PAN Blog

A federal judge today jailed a New York Times reporter for not revealing her sources for a story she was writing about the Bush administration's leak of an under cover CIA operative's name. (The story never made it to print)

Reporter Judith Miller refused to cooperate today in court and was immediately placed into custody. She's to stay there until she complies with the court's order, or is given permission by the source to reveal his or her identity.

Which may never happen. "Outing" an undercover agent is a felony under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. So that person may not be very motivated to do Judy "a solid."

The New York Times' executive editor Bill Keller defended Judith's actions in the statement below:

Times Statement
July 6, 2005

Statement From Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman of The New York Times Company and publisher of The New York Times

"There are times when the greater good of our democracy demands an act of conscience. Judy has chosen such an act in honoring her promise of confidentiality to her sources. She believes, as do we, that the free flow of information is critical to an informed citizenry.

"It has been more than 25 years since Myron Farber, a Times reporter, was jailed and The Times was fined for refusing to provide the names of confidential sources. Subsequently, Mr. Farber and The Times were pardoned and the fines were returned. The case prompted many states to enact shield laws to protect journalists and to help ensure that the public receives information so important in a democracy. I sincerely hope that now Congress will move forward on federal shield legislation so that other journalists will not have to face imprisonment for doing their jobs.

"In the days, weeks and months ahead, The New York Times Company will do all that we can to ensure Judy's safety and continue to fight for the principles that led her to make a most difficult and honorable choice."

Source: The New York Times

So what do you think? Does Judith give up the source in the name of National Security? Or does she keep the source confidential and make a First Amendment stand?

Today's Wall Street Journal looks at the issue of newspaper-sponsored (or not) blogs and the reporters that write them. The story's anecdote is SiliconBeat by Mike Bazeley and Matt Marshall of the San Jose Mercury News

Topics covered include newspapers' responsibility for reporters' postings in their blogs; the use of anonymous sources; 'sanity checking' posts with other reporters before publishing (not a bad idea and something we here at PAN do prior to our posting on PRSpeak); and how newspapers are turning to blogs to compete for reader attention.

Of particular regional note for PAN, the article reports that The Boston Globe will soon allow its reporters to blog

From the article: "Now, more newspapers are warming to the idea of offering official reporter-written blogs. The Boston Globe is considering official blogs following the Mercury News's model. At the Dallas Morning News, more than 20 sports reporters contribute to a blog on the paper's Web site. Their posts must be screened by editors, but a spokesman said that requirement might be dropped."

I think everyone in the PR industry would welcome this trend. Just look at how well its working for Heather Green and Stephen Baker over at blogspotting.

This morning, we heard the news that a newspaper in our own backyard –the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune – had been sold to an Alabama newspaper group. While we here in the Boston area have almost become numb to the news of long-time companies being sold off (Fleet, Gillette, etc.), it’s more of a wake up call to us in the PR industry when it happens to a media company, in this case one of the oldest family owned daily newspaper chains in the state (and one that’s less than a mile from our office). I’ve always held the publication in high regard and they’ve won awards for their news coverage. Will it continue under new management? We’ll see.

Consolidation in the media is taking place at a rapid, almost frightening, pace. Is this a good thing for PR practitioners? My gut reaction is to say, “no,” because this country was formed on the foundation of free speech and with less and less independent vehicles to do that, our free speech becomes limited. But, on the other side of the coin, we have the proliferation of new forms of media, most notably blogs, websites, podcasts, who knows what else the future holds. These vehicles are offering new and different forms of journalism, never before possible.

So, while the old school in me is saddened to see the Eagle Tribune lose its independence, I’m optimistic to what the future holds.

[Technorati Tags: pr public relations media eagle tribune]

Reaching the female consumer can be a challenge for PR practitioners pitching women’s lifestyle magazines.

Editors and reporters at these outlets have respect for PR and understand that information from public relations executives is oftentimes necessary to craft their stories. Believe it or not, they are looking to receive trend and product information! But how can we successfully land coverage?

I’ll restate the obvious – PR people should target pitches to INDIVIDUAL REPORTERS, rather than blanketing all contacts on a media list with one pitch and/or a news release. Pitches MUST be crafted and tailored to the reporter and media outlet in order to succeed – careful study of BOTH are prerequisites to success.

During a Bulldog Reporter http://www.infocomgroup.com audio conference entitled “How to Reach Millions of Female Consumers: An Inside Look at Women’s Lifestyle Magazines,” PR practitioners across the nation had the opportunity to hear from editors with top women’s books. Of particular interest to me, I grabbed tips about how to best approach outlets including Elle, Good Housekeeping, and Family Circle – they are below.

According to Elle Deputy Editor Rachael Combe (not a pitch target for the magazine) the best approach is to demonstrate some familiarity with the outlet, pitching information they would actually cover. To land a feature with this book, pitch trend- or issues-focused information and personalities geared to the adventurous, modern, single woman.
http://www.elle.com

Good Housekeeping Senior Features Editor Mary Kate Hogan stresses that pitches should focus on consumer benefits, not on a particular company. Although general lifestyle topics get a fair amount of play, products are a central focus of this magazine. Hogan looks for a combination of practicality, ease of use and genuine flair. She states “Our readers are somewhat budget conscious, and they appreciate things that are stylish but still a good value. I have to consider that with every pitch.”
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com

Consumer advocacy is the hot button topic with Family Circle. Deputy Editor Nancy Clark explains that her magazine talks about women who make a difference through volunteerism and other community-based efforts. Article coverage ranges from parenting advice, teen issues, marriage, relationships and caring for older parents.
http://www.familycircle.com

All good insider information for those of us trying to land a “big hit” for our consumer clients. More to come…!

September and October tend to be a busy time for product launches. Keeping in mind that these months are highly competitive in trying to achieve time and mindshare with reporters and customers, the best thing a company do to achieve a successful launch is bring in a PR firm several months in advance of the product launch.

Even if you are unsure of product availability, an early connection to your PR team on what products are on the horizon and which markets they address can make a major positive impact on the coverage achieved and audiences addressed.

For example: If a PR team knows that a new product is being launched in September when a much more advanced, upgraded product will be issued approximately five months later, it can change strategy. Perhaps the PR team can focus on an exclusive piece for the first launch in September when achieving mindshare with reporters is highly competitive and an exclusive is a golden word during this competitive time. While the second launch, with a more impactful product and later time-frame, could take a broad-brush approach.

It all goes back to a simple adage: knowledge is power and power is success.

I thought I would be among the first to look into the crystal ball for 2007. Here's what I think will be the dominant trends for 07 in the media. Faith Popcorn, I am not.

Forget for a moment the debate over bloggers pulling content from traditional journalists and vice versa (that's been well played out); one thing PR types have to remember to take into consideration is how broadcast hits translate into Web video and propagate far further through blogs.

PAN client iCache had a great interview at CES with a NBC affiliate station out of San Diego. The station ran the piece, which then got picked up by more than 120 other NBC affiliates (and counting). Exciting, right? Here's the coverage, but check below for a link to the blogs that picked up the video after it ran. Run iCache, run.

This list is a result of just one interview (sure, we're excited for them), but what's astounding is the reach beyond *just* broadcast or *just* blogs.

Rumor on the street is that a few bloggers were denied press credentials and entry at the GSM show.

Certainly, it is something that tradeshow organizers continue to struggle with. PAN represents a number of tradeshow companies as clients. We counsel clients to deal with it by examining the blog the blogger represents, and check for relevant postings. If the postings are "journalistic" in nature, we usually credential the blogger. We have considered using Technorati to rank journalists, but have decided that it is not fair to bloggers with smaller audiences.

One of our account managers who has run countless press rooms at various trade shows notes that we have denied bloggers press credentials in certain cases. Recently, a company that was not exhibiting at a show sent a corporate representative as a blogger. The corporate blogger wanted to get press credentialed. He was denied credentialing because of the obvious self-serving nature of the corporate blog he represented.

Any other strategies out there for press credentialing bloggers, while protecting the sanctity of the press room and the privileges that come with press credentials? Or is press credentialing bloggers oxymoronic in a democracy?

Forbes editor: WSJ newsroom may see cutbacks

Former WSJ newsie--and current Forbes Managing Editor Dennis Neil--had some pointed comments on NPR's American Public Media show yesterday (July 17). In light of Rupert Murdoch's bid to acquire the venerable publication, Dennis told host Kai Ryssdal that Murdoch would be wise to make three quick moves: cut the 500-person newsroom to 400, halt production of the Saturday edition, and abandon the poorly performing WSJ European edition.

Personally, I think the Saturday edition is a great read, but biz is biz, right?
-AB

As I am sure everyone is aware, Harry Potter mania is definitely in full swing. However as a PR professional, and someone who works with the media on a daily basis, I was very excited to hear that although it was reported that “spoilers” had received copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7) and posted the ending on the Internet, not one major news network has released the ending of the book. Sure, they have all talked about the story itself – that someone took photos of the book and is trying to retype them into something more legible, but no one in the Boston media (print and television) nor the national news (CNN, FoxNews, AP, etc.) has released the ending.

Some would say this is the biggest story of the summer so why wouldn’t the media release it? I think most are thinking however, that they would NEVER want to be the news station or newspaper that was associated for spoiling the ending of the most anticipated book of the year – for children and adults.

As a very big Harry Potter fan myself, thank you to the media. For once not releasing breaking news, you have made me and millions others Harry Potter enthusiasts very happy. A surprising twist near the end of the Harry Potter story.

So, reading Heather Green's post today on Blogspotting got me thinking, or should I say, it reminded me of how important local papers are. Local papers are what started the media, then came radio and so on. Do you read your local paper? And if you do, do you read it with the same purpose as you did years ago? I have found myself reading the Nashua Telegraph late at night, and mainly for local events and the crossword. Just a few years ago, I would make time in the morning to read it before I started my day so I would know what was going on in the world. Now, I think I would paralyzed if I could not read my RSS feeds first thing in the morning. How do you get your news?

So now that Rupert Murdoch has bought the venerable Wall Street Journal for a cool $5 billion will he keeps his hands off of it? In other words, will he stay out of the kitchen and let the reporters and editors cook up their own editorial stew? That's a key question as many reporters are no doubt watching how new ownership will impact their independence. As a former reporter, I know that journalists cast a wary eye at outsiders. At the same time, all you can really do is tell it like it is.

To paraphrase the immortal Al Davis, just report, baby.

Almost three years after hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is proud to be hosting one of the greatest - and in my opinion - the most entertaining winter sporting events: the 2008 NBA All-Star game. No stranger to housing some of the greatest athletic feats, like the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and the BCS Championship Game, the city is ramping up for what promises to be yet another unforgettable game.

Starting for the West are Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, and Yao Ming.

And up until last night, the East’s starters included Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, and Dwight Howard. But, don’t hold your breath, sources are now reporting that Boston’s Kevin Garnett will no longer be taking part due to a strained abdominal muscle.

Also missing from this year’s lineup, but not for medical reasons, is Shaq, which is generating a fair about of buzz in the world of sports.

Aside from the game, all stars will also be taking part in the Skills Challenge, the Three-Point Shootout, and the renowned Slam Dunk Contest, where each athlete longs to defy gravity for just a little longer than the last. After all, who can forget Jordan’s famous free throw line dunk!?

Some of my personal favorites will be headlining in the 3-point shooting contest, including Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash .

And hailing from Syracuse, I have to give props to Carmelo Anthony, SU’s National Freshman of the Year in 2002-2003. He never fails to deliver a stellar performance for the Denver Nuggets.

Now, if you’re lucky enough to be heading to New Orleans for the week, like my sister and her sports marketing class at Niagara University, (ahem...no, I’m not at all jealous!) be sure to soak up some of Louisiana’s most delectable dishes, its rich history, and, most importantly, donate to the continuing rebuilding and development efforts.

The Boston Marathon is one of my favorite events of the year and will be taking place this coming Monday. As someone who has ran the Marathon, I can appreciate putting a lot of effort into something over a long period of time – with the “finish line” miles away. The same holds true for business press outreach. This week alone, we secured a great hit in the Wall Street Journal for one of our clients and have coverage coming out in USA Today. What makes these opportunities special (in addition to being in two top national media outlets) is that they came to fruition as a result of a lot of diligence, hard work -- and patience over time.

Securing a briefing with a business publication doesn’t automatically equal secured coverage. Relationships with reporters and editors need to be nurtured. Not only do you have to present them with a viable trend/story and then support it with compelling reference points (numbers, customers, analysts, etc.), you need to build a strong rapport with that reporter – during the briefing and beyond. Further, you need to recognize that things come up (a lot) and a reporter may need to push off a planned article. It doesn’t mean it won’t run – it is just not going to run when planned. When this happens, the important thing is to keep in touch with the reporter (without stalking them), letting them know you are a resource for them, while keeping your client top of mind. When done the right way, the article will eventually run and the benefits will follow. So….when it comes to business press coverage…keep your eyes on the prize…and you will win the race!

As PR professionals, we're all looking for new ways to secure our clients coverage and shine that spotlight on their new offerings and unique approaches. Yesterday, the CTO from JackBe, John Crupi was highlighted on a Network World 'Whiteboard' - We're seeing more and more traditional magazines and dailies go the video route - even our backyard paper the Boston Globe is making a point to add more video coverage. Not that traditional media briefings and opportunities have gone away, it's just another way to get your clients message out there. Check it out:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1243511167/bctid1517411419