Smashing the Myth of the Press Release

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class
songs and performs them in a manner that moves his listeners to
tears. He records a demo tape and sends it to record labels. He
gets a contract and becomes rich, famous and adored.

The lesson: demo tapes are the secret of becoming a famous
musician.

Wait, you say, the demo tape was just a tool, just his way of
conveying his talent. It's his ability as a musician that got
him the contract and made him famous.

You're right, of course. He could have become just as famous if
a record executive saw him in person, or heard about him from a
friend, or as a result of a variety of other events.

Which brings us to the press release.

Somehow, the press release has taken on a magical reputation as
the alpha and omega of publicity. Wanna become rich? Send out a
press release. Wanna become famous? Press release. Wanna get
on the cover of Newsweek? Press release.

Publicity "gurus" are springing up all over the Internet touting
the press release as the answer to all marketing ills. Just
knock out a release, mass e-mail it to journalists, sit back and
wait for Oprah to call.

It's a cruel joke.

Here's the reality: the press release is no more important to
your potential of scoring free publicity than the demo tape was
to our musician friend. If he had no talent, if his songs
sounded like garbage, the best recorded demo tape in the world
wouldn't get him signed. Ditto for the publicity seeker. If you
don't have a story to tell, your press release is utterly
worthless.

I'm not knocking the press release -- it's an important tool. But
it's just that: a tool. It's not the first thing you need to
think about when it comes time to seek publicity. In fact, it's
one of the last. And it's not even absolutely necessary (I've
gotten plenty of publicity with just a pitch letter, a quick e-
mail or a phone call).

If you worship at the shrine of the press release, it's time to
rearrange your priorities. Here, then, are the things that are
MORE important than a press release in generating publicity:

1. A newsworthy story. This is the equivalent of our musician's
talent. It's the very basis for your publicity efforts. Without
it, your press release means nothing. To learn about how to
develop a newsworthy story, take a look at
http://publicityinsider.com/questions.asp and scroll down to "Is
my company/website/life really newsworthy?"

2. Learning to think like an editor. Oh, what an edge you'll
have in scoring publicity over all those press release
worshippers once you learn how to get inside the head of an
editor. Give an editor what he wants in the way he wants it and
you'll do great. I've got an entire article on the subject at
http://publicityinsider.com/freesecret.asp Go there now and
absorb it all. Trust me, it will make a world of difference.

3. Relevance. Tie in with a news event, make yourself part of a
trend, piggyback on a larger competitor's story, but, by all
means, make your story part of a picture that's bigger than just
your company. Stories that exist in a vacuum quickly run out of
oxygen.

4. Persistence. Sending out a press release and waiting for
results is lazy and ineffective. If you really believe in your
story, and you believe that it's right for a particular media
outlet, you need to fight to make it happen. Call or e-mail the
editor to pitch your story BEFORE sending the release. If one
editor says no, try somebody else. If they all say no, come back
at them with a different story angle.

Getting publicity involves so much more than just sending out a
press release. Treat it as seriously and with as much respect as
our newly minted rock star treats his craft and you'll be well on
your way to success.

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as one of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp :>http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoring big publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and much, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site: http://www.PublicityInsider.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Stoller

Don't Be Fooled by the Media

I used to teach a couple of college level mass communication courses. On the first day of class I would explain that one of my goals was to help the students be better consumers of news.

The general population understands that the news media seems to be biased, but what people don't realize is how much information is skewed either conservatively or liberally.

Twenty years ago, we might say that a newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska, might be more conservative than a newspaper in Los Angeles. What was meant by that is the editorial pages usually show a particular political slant. But no matter what viewpoint was taken on the editorial pages, the rest of the newspaper should have articles written in the traditional journalism method-which is equally explaining both sides of a story and letting the reader determine his own opinion.

Today, we find even traditional hard news stories can have a slant and often both sides of the story are not explained. In some news publications and television news programs, they don't even try to be neutral but only give one side.

The traditional method of journalism that I was taught in the 1980s is where a reporter tries to remain as neutral as possible and tell the story from both sides. My editors would admonish me if it looked like the article was taking a particular view.

Today, there are few newspapers and even fewer, if any, television news programs that practice good journalism. Sensationalism and political favoritism is rampant, throwing consumers into two different types: those who are so disgusted they don't watch or read any news, or those who believe everything they read or watch.

What's a person to do? Here are some tips:

1. When watching a television news program, ask yourself these two questions: Is only one side explained and if it is, is it the conservative or liberal viewpoint? Fox News is an example of a very conservative newscast, while MSNBC is an example of a more liberal news show.

2. When reading your local newspaper, do you find even traditional news stories, which are those that discuss crime, government or the economy, giving one viewpoint. Typically, the editorial page of any newspaper will show one viewpoint-either conservative or liberal, but if the slant is creeping into the hard news articles, then cancel your subscription.

3. With the news media now owned by large business conglomerates, the focus is on making money, not delivering important fact-filled news. That's why stories about celebrities are featured news, and important news stories are relegated to the end of a broadcast, if at all.

4. Never believe everything you read in a newspaper or newsmagazine or watch on a television news program. Because so much of the news is slanted, one can never believe all of the so-called "facts." One needs to read different publications to get a good overall view of the topic. A good weekly newsmagazine is The Week, because it pulls out quotes from various newspapers and magazines-both conservative and liberal to show the points of view of an issue. The reader can decide which side he wants to take.

5. Television news programs never have time to fully develop a story unless they are doing a feature type article, such as a three-part series. Even then, the story can be one-sided. Determine whether the broadcast is conservative or liberal, then watch understanding the slant of the programming. One of the better newscasts is actually BBC America, as they deliver the news in a more traditional manner, stating both sides of an issue and allowing the viewer to decide. Yes, it's owned by the British government, yet it does a better job of reporting U.S. news than most of the U.S. television news outlets.

6. Understand who owns the media. Check out the following website (http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart/main) to discover the top six corporations that own the majority of the media in the U.S. Why is this important? Because these six companies control what we watch and read. That's why it is so important to search out independent media channels.

7. When checking out news sources on the Internet, always look at the "About us" or "About the company" link that is listed at the bottom of the home page. If a news site does not have a link so that you know who's behind the site, then move on. Do not believe anything you read on a site that will not disclose information about the company that owns the site. I have found more "news" sites that give "unbiased" information that are funded by organizations or individuals trying to push a particular point of view. They typically have the word "unbiased" somewhere on their home pages, trying to lure in unsuspecting consumers. Instead of being "unbiased," they are just the opposite. Beware of these sites.

8. Some straightforward news sites on the net include the International Herald Tribune, the Associated Press and the ProPublica, a non-partisan, non-profit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism. The reporters for all three of these sites are some of the best in the business.

9. One can always learn what's going on from Comedy Central's The Daily Show. Although a comedy program, its stories are built around actual quotes that politicians make-one often discovers that the politician made the opposite remarks only a few months ago. They actually do more research for their comedy sketches than the regular news media. Fortunately, the mainstream media is taking a page from the show and doing more background research to see what a politician has done or said in the past and comparing that to today's news. Only in America could a comedian teach the mainstream media how to do its job.

10. Why is the media protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution? Because the press is suppose to be the watchdog over government first and foremost. Our founding fathers realized that there needed to be some entity that polices Congress and the White House. Ask tough questions; hold politicians accountable for how they spend taxpayer dollars and for the decisions they make that affects all U.S. citizens. So, when a politician complains bitterly about the big bad press, consumers should be thinking, "That's right! And I hope the press continues to be tough on you." When politicians complain about the press, that's usually a sign that the press is doing something right. The problem has been in the past decade the press hasn't asked the tough questions and has not stood up for the people's right to know. Consumers need to demand more hard-hitting news programs and news articles instead of complacently watching yet another story about a celebrity gone bad.

Charity Cicardo has been in the communications field for the past 20 years beginning her career as a newspaper reporter, then book and magazine editor. Currently she owns a social networking site devoted to RV and manufactured home owners and blogs about news and events. http://www.mymobilehomespace.com/Blog_Home2.html?cat2=100000007&member=guest Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charity_Cicardo