Having read Michael Foley's article in the Irish Times last week I was fuming. Both the professions of PR and Journalism are bound by separate yet interlinked codes of ethics. Both professions are the bastions of news - one the source the other the disseminator. Bearing in mind the media circus of news presentation as evidenced by the concept of 'reality TV' broadcasts by RTE during the recent Presidential election, it demonstrates just how much the world of Journalism needs our PR industry.

Hence Michael Foley's infuriating finish to his article which reads: Rather than offer up something that is tailored to be positive or “uplifting”, the media might better serve its consumers by limiting the influence of the public relations industry, responsible for vast amounts of the news we absorb every day. If there is one industry that likes good news – good news for their clients – it is the PR industry; is both disappointing and disturbing.


Journalism is about giving people something important, not making them feel good. (MICHAEL FOLEY)

OPINION: News is “good” or “bad” depending on context: so wealth tax is bad for wealthy, good for rest

JUST WHAT is meant by “positive news stories”? For Eamon Dunphy it is “happy- clappy stuff”. For his former boss, the chief executive of Newstalk, Frank Cronin, positive news would counteract the feeling of “desolation and despair” caused by the media’s focus on the negative. Journalists at Newstalk, he was quoted as saying, were to focus on the positive.

For journalists to be told to concentrate on the positive or the good news is anathema. News is news. It is that thing defined by the aphorism “man bites dog”, another way of saying that the news is the unusual, the new and possibly the bizarre.

It is about one plane crashing not the thousands that took off and landed safely.

Academics have long tried to define what makes news and what journalists mean by their “nose for news”. The most famous academic study was by two Norwegian sociologists, Galtung and Ruge, who in 1965 published a study that listed 12 factors defining newsworthiness.
These include unexpectedness, reference to elite persons or elite nations, timing and, of course, negativity. Galtung and Ruge are still studied in journalism schools today, although later studies have added to their list. Celebrity, for example, is now included.

Most would probably accept that what constitutes news is a mix of newsroom culture, subjectivity and probably bias.

There are other elements: what is in other media, things that make people say “wow!” and, of course, things that will affect people, negatively or positively.

So, if news is not to make us feel good, what is it? Possibly something of importance to the audience, which has been gathered, one hopes, honestly.
It might not always add up to much, it might even be wrong, but it is published because a journalist believes it to be of interest and possibly of some importance. Whether it depresses you or makes you smile is beside the point.

Trying to define “good news”, or positive news, is difficult. It all depends on context. A wealth tax may be good news for those not wealthy enough to be caught by it, but not for the wealthy. The election of Michael D Higgins as president was good news, but hardly to the other six candidates.

Journalists don’t try to serve up a diet of doom and gloom. TV news is famous for the “and finally” story that the producers hope make you smile. This newspaper regularly has a bottom-of-page-one story to lighten up the front page.

Journalists accept that stories must be consumed and that their worst offence is to make the important boring. Defending sensationalism in the Daily Mirror , the legendary editor Hugh Cudlipp said: “We believe in the sensational presentation of news and views, especially important news and views, as a necessary and valuable public service in these days of mass readership and democratic responsibility.”

As Cudlipp clearly understood, our purpose is to give people the information and the arguments necessary to make important decisions and to function in a democracy. Sometimes it is done well, at others very badly, but it is better done badly than not at all.

Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in 1835 that “in order to enjoy the inestimable benefits that the liberty of the press ensures, it is necessary to submit to the inevitable evils it creates”.

Rather than offer up something that is tailored to be positive or “uplifting”, the media might better serve its consumers by limiting the influence of the public relations industry, responsible for vast amounts of the news we absorb every day. If there is one industry that likes good news – good news for their clients – it is the PR industry.

Michael Foley lectures in journalism at the school of media at the Dublin Institute of Technology

Spotlight on Youth Marketing - the PR Response. Kewel or Unkewel?

In our last post we wrote about the 'sexualisation of children' and put the spotlight on Youth Marketing following its focus in PR Week earlier this summer. We now ask the question whether our own PR industry in Ireland is acting ethically responsible and whether the ASAI's codes are sufficient protection to avoid exploitation.

We have highlighted David Cameron's aims followed by a snippet of responses from the UK's PR industry. We now ask you whether your strategy towards youth marketing is 'kewel' or 'unkewel' 

Cameron’s aims

•  ‘To make public space more family-friendly by” reducing the amount of on-street advertising containing sexualised imagery in locations where children are likely to see it”

•  ‘To ensure children are protected when they watch television, are on the internet or use their mobile phones by “making it easier for parents to block adult and age-restricted material” across all media:

•  ‘To stop the process whereby companies pay children to publicise and promote products in schools or on social networking sites by banning” the employment of children as brand ambassadors and in peer-to-peer marketing” ‘.

HOW I SEE IT

PR professionals on how the new proposals to protect children could affect the industry

Francis Ingham Chief executive, PRCA                   

It’s a difficult thing to balance creative ideas that are commercially viable with the reality of how parents feel about these things. It won’t affect a vast number of agencies, but for some this will be very significant. In the industry, I can’t imagine anyone other than a tiny minority would not welcome the recommendations. The PRCA certainly won’t be fighting on behalf of agencies that oppose the guidelines.

Liz Bendall Director, Lexis PR/head of Six PR       

Most of our clients have stringent regulations about marketing to children already, so it would not have a big impact on the work we do. It could cause toy manufacturers and the music industry to rethink their approach. This, combined with the call for age ratings on music videos and for less sexualised performances on pre-watershed shows, means the music industry could be most affected by the report findings.

Pete Flatt MD, PPR Publicity

We run PR campaigns for children’s products — books, DVDs, music, concerts and so on. We reach our younger audiences through print and digital channels through reviews and features, but we deal with editorial staff, not minors. There is possibly a grey area around blogs and social networks, where it is not always possible to know the age of contributors reviewing or recommending products.

Spotlight on youth marketing by the PR Industry

The following article appeared in PR Week recently and in particular the use of children as Brand Ambassadors caught my eye. From a PR industry perspective just one look at the metroherald today let alone other national newspapers, magazines, TV programmes etc and my own personal experiences in using children to promote various PR activities of clients sprung to mind. So is David Cameron right with his premise of putting his weight behind the UK campaign ‘Letting Children be Children’ report and is our own Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland code covering ‘children’ sufficient?

  

SEXUALISATION OF CHILDREN

Prime Minister puts weight behind Letting Children be Children report by Nikki Wicks

The PR industry has been caught in the crossfire of new proposals to protect children on sexualisation and commercialization in the media. Prime Minister David Cameron gave strong backing recently to recommendations set out in a six-month independent report by Reg Bailey, chief executive of the Mothers’ Union. The report, Letting Children be Children, calls on businesses and the media to play their part in protecting children from the increasingly sexualised ‘wallpaper’ that surrounds them.

The report focuses largely in advertising, music videos and broadcast media, but PR professionals are not exempt. In particular, a section of the review highlighting ‘peer-to-peer’ marketing and the use of brand ambassadors’ is likely affect the way the PR industry engages with children.

‘It won’t affect a vast number of agencies, but for some this will be very significant,’ said PRCA chief executive Francis Ingham. ‘it’s a difficult thing to balance creative ideas that are com­mercially viable with the reality of how parents feel about these things. My advice to agencies would be to welcome the recommendations.’

In his response to the report Cam­eron called for an end to the process whereby firms pay children to publicise and pro­mote products in schools or on social networking sites by banning ‘the employment of children as brand ambassa­dors and in peer-to-peer mar­keting’.

A number of PR Agencies are signed up to the Word of Mouth Marketing Associa­tion and a survey of ‘word of mouth’ practitioners by the Advertising Association found that 21 per cent had used teenagers aged 16-17 as ‘brand ambassadors’, while six per cent had used 13- to 15-year-olds.

‘I’m aware of some chil­dren’s toy brands and music artists who have used younger ambassadors,’ said Liz Bend­aIl, director of Lexis PR. However, many agencies that work with children’s brands said children were rarely the target.

‘Most of the time, purchas­ing power comes from parents and we end up targeting the parents and grandparents,’ said Seventy Seven PR man­aging partner, Alan Twigg. ‘If you look at the children’s media that you can hit, in a traditional editorial sense, there’s not a lot of media that they consume, other than TV or online.’

 

Read our next post for the PR response.

FOCUS pitching a story to a the media

Following on from our last blog post here are some comments from the UK media on PR professionals pitching attempts as published recently in PR Week. Are we any worse or better in Ireland? Share your experiences below.

How many pitches do you receive in a month?

1.   Consumer; Ally Oliver, Assistant Editor, Closer: Between 100 and 150, and of these probably use about six or seven.

2.      National; Andrew Hill, Associate editor and management editor, FT: I receive about one a day and I estimate I use roughly one in 15.

3.      Business; David Woodward Deputy editor (online), Director: I receive about 150 personal pitches, another 150 so impersonal ones and the magazine inbox receives many more. I use one or two.

4.      Regional; Donata Huggins, Features writer, City AM: I receive hundreds and probably use a dozen. I love receiving pitches. The good ones are extremely helpful and even the ones I don’t use give me good ideas.

5.      Broadcast; Julie Hulme, Home editor, Channel 4 News: We receive hundreds and a very low proportion become stories on the 7pm bulletin or our website. But if something is timely, original and fits with our editorial agenda, then there’s every chance it could help shape or become a part of a story.

What do you look for in a pitch?

1.      National; Andrew Hill, Associate editor and management editor, FT: There needs to be some weight behind it. For example, if it is based on a survey, the survey needs to be comprehensive, or it needs to cite sufficiently credible people. The best pitches are those that introduce me to interesting new people.

2.      Business; David Woodward Deputy editor (online), Director: For a response to news, I want timely, concise comment. For a speculative pitch, I want exclusivity and a unique point of interest. Be brief and concise, promising more if required.

3.      Regional; Donata Huggins, Features writer, City AM: Relevance to my brief, timeliness and statistics. The best pitches come with a great interview or good research.

4.      Broadcast; Julie Hulme, Home editor, Channel 4 News: Case studies that bring to life the national news agenda, original exclusive research and refreshing, informed guests.

What are the most common mistakes that PROs make when pitching to you?

1.      Consumer; Ally Oliver, Assistant Editor, Closer: When an agency puts an intern on the phone and they are quite obviously working through a long contact list in order to just tick off the fact they have spoken to someone in the office. I find that insulting.

2.      National; Andrew Hill, Associate editor and management editor, FT: Also, I frequently receive pitches that refer back to last week’s column. This is not a good idea, because that column is written and next week I will be looking at a new topic.

3.      Business; David Woodward Deputy editor (online), Director: Any pitch that begins with an attempt to mask ubiquity with faux personalisation is a no-no. ’Good morning. Hope you’re enjoying the sunshine?’ I get a lot of these.

4.      Regional; Donata Huggins, Features writer, City AM: Phoning. I always pick up on good pitches by email.

Advice for PROs

1.      Consumer; Ally Oliver, Assistant Editor, Closer: Never be over-familiar. Don’t come up with complicated launch plans to which you expect people to turn up.

2.      National; Andrew Hill, Associate editor and management editor, FT: I would rather receive a pitch than miss an idea. The trouble is, I don’t want just any old pitch. I want a good one.

3.      Regional; Donata Huggins, Features writer, City AM: Stop waffling. A great idea can be lost under unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. And stop pitching something I have just written about. I need new ideas.

4.      Broadcast; Julie Hulme, Home editor, Channel 4 News: Understand and pitch to our editorial agenda, and do not Jut awkward embargoes on research.

What is the worst pitch you have received?

1.      Consumer; Ally Oliver, Assistant Editor, Closer: Probably the call asking if we would like some samples of incontinence pads.

2.      National; Andrew Hill, Associate editor and management editor, FT The one that asked if I would step in on an interview for another journalist who had put his back out.

3.      Business; David Woodward Deputy editor (online), Director: Possibly the series of pitches I received about shoes. It’s a long way off the patch I cover.

4.      Regional; Donata Huggins, Features writer, City AM: ‘Now that it’s Valentine’s Day, our minds turn to cycling...’ Do they? Do they really? Not to mention all those emails from people I have never met who address me as ‘D-Huggs’ or ’Don-don’ and sign off with kisses and smiley faces.

5.      Broadcast; Julie Hulme, Home editor, Channel 4 News: A survey that has been given to everyone on a midnight embargo with only one case study for everyone.

What is the best one?

1.      Consumer; Ally Oliver, Assistant Editor, Closer: A PRO suggested a certain celebrity who could give her brand a great story and us a great feature, which we otherwise could not have dreamed of getting. I can’t name the celeb yet, as it’s not been published, but this sort of thing, where you work together, is the gold standard.

2.      Business; David Woodward Deputy editor (online), Director: I recently wrote a piece on the Budget. I needed rapid, relevant content and I was impressed by the number of PROs who were able to send me just what I needed within an hour of the Chancellor sitting down.

3.      Broadcast; Julie Hulme, Home editor, Channel 4 News: A piece of original research giving the first reading of real cuts to Sure Start centres. Give it to us in time so we can build a film round it and give it to us exclusively so that we can make a headline out of your top-line findings.

GETTING IT RIGHT Top tips on pitching success - Have I got a story for you

I read an article in the last few days from an American blogger suggesting that the words ‘pitch’ and ‘pitching’ should be banned from the practice of PR and replaced with storytelling so hence a piece in PR Week caught my eye. I would be interested in hearing from the Irish PR industry as to their experiences.

Poor pitching is the bane of a journalist’s life, so how can PR professionals get it right? There are few topics that divide the media and PR worlds quite as virulently as pitching.

Ask most junior PR staff and they will tell you it is the worst part of the job; ask most journalists and they will tell you how frustrated they get by the sheer volume of ill-considered, sloppily delivered pitches they receive on a daily basis.

In recent years, a growing number of jour­nalists and bloggers have begun publicly naming and shaming the PR professionals who have committed one of a seemingly endless list of possible misdemeanors.

All journalists can tell stories of their worst pitch. Likewise, PROS have their stories too. It is worth bearing in mind that journa­lists want PR professionals to succeed as most Journalists would rather receive a pitch than miss an idea.

So, what makes a good pitch?

1.      Read the publication, tailor your pitch to its audience and explain clearly to the journalist why their readers will be interested, Remember, the journalist’s job is to interest readers.

2.      Keep it concise and focused, Remove the waffle, especially unnecessary adverbs and over-blown hype.

3.      In a written pitch, eliminate all the basic errors of spelling, grammar and fact, These distract the reader and make them question your credibility.

4.      Don’t be overly familiar. You don’t need to call a journalist ‘Mr Smith’, but ‘John-boy’ is simply inappropriate. ‘John’ will do just fine.

5.      Have an interviewee available for comment. Journalists get very frustrated with PROs who cannot deliver on their promises.

6.      Know your pitch inside out. You don’t want to get caught out by the basic facts.

7.      Don’t see pitching as an unpleasant task to be foisted to the account executive. That will simply result in demotivated staff, alienated journalists and a failed campaign. Instead revolve to lead from the front, shaping, delivering and honing and honing the pitch yourself, and inspiring your junior colleagues with your successes.

12 must-read posts about QR codes for PR pros

QR codes have been a hot topic in online marketing circles in 2011.

I’ve been hesitant to recommend them to clients for various reasons writes Arik C. Hanson principal of ACH Communications in Minnesota. (He blogs at Communications Conversations). But after a discussion at a local marketing/PR event recently, he decided to learn more about their potential uses and implications for my clients.

[Image]Here are some of the more interesting—and useful—posts he's discovered in his research, organised into three categories:

Basic how-to/background posts
How QR codes can grow your business. This is a great explanation of the history of QR codes, along with a few case studies and potential uses.
50—count em, 50—creative uses of QR codes. Nice, long, creative list of potential uses of QR codes. My favorite examples: in a jigsaw puzzle, on the bottom of flip-flops, and on produce.
How to use QR codes for event marketing. This Mashable post highlights potential uses and how not to use QR codes.
The ins and outs of effective QR code marketing. A QR code primer from David Griner at the Social Path broken into four simple rules every marketer must know.

Stats
QR code growth explodes by 1,200 percent. This list of data points and research, conducted by Vancouver-based Mobio Identity Systems, includes a staggering number: QR code use has increased by 1,200 percent in the last year.
The QR code statistics you’ve been looking for. Here’s a great infographic from the folks at Jumpscan. My favorite stats: 52 percent of users have seen or heard of QR codes, and 28 percent have actually scanned them.
The rise of QR codes. Another infographic. This one’s from queaar.com, and it includes a host of stats, including where QR codes most commonly appear, which phones are scanning QR codes most frequently, and which companies are using them as marketing tools.

QR code case studies
7 recent QR code marketing examples by major brands, music artists, and publications. This list of case studies from Wayne Sutton features Ford, Delta, and Redbox, among others.
QR code case studies. Shel Holtz aggregates numerous case studies from Chevy, Sir Speed, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” and more.
2 stunning case studies show how QR codes can generate revenue. In one, Verizon asserts it grew sales by 200 percent thanks to QR Codes.
37 examples of using QR codes. This is a Slideshare presentation featuring 37 ways to use QR codes. My favorites: on a pancake, on cufflinks, and on shoes.
5 Minnesota QR code examples. This post from Dave Erickson features examples from the restaurant, real estate, health care, and academic industries/arenas.

How To Prevent Your Voicemail Being Hacked

The term 'hacked' in relation to accessing another persons voicemail is not exactly hacking, it's just using a default entry point that shouldn't be there, similar to credit card companies stamping the default PIN for your credit card on the back of it! But none the less it's wrong, and you should know how to prevent it.

How do people gain access?On pretty much all networks, the default PIN for your voicemail is '0000' and this is entered by pressing the '#' key when listening to your greeting, once you punch in the '#' key your are prompted for the PIN - '0000' by default, then you are in, what you get after is the same as dialing your voicemail from your phone.
So all someone needs to do is hazard a guess that you haven't changed your PIN and type in '0000' and they're in, with full access to all your private voicemails.

How can I prevent this?The method for changing your PIN will vary for service providers, but it is usually easy to find if you dial into your voicemail on your phone and listen to the menu options.

Some tips on choosing a PIN

• Don't use a birthday or address number
• Don't use digits from your phone number
• Change your pin every few months or weeks
• Don't tell people your PIN
• Don't save your PIN in your contact list on your phone
• If you feel like someone could be listening to your messages, change your PIN straight away.
• Most importantly, change your PIN as soon as you get a new phone!

By following these few simple rules, and gaining an understanding of how the PIN//Voicemail system works, you can prevent people from 'hacking' into your voicemail and listening to your personal messages.