UNIT – 13: MEDIA RELATIONS
Contents
13.0 Objectives
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Meaning and Scope
13.3 Concept of Media Relations
13.3.1 PR Manager –
person in the middle
13.4 The need for Media Relations
13.4.1 Editors
comment on PR Press Releases
13.4.2 Complaints
from the Media
13.5 Understanding the Media
13.6 Principles of Good Media Relations
13.6.1 Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee
13.7 What Makes a good Media Relations Manager?
13.7.1 Measurement
of media coverage
13.8 Social Media
13.9 Summary
13.10 Answers to self assessment questions
13.11 Model Examination Questions
13.12 Glossary
13.13 References
13.0 OBJECTIVES
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
·
Define Media – Print, Electronic & others
·
Identify the need for media relations in order to get fair
coverage for your organization;
·
Explain the media requirements i.e. feeding them with news
oriented material;
·
Describe the methods through which good media relations can
be promoted for an organization;
·
Explain the attributes that go into the making of good Media
Relations Officer.
13.1 INTRODUCTION
Public Relations Manager as a person in the middle has to
understand the requirements of his/her management on one side and the needs of
media on the other to provide media-oriented press material for an effective
coverage. Media coverage of an organization depends on maintaining good media
relations and serving the media effectively. Therefore, media relations are
based on certain principles and it is nothing more than serving the media. In this unit it is explained as to what is
media and various factors that go in building up good media relations for an
organization.
People
working for media & public relations are referred to as cousins because
both are in the business of communication. They are two sides of the same coin.
But, news reports seek trends and context. Reports face intense scrutiny. Media
need quick and non-bureaucratic response. Seek information especially at odd
time. Media expects tip-offs about the industry from time to time. Journalists
are multi-tasking, over-worked and naturally seem to be tough and inaccessible.
PR should be of a helping hand to the media and not a hurdle. Excellent relationship
with one reporter is not enough. PR manager must have good relations with all
the media representations who matters.
13.2 MEANING AND SCOPE
A medium is a communication channel through which news,
entertainment, education, data or promotional messages are disseminated. Media
includes all broadcasting and narrowcasting media such as newspapers,
magazines, television, radio, cinema, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax,
mobile phone and also Internet based social media tools like websites, blogs,
youtube, twitter, face book, linkedIn etc.
Media is the plural of medium but also used as singular when referring
to ‘media relations’ just as ‘public relations’.
When there were only newspapers, the PR manager maintained
only press relations and used to write press releases or press notes. As the scope of media is widened with the
addition of various other electronic modes of communication, the PR manager is
expected to maintain media relations now with all media. The press release or press note is now to be
termed as media release. The scope for media relations is wider in view of
increasing number of print and electronic media. Growing media not only creates
opportunities but also pose challenges to public relations practitioners.
Self assessment question – I
1.
What do you understand
by media?
13.3 CONCEPT OF MEDIA
RELATIONS
Let us look at the media scenario of the country to
understand its size. There are over 82,222 newspapers and periodicals with a
circulation of about 33 crore copies in 2011 in India and it is the biggest
newspaper market in the world. India has over 800 satellite channels that
constantly beam programs over 270 radio stations broadcast news and current
affairs. Media influences public opinion, which is fundamental and vital in a
democratic setup. It is for this reason that media relations assume greater
importance in the practice of public relations. Public Relations in the process
of reaching its goal has to utilize various media of communication such as the press,
radio and television etc. Without close
rapport and better service, it will be difficult for any PR person to get
coverage for the activities of organization in the media. It is, therefore, necessary for a PR Manager
to understand and study the concept of media relations. Among the various media
relationships, press relations form an important part of the PR process. Good relations by a PR manager with the
newspapers will undoubtedly shape the PR campaign of the organization for the
better results.
A PR Manager, among others, has to deal with the three
important media such as the newspapers, radio and television. The radio and television were earlier
controlled by the Govt. Except All India
Radio, Doordarshan and certain periodicals published by Govt, the entire print
and electronic media is in the private sector.
13.3.1 PR Manager – Person in the Middle
In fact, the PR practitioner is a link between the management
and the media. Being a person in the
middle, the PR practitioner must understand the needs and requirements of both
the management and the media and gain their confidence. Gaining the confidence
is not an easy task, because the interests of the management and the media
often do not agree. Managements want
news to be published in a manner that will promote their policies and business
interests. They do not relish any criticism
whatsoever in the media. Whenever
criticism or critical writings appear in the media they re-act. There are certain cases both in the private
and the Government sector to stop advertisements to the newspapers, when
critical writings were published. Some organizations tend to use advertisements
support as a lever to control the press. But this is not the correct approach
to deal with the press.
On the other hand, the media particularly the newspapers like
to publish only such news that interests a large number of readers. News of readers’ interest alone is useful to
the newspaper. The Editor always tries
to keep his masters i.e. the publisher and the readers in view while publishing
the news and not the management masters of PR manager. It may thus be seen that
both sides – the managements of various organizations and media managements -
have legitimate ground about serving their respective masters namely the Chief
Executives and the readers respectively.
PR manager who is a link between the management and the media has to
bridge their view points and bring each side around to understand the problems
and perceptions of the other. This can
be achieved through better media relations.
If public relations can be defined as managing relations and
understanding between and organization and its publics in getting company’s
products or services understood and acceptable, the media relations is termed
as the art of persuading the press that the same organization is worth getting
media coverage. The most successful press campaigns are those which translate a
company’s marketing and corporate objectives into media objectives. Media relations is nothing more than serving
the media, but there are some basic ground rules and guidelines that need to be
followed.
Good media relations are created and maintained only through
honest and reader/listener/viewer oriented useful news service provided in an
atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding.
Service is the essential element in media relations. PR manager is
therefore required to acquire knowledge of the techniques of maintaining good
media relations both in the interest of the media and the organization which
he/she represents. He has to develop
skills in media relations such as writing for media, organizing media events
like press conferences, press briefings, press tours etc
Self assessment question – II
2.
What is meant by media
relations?
13.4 THE NEED FOR MEDIA RELATIONS
Here are a few extracts from an article by the
Editor-in-Chief of a major daily newspaper on ‘press notes’ which justify the
need for good press relations. Every
organization tends to gain coverage in newspapers. But space in newspapers is limited. Against this background, effective media
relations would undoubtedly enable organizations to get fairer coverage for
their activities
13.4.1 Editors comment on media relations
‘The Editors are appalled to see the sloppy copy that comes
in the form of a press note. Though the author of such a press note is a
qualified Public Relations Officer, there is no professional touch in many of
the press notes. Every copy needs a
re-write man’. It doesn’t mean that the Editors look forward in such Press
Notes any ready-made material that can go straight to composing. ‘What is required is a good copy and
up-to-the-point matter. In a day, an
Editor receives 300 to 400 Press notes and if every press note runs into a
number of pages, not only he may not have time to go through all, but he will
be terribly bored, with the result, important ones will go un-noticed’.
Press notes are not the only source of news for the
Editor. He has pages and pages of other
eligible matter from internal sources like agency copy and reports received
from correspondents/reporters that are likely to get priority. The share of the press notes in the news
column may be in the range of only 5 to 10%. For this, one cannot expect the
Editor to spend his whole day going through the press notes. So, the Public
Relations Officer’s aim should be to fight for drawing Editor’s attention with
the limited time he has at his disposal.
There is a tendency to stuff the press notes with propaganda
material. The authors should first of
all know the difference between the publicity and propaganda and they should
confine themselves to gain publicity for a particular event or activity and not
try to brain-wash the editors or propagate their viewpoint. Editors are not that naïve to be unable to
distinguish between the two. If the
press notes are losing credibility among the Editors, it is because of this
tendency of the Public Relations Officers to load them with propaganda
material. The Public Relations Officers should make it a point to prepare the
press notes in a crisp news format. On
the contrary, if it is stuffed with propaganda, it is bound to reach its due
place in a newspaper office, i.e. the ‘dustbin’ or a ‘waste paper basket’.
While sending the press notes, if the Public Relations
Officers give instructions to the Editors as to how they should be treated, it
would annoy the Editor. For example, there was a press note with the following
instructions from a Govt Department. The views of Editor-in-Chief are very
valid. Such press notes from PR create
bad media relations and PR suffers both in the eyes of managements and
newspapers. What is needed is that PR managers must know the requirements of
media and serve them with news, the way in which they are accustomed to
publish. This forms part of media
relations
13.4.2 Complaints from the Media
Complaints often heard from the media about public relations media
releases are:
1.
Public Relations Manager always tries to color and suppress
free flow of legitimate news under the influence of management.
2.
Public Relations Manager is not free to select news of
readers’ interest.
3.
Management influences the Media for getting into news columns
only with positive news.
4.
Most of the Public Relations Managers are ignorant of media
requirements and that they do not have the real concept of news.
5.
Public Relations media releases are boss-oriented and not
readers-oriented.
6.
They use adjectives and flowery language to please their
management.
7.
Public Relations managers are ignorant of journalistic
writings and news values.
8.
They do not have adequate knowledge of the latest techniques
in media trends.
9.
Media releases are not delivered on time in the newspaper
offices in tune with the schedules of different editions.
10.
Public Relations managers give only positive news, while
concealing news of negative nature.
Pitfalls mentioned above and the comments of the Editor
described earlier clearly highlight the shortcomings of press relations.
Therefore, media relations assume greater importance in the art of public
relations not only to avoid the pitfalls but also to get good coverage in the
media.
Self assessment question – III
- How do you justify the need for media relations in the
practice of public relations?
13.5 UNDERSTANDING THE MEDIA
Most of the complaints from the media against public
relations media releases are due to the fact that the public relations managers
are not aware of the actual requirements of the media and news values. How the
media works should be a matter of utmost importance for public relations to
send press material the way in which the newspapers are accustomed to publish. The structure of newspaper organization also
has to be clearly understood in order to develop good relations with respective
media persons. Newspapers are also categorized based on their contents,
geographical area of operation and circulation.
We have national dailies, Sunday newspapers, regional newspapers, local
newspapers, news agencies, wire newspapers, freelance journalists, foreign
journalists etc. Content-wise newspapers include like women’s magazines,
sports, children, science and technology, business, commerce, youth etc. An updated list of newspapers and journalists
should always be available with the public relations department. ‘Press in India’ annual report of the
Registrar of Newspapers for India can help you understand the newspapers, their
contents circulation and periodicity.
Different media need to be approached in different ways
because their requirements are different.
If some newspapers use press notes, while some other newspapers use
feature material. This has to be
understood clearly by the public relations manager. A press conference if held
late in the evening may not get good coverage in the next day’s newspaper. The requirement of a daily newspaper is,
unless it is very important, press conference of a VIP should be organized in
the forenoon, so that the media could cover the same in detail in the next
day’s all editions. Therefore, the
deadlines, the schedules, requirement of news of various newspapers should be
known to public relations manager to cater to the needs of the press. Likewise, the other requirements of writing
for the press shall be understood. A
thorough understanding of the functioning of the press and its requirements is
a pre-requisite for good media relations.
13.6 PRINCIPLES OF GOOD MEDIA RELATIONS
Better media relations are maintained by public relations
managers by practicing certain principles such as good service, honesty,
frankness, impartiality, accuracy, helping attitude etc. Here are ten guidelines.
1. Good service: Better service is the key
to success of press relations. What the
press expects is that the public relations should feed them with the news of
public interest. The best way to gain
the confidence of media is, therefore, to provide them with press material in
the form in which it is published.
Newspapers publish news and views in various forms, like news reports,
features, letters to the editor etc.
Be Pro-active: Having understood the
media expectations, the PR manager can anticipate media needs and provide with
the appropriate news stories. Keeping in
view the market situations, the PR manager can create news worthiness for his
services and products. PR manager often
tends to be reactive which is not correct. Being proactive and gaining the goodwill
of the media by providing newsworthy stories yields better results.
2.
Impartiality: PR should never develop partiality towards any of the media
personnel. A fundamental principle in PR
is that a PR manager can not favor only one news source, ignoring others or at
the expense of other news outlets. When
the media men come to know that a PR manager has given a particular story only
to a few favorite friends, the PR then risks the confidence and goodwill of
other newsmen. As part of good media
relations, it is advisable that media releases should be sent to all and not to
a few selected ones. One should be impartial.
3. Oral
request for publication: It is the practice with some PR managers to telephone and ask
newspapers to publish their stories. It
is interesting to know that once a PR person representing the textile company
went to a News Editor with a press note for publication. The PR person after sometime asked the news
editor to return the press note if there was any difficulty for its publication,
so that it could be given to another newspaper.
Nothing irritates the media persons more than a PR manager who goes on
requesting the newspapers to publish their stories. If the material is not news-worthy, any
amount of personal effort in getting it published will be a futile exercise.
4. No
suppression: Once, a PR manager working for a fertilizer manufacturing company was
asked to suppress the news about a strike of the employees. But the PR manager told the management that
it was not his job to suppress the facts.
PR is based on truth. The PR
manager then suggested that the news about the welfare measures taken up by the
company for the benefit of employees, the demands accepted and the difficulties
in not acceding to the other demands of employees could be highlighted instead
of prevailing upon the media to suppress the news about the strike. The management readily agreed to the
suggestion and the views of the management and the news about the strike were
published simultaneously. A PR man therefore has no right to ask a newspaper, radio
or television to kill a story or publish the way in which the management
expects. To any media person such
requests are nothing but an embarrassment.
Such attempts will only bring ill-will and not good-will from the media.
5. Over
communication: It is the practice with some of the PR managers to send media releases
regularly whether they are of news value or not. In fact, we live in an era of information
explosion and newspapers get endless messages from all over the world either
through their own correspondents or from news agencies. If the PR manager goes on flooding the
newspapers with his material of no relevance to the readers, it may result in
negative relations. One should be very
selective in sending media releases.
Remember that any over communication or communication overload is
counter-productive.
6. Helpful
attitude in emergencies: Management confront with crises – be it a strike, a natural
calamity or an accident. In such a
situation, media persons would like to have full details of the incident which
has great relevance to readers. An incident, if not handled properly can, at
one stroke, mar the reputation of the management that was built up for several
years. Cyclones, rail, road, air and fire
accidents are a few to quote. The PR
manager must be of great help to the media and extend all possible assistance
to media men. The presentation of
unbiased facts and full information can prevent a bad situation from becoming
worse.
In all crises situations and emergencies, the following
guidelines may be followed:
a)
Give the media persons all the facts you have at your hand
quickly and explain what the organization is doing in meeting the crisis.
b)
Establish a control room which could feed the media round the
clock.
c)
Explain the measures taken up by the organization to provide
relief measures.
d)
Explain the losses and the extent of damage.
e)
The best way to explain the situation would be to invite the
media persons to the scene of accident and enable them to see for themselves
and write stories.
7. Media Enquiries:
Media persons
often ask PR managers certain information about the organization. The PR manager must answer all their
questions promptly and accurately.
However, he/she should be careful in his/her comments. If the PR manager
does not know the answer, instead of telling the press that he does not know,
it would be more appropriate to tell the media that he would checkup from the
concerned and let them know. The PR
manager should follow it up and see that the answer is provided as early as
possible. This type of helpfulness will
help PR in building up long range media relations.
8. Rapport
with all: One
day, when a PR manager visited the news room for handing over a press note, a
senior sub-editor indirectly commented ‘how is that this PR manager who only
maintains contact with the Editor has come to the news room?’ This indicates
that the PR manager was only in touch with the Editor and not the news editor
or sub editors who actually handle the news at the desk and who really matter in
selection of news with scissors at their disposal. PR managers generally keep
contact only with the correspondents forgetting the fact that there are a
number of other news persons such as editors, news editors, sub-editors, lead
writers and special correspondents etc who matter much in the publication of
news. PR managers must establish direct
contact with all levels of newsmen. Such contact should be regular and not when
you have work with them. This is called ‘desk visit’.
9. No Confrontation:
Sometimes
uncomfortable and critical news are published in newspapers against the
managements. To deal with such
situations, highest skill is called for.
If there is any criticism about the organization in the press, it must
be contradicted and corrected in prudent and restrained language. Rejoinders, contradictions of the management
are bound to get coverage in the newspapers.
Confrontation with the press will not serve any purpose. It must be
remembered that ‘the press fires the last shot’.
10. Deserve
and desire: While dealing with the subject press, a very senior editor of a newspaper
advised PR persons to remember the dictum ‘first deserve and then desire’. This advice came in the context that the
press should be approached only if there is something worthwhile for
publication. In other words, an item
which has news value automatically deserves publication. This is the best principle of public relations
in establishing media releases.
13.6.1 Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee
In addition to the media, the PR manager is expected to
maintain cordial relations with Government Media such as the All India Radio,
Doordarshan, Films Division, Press Information Bureau, Director of Advertising
and Visual Publicity, Directorate of Field Publicity etc which are charged with
the responsibility of giving publicity to the various activities of the Govt
Departments and Public Sector undertakings.
PR managers connected with Govt Departments and PSUs can get a fair coverage
through these media units by adopting, by and large, the same principles of
media relations.
The Govt of India has constituted a State Level Inter Media
Publicity Coordination Committee at each of the State capitals with heads of
various Govt of India media units; Director of Information & Public
Relations of State Govt; PR managers of various Central and State Govt
Departments and PSUs as members. The senior most officer of the Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting stationed in the State capital will be the
chairman of this Committee. The
Committee provides an excellent forum for various PR managers of both the
Central and State Governments to design and launch publicity programmes in
collaboration with the Govt. of India media units.
Self assessment question – IV
3.
Enumerate the principles
of good media relations
13.7 WHAT MAKES A GOOD MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER
Public Relations Officer/Manager with expertise in media
relations working between an organization and the media aims at getting fair
coverage in the media based on the performance and activities. The most important and desirable attributes
that make a PR manager successful, are as follows:
1.
Understanding the Media
2.
Evolving the media goals and strategies for the organization
3.
Collection of data of public interest
4.
Journalistic writing skills
5.
Marketing news release
6.
Timely distribution of stories
7.
Accessibility to media and monitoring media
8.
Not attacking the media
9.
Not lying with the media
10. Educating the
management
Let us discuss these issues
1. Understanding the Media: PR Manager shall have a thorough understanding of the
functioning of newspapers, their deadlines, requirements of news etc. He should have an idea of the differences in
the style of local, regional and national newspapers so that they can be
exploited to the advantage of the organization by feeding them with the
reader-oriented news. Understanding of content wise classification of
newspapers is an added advantage.
2. Evolving the media goals and strategies for the organization: PR Manager should not
expect too much out of media relations.
Therefore he must evolve a media strategy with specific goals for
achievement. Goals give the incentive to
pursue the campaigns. Goals could be in
the shape of press conferences, press tours, press interviews, press releases,
features etc. They should be in tune with the corporate goals. Media strategy
with a official spokes person should have the approval of top management.
3. Collection of data of public interest: PR Manager must be able to interview
the people to get the information of public interest for writing news
stories. He must be politely persistent
in his endeavor. In his research for facts, figures and information, he must be
conscious of the value of these facts from the point of view of the ultimate
reader. Reader is the master of
newspaper. Reader is the target. It is the duty of PR Manager to check the
facts before Editors take his material on trust and publish it. Reader listener
and viewer are the masters of media. Media matters should be of their interest.
4. Journalistic writing skills: A poet or a novelist might make a
poor media relations officer. The writing of the PR manager is not to impress
or entertain the reader. His writings must be of interest and inform briefly
and clearly. Every word must count and
superlatives have no place. A media
release shall look like a news item ready to be published. Therefore
journalistic writing is different from literacy writing.
5. Marketing news release: Ability to market stories is an asset. Once a story is written, the PR manager must
know where to place it and who is most likely to publish it. This is very much like selling or marketing
even though the stories are sent to media free of charge. The marketing of media releases require a
thorough knowledge of media and the acquisition of this knowledge is a
painstaking business. The PR manager who
writes a story and then does a blanket mail to all the journals is an act of
amateur as compared to the expert who knows his media and selects the right
publication for each story.
6. Timely distribution of stories: Ability to timely distribution of
stories derives chiefly from knowing how publications are produced, printed and
distributed. If not distributed in time,
news will perish. Evening editions are
printed early in the day, while morning editions are printed at night. This must be kept in view while sending media
releases. City editions are printed at midnight.
7. Accessibility: Accessibility to the media is of utmost importance. PR
manager must be open to journalists. He should never say ‘no comment’. It is regarded as bad manners. Make sure that
someone is always available in the office after working hours and weekends. In
emergencies, the PR wing should function round the clock. In fact PR is 24X7
job.
8. Not attacking the media: Press should never be attacked. Unless required to
issue a rejoinder or a clarification, there should not be a conflict with the
press. Even the rejoinder should go in a restrained language not to offend the
media. No confrontation with the media either. Instead present the facts to
counter the criticism.
9. Not lying with the media: PR should never lie to the media. Truth is the essence
of good media relations. Therefore, lies will always be found out easily and
can create havoc with the PR manager and his Organisation. Honesty is always the best policy in media
relations. If something is not available, it shall be admitted and assured that
it will be found out and informed as soon as possible.
10. Educating the management: Media Relations programme can be successful only when
the top management is fully involved. PR manager needs the full cooperation of
his boss and understanding of all the top key management executives. Progress in press coverage shall be shown to
the top management with press clippings, from time to time. Informal meetings
shall be arranged between the management and senior journalists for mutual
understanding about their requirements. Let the top management understand the
media. Once they understand the media, the problems like asking the PR manager
to get the news published on the first page as box items can be solved.
13.7.1 Measurement of Media Coverage
Public
relations professionals are expected to use their media relations skills to
generate print and online coverage that reflects the strategic messaging,
market positioning and brand equity that their employers or clients want to
project. There are five qualitative metrics to get a better idea of whether the
results of the communication process meet strategic objectives and to assess
the potential bottom-line impact of media coverage.
The
metrics are: 1. How important is the media outlet? 2. Is the article a stand-alone or a roundup? 3. Are your key strategic messages included? 4. Is the overall perception of the story positive
or negative? 5. What is the measurable response to the
published story or article?
1. How important is the media outlet?
Clearly, print and online outlets differ greatly in terms of
readership and overall prestige. But the point is the extent to which the
outlet reaches your specific target audience—the titled individuals in specific
roles within their organizations who are the actual decision makers when it
comes to buying your products or services.
2. Is the article a stand-alone piece or a roundup?
Your
goal always is to generate stand-alone coverage, or perhaps coverage that
mentions others in passing but is clearly focused on your client. They’re not
easy to obtain, especially if your company or client is not well-known.
Roundups, which are stories that mention a host of companies in fairly balanced
coverage, diminish your mind-share.
3. Are your key strategic messages included?
Every
organization has carefully crafted words and phrases that define its brand and
influence market perception. The words may be product names, specific
technology, tag lines or slogans, or service methodologies. With today’s focus
on SEO and online keyword searches, this metric has grown in importance. It’s
critical that your media coverage include your specialized words and
phrases—the more the better.
4. Is the overall perception of the story positive or negative?
“Any coverage is good coverage” is not
correct. All we have to do is look at massive brand and financial damage
suffered in the last few years by major companies. As you assess your media
coverage, be honest about your company’s or client’s market perception based on
the positive or negative tone present in your media coverage. Similarly,
predominantly negative coverage generally will still include some encouraging
or supportive reporting. Your job as a PR practitioner is to make a judgment
about the overall perception of the coverage. Even if the good and bad seem
equivalent, you have to make a decision.
5. What is the measurable response to the published story or
article?
This
is the bottom-line metric in this discussion. Did the media coverage result in
a measurable increase in inquiries about your company or client, or the
specific product or service that was covered? Look at your Website stats, phone
call volume, e-mail traffic and other channels—including social media
activity—to get a near-term idea of the buzz and the potential bottom-line
impact of your media coverage. Longer term, you must judge collected media
coverage the only way it matters: measurable contribution to increased sales
activity. The press clippings are an indication of media coverage which should
be monitored to the management.
Self assessment questions - V
- What are the attributes of a good media relations manager?
- What is meant by media coverage measurement?
13.8 SOCIAL
MEDIA
Social media is defined as “interactive platforms via which
individuals and communities create and share user-generated contents”; “a group
of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological
foundations of web 2.0 and that allows the creation and exchange of
user-generated content”. It means social
media is social software which mediates human communication. In the year 2012, social media became one of
the most powerful sources for news updates through platforms like Face Book,
Twitter, and YouTube etc. Social media technologies take on different forms
including e-magazines, internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, micro blogging,
wikis, social networks, podcasts, photographs/pictures, videos, ratings and
social bookmarking. Social media is adopted basically for identity,
conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation and groups. If is
not monologue but dialogue form of communication.
Social media is distinct from conventional and mass media. If
mass media is referred to as Fourth Estate, social media has acquired the
status of Fifth Estate. ‘Word of mouth’ when put through social media, it
becomes virtual with viral effect. Public Relations practitioners shall get
acquainted with this medium of communication for three important reasons that
social media (1) serves as an instant public communication channel and (2)
allows reviews by the public and (3) acts as an instrument to persuade and modify
the public opinion.
Self assessment question – VI
3.
What is social media?
Why is it important to PR professionals?
13.9 SUMMARY
Like public relations, media relations is also aimed at
creation of mutual understanding between an organization and the media as a
measure to get fair coverage for the activities of the organization. Good media relations are earned and
maintained through useful news service provided to the newspapers. Various ways
and means through which effective media relations are maintained have been
explained in this unit. The points
discussed are summarized here under:
·
Press, Radio and Television are the three important mass media
available for public relations in disseminating public information. The electronic media namely All India Radio
and Doordarshan alone are under the control of the Government. Print and other
electronic media are in the private sector.
·
PR practitioner – PR Manager/Media Relations Manager – is a
link between the management and the media. He has to understand the
requirements of both the organisation and the media to serve them
effectively. Media relations may be
described as the art of persuading the press for ensuring effective coverage
through news oriented and creative information service.
·
Keep in constant touch with key media and media persons. Keep
the media contact lists up-to-date. Fulfill media requests for information,
photographs and send them on priority. Be friendly and helpful to every media
throughout.
·
Make sure that the organisation designates a few executives
to speak on the subjects which are likely to be of public interest and may
affect the organisation.
·
Evolve a media strategy to carry out media relations
programme within the goals set out to publicize events as they happen and
urgently respond to media enquiries.
·
Attributes like journalistic writing skills, efficient
marketing of news releases, timely distribution of stories, and accessibility
with media make a good press relations manager.
13.10 ANSWERS
TO SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
Self assessment question – I
1.
Media is various modes of communication viz newspapers,
radio, television, internet etc through which information is sent to the
intended people.
Self assessment question – II
1.
Good relations with media is the art of persuading the media
for coverage of organizational activities.
Good media relations are created and maintained through honesty and
readers’ oriented news service provided in an atmosphere of mutual interest and
understanding.
Self assessment question – III
- The
authors of media releases are the Public Relations Officers. But their material lack professional
touch and do not meet the requirements of media. In the process, media rejects the press
material sent by PR people. Therefore, the need for good media relations. Better
media relations are created by providing useful news service to the
media. Service is the watchword in
media relations.
Self assessment question – IV
1.
The principles of good media relations are Good service,
pro-activeness, impartiality, not to attempt suppressing the news, avoiding
over communication, helpful attitude, handling press enquiries with tact and
poise and also politely, maintaining close rapport with all categories of media
persons, not confronting with the media are some of the guidelines that promote
media relations.
Self assessment question – V
1.
The attributes of a good media relations manager are: understanding
the media, evolving media strategy, journalistic writing skills, timely
distribution of media releases, having close accessibility are some of the
attributes that make good PR manager who can manage media relations
effectively.
2.
Measuring media coverage is to ascertain the extent of
coverage the information supplied to it and to assess the result of communication
process taken up by an organization based on the coverage in the media. Press
clippings of coverage scope for
media measurement.
Self assessment question – VI
1.
Social media is social software which mediates human
communication. It acts as an interactive platform to create and share user
generated contents. It is important because it serves as an instant public
communication channel. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs are examples of social media.
13.11 MODEL
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Answers the following questions
in about 30 lines each
1.
What do you mean by Media Relations? How do you develop good
media relations for your organisation?
2.
Every PR manager finds himself ‘the man in the middle’,
forced to face the dilemma posed by what the managements expects him to do and
what is required by the Editor. Discuss
what steps you recommend to improve good media relations for your company.
Answers the following
questions in about 15 lines each
1.
What are the principles to be followed by a PR manager for
maintaining effective media relations?
2.
What are the attributes of a good media relations officer and
how media coverage is measured?
13.12 GLOSSARY
Media = Channels
of communication [Newspapers, Radio, Television etc]
Media relations = Maintenance
of relations with Media
Media release = A
note/release meant for publication by any/all of the media
Media events = Conferences,
Briefings, Tours etc organized to inform the media
Media target = Reader/Listener/Viewer
i.e. the ultimate consumer of news
Newspaper = Daily,
weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly, biennial, annual
Press = Print
medium [Newspaper]
Press relations = Maintenance
of relations with print media
PR manager = Public
Relations Officer/Media Relations Officer
Social Media = People’s
mode of communication using various internet tools
13.13 REFERENCES
Publication Division, Govt of
India (1) Mass Media in India – 2012
CV Narasimha Reddi Dr (1)
How to be a good PRO, the guide to Public
Relations, Sharada Publications, Hyderabad
(2) Effective Public Relations & Media Strategy,
Prentice
Hall of
India, New Delhi
Subir Ghosh Mass
Media Today in the Indian context, Profile Publishers, Calcutta
-
Y. BABJI
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