I have always been curious about why people become journalists.  What compels them to spend their lives seeking out the news? What makes them tick?

My current obsession is Anderson Cooper, the anchor of CNN’s nightly news roundup Anderson Cooper 360º .

Cooper fascinates me. He’s the son of heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, the “poor little rich girl” who grew up to head a fashion empire that launched millions of pairs of tight-fitting jeans. He’s the great-great-great-grandson of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, whose statue stands at New York’s Grand Central Station.

This guy could have gone the route of many heirs to fortunes and sat around doing nothing but enjoying the fruits of his family’s labors.

So why become a reporter who frequently puts himself in harm’s way to cover bloody conflicts and natural disasters? With no formal journalistic education, Cooper has said the loss he felt after his older brother committed suicide compelled him to search for answers as a reporter:  “I think when you experience any kind of loss, especially the kind I did, you have questions about survival: Why do some people thrive in situations that others can’t tolerate?”

While he has proven himself to be a serious journalist, Cooper has a breezier side. He took a break from covering breaking news with a two-year stint hosting the reality show The Mole. He banters with bawdy comedian Kathy Griffin during their annual New Year’s Eve countdown specials in Times Square. He sandwiches the satirical “The RidicuList” segment into his otherwise staid nightly news program (his giggle fit during a recent RidicuList story is now the stuff of YouTube legend and, at last count, has been recommended by almost 15,000 people on Facebook). And although he’s a celebrity of sorts in his own right, he frequently seems smitten with movie stars and other show biz personalities.

To me, Cooper’s appeal as a journalist is that he comes across as genuine, not a robotic talking head. He’s relatable, even goofy at times. He can laugh at himself, which reflects his approach to anchoring the news: “I think the notion of the traditional anchor is fading away, the all-knowing, all-seeing person who speaks from on high. I don’t think the audience really buys that anymore. I think you have to be yourself, and you have to be real… I tend to relate more to people on television who are just themselves, for good or for bad, than I do to someone who I believe is putting on some sort of persona.”

Cooper recently announced he’s adding daytime talk show host to his repertoire: Anderson debuts on September 12.

My curiosity duly piqued, I’ll be tuning in. How about you?

The recent brouhaha (I wrote this post so I could use the word “brouhaha”) over The New York Times’ decision to bar tech columnist David Pogue from serving as a paid speaker at PR conferences underscores the perpetually fraught dynamic between journalists and PR professionals.

Arthur Brisbane, the paper’s public editor who moved to take action against Pogue’s participation in such events, notes, “The “Pitch Me” presentation might strike some as pretty harmless. But there is a reason why The Times ethics policy proscribes it. Times readers deserve to be assured that journalists don’t get too cozy with the P.R. professionals who strive to influence coverage.”

Here’s the thing: Journalists have been participating in these types of events and relying on PR pros/their clients for ages. A PR person’s objective is to get his/her client’s story heard. That involves knowing key influencers (reporters, editors, producers, bloggers, etc.), building relationships, and crafting and delivering stories in a way that makes them stand out. A journalist’s objective is to find a good story and tell it in an engaging and balanced way. These goals are not in direct conflict. A good journalist does reporting and research to determine what’s really newsworthy and to get a picture of the broader context. Relationship building is very much part of the process for both parties.

Interestingly, in this era of overwhelming 24-7 digital communication journalists actually seem to be more open than ever to face-to-face meetings. Case in point: I was in The New York Times offices just a couple weeks ago introducing my client, a professor at IMD, a business school in Switzerland, to a colleague of Pogue’s at The New York Times. I was able to interest the reporter in taking the meeting by presenting my client as a potentially useful resource for the types of stories he typically writes. It was, of course, up to the journalist to evaluate my client’s information and expertise. I’d have to be some kind of magician to talk him or any other good reporter into writing a story with no news value, so Brisbane’s underlying concern about journalists and PR people getting “too cozy” strikes me as an underestimation of the writer’s competency.

What’s your feeling about it?

After getting a lot of “feedback” (read: brouhaha) Brisbane’s now working on a follow up column “PR professionals: bane or a boon?” and he’s seeking input, so weigh in here, there, or in both places, if you’d like.

Rupert Murdoch

There are some people who believe the only truly pure news is the weather forecast.

How ironic it is that forecasting the weather used to be more about entertainment than news. Consider that Diane Sawyer was referred to as a “weather bunny” back in the days she worked as a forecaster at a TV station in Kentucky.

With the advent of Doppler radar, forecasting the weather went from iffy suggestion (“you might want to grab your umbrella on the way out the door today”) to life-saving directive (“a Category 5 hurricane will make landfall on the Outer Banks by midnight tonight”).

As media mogul Rupert Murdoch weathers his own storm today, appearing before the British Parliament to defend his tabloids’ alleged illegal tactics, I was again reminded of the current nature of the news, and how it has become more about titillation than information.

Some believe the News of the World scandal is a sad commentary on the failure of corporate leaders to keep a tighter rein on the actions of their employees.  But as a PR person, I am prompted to consider just how low so-called journalists can go in pursuit of the next big headline.

For some, it’s all about the race to the bottom. When did bribing police and hacking personal phone lines become acceptable journalistic practices?  In today’s tough economic times, perhaps these journalists thought their jobs depended on uncovering and reporting – by any means possible – the most salacious and shocking stories. Grieving families of terror victims and murdered children be damned.

Or maybe it’s just always been this way – the muckrakers (in the original sense of the term) vs. the scandal-mongers.

As media continues to morph on a daily basis, many are predicting the death of journalism. Yet there is still cause for optimism. Blogger Lauren Rae Orsini, an unabashedly dedicated young journalist, puts it this way: “I worry that a lot of young journalists have given up because they don’t see the opportunity that still exists, even as the state of the media changes. My story is the reminder that many of us need. Journalism jobs are dead. Journalism opportunities are everywhere.”

She continues, “In 2011, there are so many ways a young woman can use her journalism degree. She simply needs to look outside of the box of ‘traditional’ journalism jobs and not wait for The New York Times to hire her when she can become a fully realized journalist on her own.”

For Orsini, “the tenets of journalism that I learned in school have remained my life philosophy: Be curious. Be honest. Be bold.”

Perhaps she could teach Murdoch and his minions a thing or two.

Newsflash: Effective communications strategy in 2011 is all about authenticity and transparency. Despite the fact that these two words are part of just about every industry conversation, we continue to see public relations firms make ethical missteps when it comes to counseling their clients.

USA Today reported yesterday the venerable Burson-Marsteller was behind a “whisper campaign” that encouraged newspaper reporters to expose Google’s Gmail feature Social Circle as a breach of individual privacy and a violation of federal fair trade rules. PR people share story angles with journalists. But when you try to plant a story – positive or negative – without exposing whose interests you’re representing, that’s not okay.

Adding shock to disbelief, the person behind the campaign is former CNBC correspondent, Jim Goldman. Some industry insiders hypothesize that he was working on behalf of Microsoft or Apple. This incident reminded me of when 5W PR allegedly sent out a tip to reporters that Lady Gaga was wearing its client’s body shaper – based on a false rumor they received from their own client!

How many breaches of editorial standards do there need to be in order for people to learn there are limits to what you should do to secure ink?

Late last month I traveled to Las Vegas to attend the SHOT Show, the largest and most comprehensive trade show for professionals involved with the shooting and hunting industries, on behalf of UTM, a client that manufactures training ammunition systems for military and law enforcement agencies. 

The company organized a demo day for existing and prospective customers where they could learn and interact with the company’s products — gun bolt conversions, which adapt standard service weapons for use in various real-world training scenarios and training ammunition, which includes man marker rounds (MMR), target bullet rounds (TBR) and blanks (SBR& BBR) for use in pistols, rifles, submachine guns (SMG) and select machine guns.

Having practiced PR for nearly 15 years, I’ve seen journalists completely change their tune regarding a product or service once they’ve had the opportunity to try it for themselves.  As such we decided to invite select journalists to the UTM demo in Sin City. 

We’ve all heard the old adage that “great products sell themselves.”  And in a sense we are in the business of selling our clients’ stories.  Our pitch often resonates most when a journalist can have first-hand experience with the product. The UTM demo was a great success with high attendance by customers, prospects and journalists.  We had multiple media appointments booked throughout the day and the feedback was similar across the board.  “I knew your product was interesting and I’d read your press materials but NOW I truly understand it.”

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention what differentiated this demo from the dozens of others I’ve witnessed over the years.  With this demo we actually had the opportunity to shoot a journalist!  UTM’s  Man Marker Round is commonly used in force-on-force training scenarios, where military and law enforcement professionals run through real-world combat situations.  To understand the minimal pain penalty, the impact felt when the Man Marker Round hits protected skin, and to be able to accurately explain the product’s accuracy to readers, some journalists volunteered to have a MMR shot at them.  Of course they followed guidelines and wore two layers of clothing, gloves, a facemask and goggles. 

If your company is planning to attend an industry trade show where various influencers are present, consider scheduling product demonstrations.  And remember to keep the following tips in mind when demonstrating your product to a journalist:

·         Set up an “education” area where reporters can learn about the technology and nuances of the product

·         Think through possible photography shots that might appeal to a journalist and stage those shots in advance (we live in a multi-media world and as a result journalists often wear many hats, i.e. reporter, editor and photojournalist)

·         Set up a demonstration-only area

·         If you are conducting a demonstration that is open to people outside of the media, inform other parties that a journalist will be present while they are at the event (having a customer make an inaccurate statement or joking comment may reflect poorly on your brand)

·         The standard sales pitch will have to be modified for a media demonstration, so speak to how your product fits in with current news trends and angles; think of yourself as a resource rather than salesperson

And remember your efforts aren’t over when the booth or demos are broken down.  Continue to communicate with journalists and influencers after the show to ensure you maximize buzz that started around a product demonstration. 

The term “press release” bothers me.

Historically, I’m told, “press release” referred to the targeting of news to newspapers, while “news release” encompasses all forms of media. I know it’s the perpetually idealistic (read: hard-headed) journalism student in me, but in my mind, a press release implies that the issuer is just out to get “ink,” news value be damned. I prefer the term “news release” because it conveys the loftier goal of providing information that is genuinely valuable to the intended audience.

You’ll be happy to know I’m not as much of a stickler on this issue anymore. I guess I’ve softened a bit, and using the term “press release” is not as angst-ridden for me as it used to be.

A trivial point? Perhaps. But semantics aside, I always keep in mind the higher purpose of a release so I’m sure to serve my clients well. That means constantly asking, “What’s the news?”

We live in a world teeming with information and countless channels for delivering it. The cliché of “cutting through the clutter” was never more accurate than it is today because there really is much more clutter than ever before. And cutting through it is getting ever tougher with each new blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Add to the mix the fact that many people can now read releases verbatim via online news databases that grab, cut and paste the releases directly from newswire feeds. It can be easy to fall into the trap of relying on such regurgitation and writing releases only for prospective customers (not to mention the SEO gods), forgetting authentic news value altogether.

Telling the client’s story well is one part of my job. But perhaps an even more important duty is to help identify, package and deliver the message in a way that truly serves the information needs of the target audience.

How do you define what’s news release-worthy?

I recently attended a trade show where my client had a booth in the exhibit hall. This particular client is an environmentally focused manufacturer committed to reducing its carbon footprint and protecting the planet for future generations. They initiated a “green action” program more than 10 years ago, before “carbon footprint” and “sustainability” became the popular terms they are today. The program includes lean manufacturing initiatives to lesson energy consumption and eliminate material waste.

The show had a dedicated press room where exhibitors could place media materials to highlight existing products or announce new ones. When planning our public relations strategy for the show, we chose to provide our media materials on USB flash drives instead of supplying hard copy kits. This decision was an instinctive one in keeping with the client’s position as well as our own. Not only does it make sense environmentally, it also lightens the load for journalists attending the show.

When I stopped by the press room to drop off our flash drives, I was surprised to find a long table laden with stacks and stacks of traditional media kits – fancy folders and elaborate packages bulging with printed materials. Many of the companies’ materials ironically touted their commitment to the environment.

This experience made me think about the importance of considering all the ways a company communicates and staying true to the brand. Certainly, a slick media kit chock-full of dazzling graphic pieces grabs attention, but what message does that send about the company’s commitment to sustainable business practices?

The new season of AMC’s hit TV series Mad Men started off with a bang (pardon the pun), with a peek into the bedroom of creative director and new bachelor Don Draper.  It also revealed the tensions inherent in the pursuit of new business at fledgling ad agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

I confess I’m a “Mad-dict,” in part because I’ve worked at a few advertising agencies in my career and many of the situations hit home for me. 

In my experience, some clients view advertising as the golden child and public relations as the bastard at the proverbial family reunion. PR can be an after-thought, while creative gets the lion’s share of the attention.  After all, how do you quantify something you can’t storyboard or plot into a media plan?

The season premiere of Mad Men, entitled “Public Relations,” opened with Don being interviewed by an Advertising Age reporter.  Don’s lackluster responses and subsequent dismissal of the interview as a waste of his time reminded me of a few clients’ view of doing media interviews.

When the article showcases Don in a less than favorable light, he’s called onto the carpet by his agency partner Roger Sterling:

Don:  He never asked me that. Did he check any of the facts?

Roger:  You didn’t give him any facts. He had to make some assumptions.

Don:  My job is to write ads, not go around talking about who I am.

Roger:  Who knows who you are? This was supposed to be an advertisement for the firm…this is a missed opportunity.

By the end of the episode, Don has an “aha” moment when he realizes the value of PR as a tool to tell the agency’s story the way he wants it to be told.  During his interview later on with the Wall Street Journal, it’s obvious Don’s in control.

Smart organizations (the Roger Sterlings) know the value of leveraging editorial coverage to their advantage.  For those that don’t (the Don Drapers), we’re here to tell them.

It’s the most basic rule of media relations: Nothing is off the record. Anyone who has prepared for a media interview –from a start-up entrepreneur to, well in this case, a five-star general — knows that any comment you make during an interview with a journalist is fair game. Why then would General McChrystal jeopardize his military career and his reputation by disparaging the President of the United States as well as other senior administration officials?

Before the article, “Runaway General” hit newsstands on Friday, June 25 General McChrystal had been summoned to Washington and relieved of his duties as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Social media networks, including Twitter, and blogs around the world suddenly erupted with discussions about the remarks made by the general and fanned the flames. Accounts of the interview process suggest that General McChrystal and his team of advisors got too comfortable with the reporter and they simply let their guard down during a long delay while stranded in Paris following the volcanic eruption in Iceland. Regardless of the circumstances, General McChrystal’s team suffered a serious lack of judgment and set in motion a firestorm that will most likely end more than one career.

We prepare clients for media interviews almost daily. Whether preparing for a basic profile or a sensitive crisis, a core tenet of our counsel is to remember that nothing if off the record. In this case, General McChrystal was not a newcomer to media interviews. Given his past record of newsworthy remarks and blunders, additional preparation was clearly needed. Before the general returned to D.C. for his meeting at the White House, the press aide who arranged the interview with Rolling Stone resigned.

Although we are not always able to control the comments and statements made by individuals, this situation reinforces the need for those of us who prepare clients for interviews to reiterate the basic rules of media training. It never hurts to remind a client one more time that everything they say can be used by a journalist. One thing is certain: General McChrystal will be the example used in many media training sessions for years to come.

It’s that time of year again for pomp and circumstance, caps and gowns, and commencement speeches given by dignitaries.

It’s been widely reported that this year’s college graduates are entering one of the most difficult job markets in our country’s history - though things look marginally better for the class of 2010 compared with the class of 2009. The opportunities seem to be with mid-size companies. According to Michigan State University’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute, companies with fewer than 500 employees expect hiring at their companies to jump 15 percent this year. But it’s still far cry from the robust job market that existed when I began my career in the late 90s during the dot-com boom.

As it was in the late 90s, the communications field — and public relations in particular – continues to be popular among college graduates. I recently read a column in PR Week by Mary Lynn Carver, vice president of PR for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that provides pointers for new grads and experienced practitioners looking to land a gig in PR. She offers the following guidance for job seekers: add calm to every situation, have a point of view and develop elephant skin. I would also add one rather simple piece of advice – READ.

My colleagues and I hear continuously from journalists who are aggravated with PR pros. Their number one complaint is we don’t know who we’re pitching and what they write about. Recent grads, and all PR pros for that matter, need to immerse themselves in multiple forms of media (magazines, online, TV, newspapers) to understand news value and how to write like a journalist. If your goal is to place a feature in Forbes magazine, then you should read every issue of the magazine, review its blogs and become a follower or fan on social media channels. Simply put, know the publication inside and out.

Just because we have the technology to make media relations more efficient doesn’t mean we can leapfrog the initial research required to effectively place stories. Resist the temptation to pull massive lists and send one email to numerous recipients using the bcc line. After all, the profession is called media relations.