In a slight shift from my posts where I have been talking about starting my career in PR, I wanted in light of recent events to talk a bit about Public Relations as an industry. Specifically, headlines such as Sunday’s Toronto Star; “Spinning in the First Week of Michael Bryant’s New Life” and today’s Globe and Mail article; “Michael Bryant’s political strategy: PR 2.0”.

Both articles discuss PR in relation to Michael Bryant’s case, and from my reading of it and as someone working in PR I was a bit put off.  To pull a few quotes from the Star article; “It helps to have friends in PR”, “Look, the headline of this story should be: ‘Navigator, changing your perceptions without you even knowing it” and “He refers, of course, to Navigator Limited, the smooth public relations firm hired by Bryant (when exactly is unclear) to massage the message”. The article then continues to a full page analysis of the inner working of the messaging surrounding this tragic incident. The Globe article takes a look at Navigator’s use of social media (Twitter, Blog and Facebook) in relation to their client.

Personally, I resent the fact that PR is often tied to “spin”, deception and manipulation. I do not feel that reflects the work that I do, or the many other professionals who are passionate about communication and social media. However I did find it very interesting that the article pulls into the spotlight a PR firm, whereas usually the agency stays in the background.

I want to make it very clear that I am not choosing sides and making statements about Michael Bryant’s guilt or innocence.  I feel this is a very tragic situation for both sides. Lives have been changed forever. But facing these serious charges and the media onslaught, I can sympathize with Michael Bryant for enlisting the services of Navigator just as I respect the work they are doing on behalf of someone who will be forever affected by this moment in time. PR does not change “the facts”.  A strong team of media savvy professionals helping in the face of any crisis can provide advice, support and direction.

What do you think of the role PR plays in image management issues when a crime or tragedy has occurred?

Even though I’ve only been with TFC for a mere 3 months now, I have to say, there’s been quite the learning curve. The biggest thing for me has been learning about media relations. Given my background in Journalism, I think I had ‘some’ idea how it all worked, but considering the last month especially has been all about holiday pitching, I think I have a lot better understanding now. Here’s a little bit about what I’ve learned:

Do some research – If you have the time and your budget permits, do a quick scan for similar articles or writers who have covered the topic before. It helps to be able to pitch a writer and say “I noticed you’ve written items on this topic before and I thought this might be of interest to you…”

Media Lists – Before the pitch is even written, it is extremely important to have a good media list. And by this I mean, making sure that you have the right people on your list, their contact information is up to date and it includes everyone you think you message will appeal to.

Know your audience – When you’re making up the list, one of the key points to think about is: Will my pitch suit their audience? For instance, an assignment editor at CBC might not be all that interested in the newest beauty product your client is launching. It might be better to focus your efforts on outlets where you’re more likely to receive coverage.

Writing the pitch – From what I’ve seen so far, the most effective pitches are short and sweet with a descriptive subject line. Given the number of emails journalists receive everyday, something needs to stand out and make them open it first. Then your wonderful words will hopefully persuade them you have something they want to cover. Oh, and bullet points are good to – gives them a glimpse of what you have to offer, quick and easy.

Following Up – This is probably the most nerve-whacking part of the job. Picking up the phone and calling up the journalist only to hear them say “Sorry not interested.” But, then you get the “Oh ya, I saw that, I was meaning to get back to you…” and jackpot, your client’s in Saturday’s paper. Key pointers for following up: Be confident, be cheery, know your pitch and don’t feel get down if they say ‘no’ – it’s nothing personal.

Relationships – Last but definitely not least, remember that all contact you make with the media is about relationships. Building a rapport with media takes time and patience, but eventually you’ll be able to write or call someone and say “Hey, I know you wrote about this before so I thought you might also be interested in this…” If you offer good story ideas and follow through with them, you’re off to a good start.

So, that’s what I’ve learned so far – Does anyone else have thoughts I might have missed? I’m sure there are LOTS more out there.

I don’t really have time to be writing this today, but it’s a post I’ve been thinking through over the past few days. So, this election business down south. I wrote back in January, just before Super Tuesday, about my indecision between Clinton and Obama. I voted for Clinton. I decided at the last possible minute, standing in the voting booth, stamper in hand. I feel I made the right choice and even though I will vote for Obama come November, I think Clinton would have been a better candidate. But that’s not what I want to talk about today.

I’ve never been terribly politically inclined. I don’t know a lot about the political process and couldn’t tell you how a law gets passed (I believe the Senate is involved?). But I don’t think you need to be a political pundit to a) realize that this might be the important election in America’s history and b) notice that it’s a damn interesting race. So I started paying attention. I read Time articles about both candidates. I watched as much of the Democratic convention as I could and I’m now trying to stomach watching the GOPs take to the podium.

I have a lot of opinions about this election. I’m going to try to keep this concise and relevant but I caution you that I’ve got a lot floating around in my head and I’m not sure it will manifest itself into a nice little post, all cleverly thought out, with,  you know, flow and structure. You’ve been warned.

First of all, I don’t have a tremendous issue, per se, with McCain. I think he’s too old to be President and I disagree with just about everything his party stands for and I worry that he would continue to lead America on the dangerous path they’re currently following. As a person, however, I can see his appeal. Sure he’s a bumbling old man, but Americans like to think they could “go for a beer with their president” (personally, I want my President to be smarter than me and have better things to do than sit at a bar…) and McCain has that grandfather-esque thing going for him. I’m sick as hell of hearing about his military past. I hate that every time any one mentions him, they must refer to his accomplishments fighting for America, lest they be painted as un-patriotic (the worst insult you can sling at an American) and disrespectful. We get it. He fought in the war. He was a POW. Can we move on and talk about what he’s done for America SINCE then? OTHER than that? Please? Joe Lieberman stating that he is will be a president that will be “feared” represents, to me, everything that is wrong with America today. I don’t want a leader that scares, I want a leader who is respected. I guess when Bush figured he would never get the respect, he’d go for the fear. Well played…it worked.

Now, let’s talk about his running mate. Sarah Palin. We all know the facts: Mother of five, hockey mom, 4 month old with Down’s Syndrome, 17 year old daughter with a bun in the oven. She’s pro-life, pro-guns and anti-gay. She wants to bring creationism back into schools. She has ZERO experience, her husband supported Alaska becoming independent…yada yada yada. You know all of this. Now, here’s where I start to get mad and emotional, so I’ll try to hold back on the swearing. I think it’s fantastic that the GOP went for a woman VP. I wish they had done it for better reasons than to undermine Obama for not picking Clinton to join his ticket. I REALLY wish Palin wouldn’t try to reach out to Clinton supporters by using Hillary’s reference of the glass ceiling. That really pissed me off. Lady, you’re NOT Hillary Clinton. Aside from being female and a mother, you share nothing. Not values or positions on social issues or how America can best face the challenges ahead. Women and men who voted for Hillary will not be swayed towards the Republicans just because you’re a woman. We’re smarter than that and in actuall fact, it just makes us more determined to win.

I have no problems whatsoever with a working mother. I imagine I will be one, some day. I think in today’s world families need both salaries to keep their head’s above water. I think that even if you don’t need the money, if a mother enjoys her job and is good at it and wants to work, great. Go for it. Everyone has to do what’s best for them. I do, however, think that being the VP of the U.S.A when you have an infant with high needs, plus four other children, is a bit much. One will have to suffer and neither should. Her children deserve all the time and attention in the world. So does America. Which will win? Let’s talk just for a second about the pregnant daughter. I can’t STAND the position that teens are getting pregnant across America so what’s the big deal if Bristol Palin is. Instead of justifying it, let’s try to see WHY this is. If teens want to have sex, why aren’t they learning about birth control and STD protection? What’s going on at home? This isn’t any home – this could be the home of the future Vice President. It needs to keep up appearances, as annoying as that may be for the Palin brood. 

This woman has lost control of her family – how will she control a country? And let’s face it- McCain ain’t no spring chicken. She could very well be President.

Now, here’s where I really get mad. Since Friday, Palin has graced the covers of US Weekly, and People , among others, children in tow. But according to the McCain camp, the media is too hard on poor Sarah. YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. You can’t USE the media to get your story out and then rail against the media for telling a story too. You can’t get pissed about an interview in which a reputable reporter asks a fair question and then pull future appearances on the network. You can’t put your kids on the cover of the celeb rags and then say they’re off-limits. That’s politics, people! Welcome to it.

I hate the insinuation that we’re attacking her because she’s a woman. She had to know, and they had to know that whoever they picked, male or female, would be scrutinized. When Obama chose Biden, there were hundreds of articles in the media discussing his record, the plagiarizing, analyzing the selection. They also had to know choosing the first female candidate would get attention. In fact, I’m sure they counted on it. So they had to know that everything that could be, would be discussed. Well, if they couldn’t handle that, they should have chosen someone with less TO discuss. No one knows this woman- of course we have questions. They want the media attention, but only if they control it. To that, I say stick to Fox News. They’ll be happy to tell a one sided story and will even slag Obama while doing it.

To be continued, I am sure…

Yesterday was the inaugural edition of Star P.M., a downloadable version of The Toronto Star which is available daily after 3:30 p.m (4:15 for the final edition with market updates). You can register to receive the ‘paper’ via email as soon as it becomes available and it comes as PDF which prints out nicely on letter sized paper.

In an age where the end of print media as we know it is predicted, The Star continues to do an admirable job of staying ahead. Its website is user friendly and updated frequently, for a good start. It also boasts RSS feeds and the option of tagging articles to your Del.icio.us favourites. On top of that, many of its reporters are also bloggers and podcasters. The refreshing thing about their blogs is that they are not regurgitation of the article pubished by that author. The blog posts either expand on their written thoughts or talk about something entirely different within their area of expertise.

I think Star P.M. will only build on their momentum. I remember when the daily paper was delivered in the afternoon and it has many benefits. Reading the paper in the morning really only catches you up on the day before. You really aren’t on top of the world news unless you check online regularly or keep CP24 or CFRB-AM (or any other news oriented station) running in the background. Star P.M. allows you to catch up everything that happened while you were at work. All in a nice little package and at very little cost to Torstar.

It’s brilliant and I wouldn’t be surprised to see other dailies around the world follow suit.

Text100 has opened a PR agency in Second Life.

I don’t really know what to say about that. When I read about Second Life I get an image of a big game of Sims gone awry, and I find it lends credence to the stereotype (or is it?) of online geeky folks living their lives via a mouse and desktop in the basement. Measuring out their lives with pixels instead of coffee spoons, I suppose.

Apparently the legion of “virtual” people is growing – BusinessWeek reported that 170,000 such devotees were online back in May, so I imagine there must be gazillions now. (Update: There are 595,000 “residents” now.) All spending real money (real money!) to buy fake money to buy fake things, like fake land. Or fake PR services, I guess. (As an aside, that’s one of the sadder things about SL – it’s a brand new world, no physical limits and endless resources. And what do people do? Shop.)

I can see why marketers have glommed on – obviously you have a large group of uh… motivated people with disposable income all in one place (kind of). It lets the digital marketing department have some fun, ‘cuz there’s a ceiling on the fun to be had buying real estate for web ads and subverting MySpace. And, well, it will garner you some ink in meatspace – see MTV, BBC Radio 1, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers Records, American Apparel and Major League Baseball.

I can see SL as having the potential to add new dimensions to distance learning, at least in parts of the world where broadband is becoming a utility. (For the rest of the world - I guess you could call them the un-online – they are probably poor people in a poor place so we can’t sell them anything anyway. Pity. Oh well…)

I can even, maybe, see why regular people might choose to spend their valuable, limited time pretending to be animated. We live in a taxing era - lots of people have limited, stressful or difficult lives (maybe even all of the above) so the fantasy that they can recreate themselves and live a totally different, unlimited life (albeit one which requires them to sit in a chair and stare at a monitor, natch) could have appeal. Some people, god love ‘em, are simply cashing in. In the real world, I mean – trading those Linden Dollars for currency. (Now that I can understand.) Linden Lab, of course, has created something that defies any easy label – let’s just call it clever – and I imagine they will monetize it in even more elaborate and creative ways. Understood.

But what will Text100 do there? They’ve explained they will make their best trainers available there for internal usage and offer up their “space” for client press conferences. Press conferences? I bear in mind that Text100 is a tech PR outfit so their target journos are likely to be much more tech savvy than your average daily beat reporter, but I’m interested to hear how (and if) that works. Anyone know?

Was reading this story in the Globe by Grant Roberts about the myriad deals TV nets are striking with websites, particularly NBC and YouTube. Check here for a recap, but basically NBC did an about-face and went from attempting to take YouTube to court for posting NBC clips without consent, to striking a partnership which sees it formally supply content to YouTube. (Broadcasting & Cable is reporting today on a promotional deal between ABC’s Good Morning America and YouTube, so I guess there’s no exclusivity joy for NBC.)

I love the comments on Grant’s story, all three of them. My favorite is from some guy (and I know it’s a guy, I just know it) who calls himself Fine By Me. According to him, “TV is dead.”

TV is dead. Newspapers are dead. The :30 spot is dead. Mainstream media is dead. Oh, come now. Time to get some sentient doctors to examine those death certificates because traditional media, though in flux, makes big profits, reaches billions. I’ve been staying at a friend’s place recently and TV is the star attraction over there – Big Brother, Rock Star: Supernova, anything with Gordon Ramsay in it. Yep, they’re watching it on PVR but they are watching it, rabidly. Three urban women, prime demographic, lots of spending power – there’s a big TV and a fat stack of glossy magazines. On the subway this morning, I was jammed in nose-to-armpit with thousands of commuters wrestling with a newspaper (though usually a free one).

Not dead, see? Business models changing? Yep. New competition? Yep. Still making money? Yep.