In yet another piece of News That Isn’t Really News comes a recent report from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Pew asked more than 1,000 folks where they got “most of” their national and international news. In 2008, the Internet eclipsed print newspapers as their primary news source. You can […]
Tag Archives: Chicago PR tips
If it’s January 2, then that must mean it’s time to start seriously brainstorming some Valentine’s Day story suggestions. Though the romantic holiday may seem way off on the horizon–a full 43 days away–a recent story in Pioneer Press newspapers reaffirms that it’s never too soon to start planting story seeds with the media. In […]
When I began writing for newspapers, in 1984, I needed to clip stories myself and make photocopies if I wanted to ensure keeping track of those pieces. Today, nearly a quarter-century later, the Internet has created an entirely new archive-friendly world. A few years ago, for example, I began using Google Web Alerts to tip […]
Over the years, Inside Edge PR clients have occasionally asked why my agency goes to such lengths to provide comprehensive news releases that can (and often do) gain word-for-word placement in respected publications. My response flows from more than 20 years on staff or as an active freelance writer for newspapers and other publications: newsrooms […]
For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of sports writing has always been the vast array of cool action verbs that you can use in describing a game’s outcome. Routed, pummelled, thrashed, drubbed, nipped, shocked, trounced, to name only a few. In a similar vein, I suspect that journalists covering the economy these days […]
If you’re a publicist and want to avoid controversy, then there’s a simple formula: take no risks and go to great lengths to avoid offending others. In short, prepare to fail. With any worthwhile pursuit, if you bring enthusiasm and creativity to the task, you will leave yourself open to naysayers, hecklers and all manner […]
In September, I was invited to speak to a gathering of the Illinois Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. As an association member was preparing my name tag, he asked how I should be described. Since I was going to be addressing the group, the logical answer might have seemed to be “speaker.” But, really, […]
I just got off the phone with a new client, from an industry that is largely foreign to me. I’m getting up to speed on terminology and context. When it comes to understanding the field, frankly, I am like a kindergartner on his first day of school. There are more than a few publicists […]
In story-telling, a key principle is showing, not telling. In other words, rather than say someone was nervous, you would want to convey, via telling details, behaviors that illustrated the nervousness. When it comes to offering a glimpse at my business value, I like to take the same approach: show it, don’t just talk about […]