical Watch segment since 2002, Czink has focused on innovative technologies, cutting-edge therapies, the latest surgical procedures and promising medicines. Chicago-area experts are frequently spotlighted, including physicians, scientists and other healthcare professionals and patients.

Before joining WGN-TV, Czink previously worked at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and served as a medical writer and editorial team member at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch. She covers health and medicine at WGN. She fell into the position by accident, but has fallen in love with it.

For the two-minute spot on television, the station calls on local experts and researchers, whether the story is about stem-cell funding or about physician concierge services opening up. According to Czink, they “don’t cover umbrella issues, but the nuances.” She said she receives an abundance of “awareness” story pitches, but particularly likes topics that are tied to new treatments or cutting-edge developments.

“We will do a story, regardless of the awareness month,” said Czink. For example, this means that WGN-TV will not only cover breast cancer in October, when it coincides with its recognition month, but any time when a new treatment or technology becomes available. From a television point of view, I need that something extra.”

“With looming deadlines, I frequently need experts — often at the last minute,” she said. “We regularly need physicians who can comment on breaking health news. We come to them whether they are at the hospital, offices or homes. Often they think we will take up a lot of their time, but, really, that’s not the case at all.”

However, Czink warned PR professionals that experts need to be prepared — provided with the general dos and don’ts of interviewing. “And it helps if a doctor is willing to ask patients to relate their personal experiences as they pertain to the story.”

WGN’s coverage consists of digest segments that cover the health news of the day, or a single topic that can be fleshed out and made into a package for the 9 p.m. news.

Czink invited the audience to “send visuals to help us learn more about the potential story. Give me a taste. That is a nice luxury!”

Diane Dungey
Editor, Daily Herald
ddungey@dailyherald.com

Health and medicine, the Cook County criminal courts and education are among Dungey’s many previous reporting beats at The Daily Herald, a suburban daily with a circulation of more than 150,000. It was a logical extension for Dungey to create and become the editor of the paper’s weekly Health & Fitness section, which this year received the Illinois Associated Press and Chicago Headline Club awards for stories about a family’s dilemma over genetic testing in the face of a Huntington’s disease diagnosis. She now oversees the publication’s features sections. In addition, the newspaper also offers a Spanish-language publication, Reflejos, as well as an online edition.

As far as defining “what is local,” the map of the Herald’s geographic coverage is posted on their Web site, but Dungey noted, “there is a tightening circle of what is considered local. Keep in mind, we now have a 24-hour news cycle, with opportunities compressed by the time frame.”

One thing Dungey has noted is the “shakeout taking place in healthcare, with people falling through the cracks.” In this changing healthcare environment, the Daily Herald is focusing on “getting personal stories,” she said, observing that, “as people are losing their jobs, they are losing their healthcare coverage, as well. The mental healthcare avenues are especially overburdened, while we’ve received a drop in cosmetic surgery pitches.”

A problem with some of the stories is that “many people may not want their names associated with a story,” Dungey said. “If you have someone who will talk to me and put that in the subject line, that’s gold!”

Business is built on relationships, something Dungey values. “If I get a cold call at 6 p.m. and don’t recognize the number, I may not even pick up the phone.” If she’s built a relationship with the PR person, she often even provides her cell number to the person and will know they won’t abuse its use.

She also appreciates knowing which physicians are skilled at talking to the press. “Some speak a sound bite a minute, and others are not as helpful.”

The Daily Herald rarely uses videos provided, as it prefers to shoot its own footage. From her perspective, “I don’t even like [e-mail] attachments,” Dungey said. “I get about 120 e-mails an hour and try to read and get rid of them.” If someone wants to gain her attention, “Grab me with your words and your subject line.”