Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 10:42 PM
Posted by Administrator
I recently had the opportunity to hear former CBS News anchor Dan Rather address a gathering of the Bull Dog Reporter’s Media Relations Summit in New York. As a former investigative journalist, I understand the importance of an aggressive free news media that holds public officials accountable for serving the public interest. But after a career defined by Watergate and Vietnam, Rather continues to view his relationship with public officials as a contact sport. As a public relations executive who has worked with the media for the past 24-years, I believe Mr. Rather’s perception is sadly out of date.
Rather defines news as “something important the public needs to know and someone in power does not want them to know.” He says a reporter’s role is to be a “check on power; to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” If only it were that simple.
Every story is not Watergate and every president is not Richard Nixon. In today’s complex world it is far more important that journalists develop quality sources to help explain complex issues. A free press is supposed to provide the public with enough information so that they can make good decisions when they elect our public officials. It is little wonder that many public officials and business owners viewed Rather and other journalists who shared his perception of the world with deep suspicion.
It is a shame that Rather did not attend the entire conference of public relations professionals and media leaders. He would have learned that today reporters have far more sources of information and far more opportunity to produce content than he ever had with the 30 minute evening newscast at CBS. The Internet allows reporters and the public to perform original research faster and access thousands of sources not previously available to them. It provides an opportunity for the public to see and read entire documents instead of summaries edited by journalists. Imagine what would have happened had the Pentagon Papers been posted on the Internet.
The Internet has also allowed the public to hold journalists more accountable for their work, as Rather learned when he published his story on President Bush’s military service. The Internet provides a means for critics to question the authenticity of the story, something that was far more difficult to do in the past. For some bloggers, the mainstream media are considered the people in the position of power in need of afflicting.
Dan Rather is a brave man who was willing to risk his life covering wars and risk his career confronting politicians, some of whom deserved the media’s attention. But the good old days he longs for allowed only a small group of individuals to control the national agenda. Today millions of people have a say in what we know about important public issues. It may not be a perfect system, but some would argue it has the potential to be much better than the one Dan Rather pines for.


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There is no such thing as Free Publicity
Monday, May 4, 2009, 05:54 PM
Posted by Administrator
There is no such thing as “Free Publicity”
Getting something for nothing is always an enticing sales pitch. But falling for the lure of free publicity can cost money in the long run. It doesn’t matter whether you are Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or Joe the Plumber. We each have only 24 hours in the day and a certain amount of time we can devote to our business. Our successful clients focus their limited time wisely, leaving media relations activities to the experts. Publicity is a great marketing tool and helped build brands such as Google, Starbucks and Apple. But a public relations program has to be strategic. Anyone can get a story printed if their cat can meow the Star Spangled Banner or their child writes a bestselling novel. Most business stories require a well thought out marketing and positioning program that gets the clients key message in front of the right audience. For example, one organization recently received national coverage on CNN, but it was of little use to an organization that had only a few thousand potential customers in a well defined geographic area. One of our clients worked with us to develop a targeted media relations program that built relationships with their direct customers and end users. The result was a 4 to 1 return on their public relations investment.


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