PART II CHAPTER 23 PUBLIC RELATIONS
PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALISTS Work with customers, employees, and media Also consult with civic & professional groups, legislators, gov’t officials, consumer advocates, environmentalists, stockholders, and suppliers Primary task is to publicize good news about your company and its products; control any damage done by bad news Beth Johnston Public Relations Specialist for Lindbergh Schools
News Release A prewritten story about a company that is sent to the various media Guidelines: should be selected for multiple uses only send important news to media should be sent to all media: print & broadcast news releases should have continuity of theme never use the word publicity when communicating with the media
FORMAT Use letterhead Typewritten Double spaced between paragraphs Single Space within paragraph Typewritten 1 1/2 margins
NEWS RELEASES Include: Name, address, phone of contact person 1st paragraph-who, what where, when, why, how Then details in decreasing importance Identify people fully One or two pages max Five Basic Questions: Who said or did something?(Avoid opinion) What was said or what happened?(Don’t use jargon) When was it said or when did it happen? Where was is said? Why was it said or why did it happen?
OTHER DUTIES Prepare annual reports, brochures, and responses to customer inquiry Develop press kits(a folder containing articles, news releases, etc & given to the media), meet public face-to-face, organize press conferences Press conference is a meeting in which media members are invited by a business to hear an announcement about a newsworthy event
WHY IS PUBLIC RELATIONS IMPORTANT TO THE BUSINESS? Create a press release for Apple, inc. YOU are the PR specialist Create an appropriate letterhead Determine most important –least important information to share Use your notes to determine organization of the content