1. PR Writing class Abilene Christian University
Media Relations
PR Writing class Abilene Christian University

2. What’s new at your Texas organization?

3. Defining news
Why is understanding the nature of news important to the subject of public relations writing?
What is meant by “consequence”?
Why is “proximity” important?
Which of the five characteristics of news do you think PR people most often overlook when sending info to the media? Why?

4. Writing for the media News releases Media advisories Q&As or FAQs
Fact sheets or backgrounders
Feature stories and profiles Press kits
Newsrooms on Web sites

5. Media relations terms What is a media directory?
Who publishes media directories?

9. Media relations terms What is a media list?
Where do you get a media list?

10. Media relations terms What is a newswire service? What is PR Newswire?
What is Business Wire?

14. Media relations exercises

15. Welcome to M.D. Anderson
Scenario: You’re the newly hired media relations director at M.D. Anderson.
Which media would matter to you? Who would be your priority to initiate contact with? Why?
What could you do in order to better get acquainted with the media?
How could you build a better relationship with the media?

16. Welcome to AT&T
Scenario: You’ve just been named media relations chief at AT&T.
How would you get yourself established within the company?
Would you initiate contact with journalists or wait and let them contact you? If so, how and with whom?
What would be some of your guidelines for effectively dealing with the media?

17. Welcome to AT&T
Scenario: As media relations chief for AT&T, you have an important interview today with a new reporter on your beat.
What could you do prior to the interview to make it more successful?
Is it OK to discuss last year’s previously reported sales and earnings results? What about projected results for this coming year?
What would you do if the reporter asks a question you don’t know?
What shouldn’t you do after the interview is over?
How do you handle it if the reporter makes a mistake in her story?

18. For our next class Read Chapter 4, pages 76-84
Do Exercise # 5, page 84