Photo courtesy of Zoetnet on Flickr

Newspapers are dying out. Traditional media is becoming extinct. Everything is being digitized. As one who originally went to college to pursue a journalism career, I changed career paths shortly after graduating because the buzz about the dwindling newspaper industry scared me right out of my mind. [...]]]>

Photo courtesy of Zoetnet on Flickr

Newspapers are dying out. Traditional media is becoming extinct. Everything is being digitized. As one who originally went to college to pursue a journalism career, I changed career paths shortly after graduating because the buzz about the dwindling newspaper industry scared me right out of my mind. However, a recent survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project is proving that many, including my own, assumptions were slightly off track.

Newspapers lead the Internet in readership, albeit by a small margin. Twenty-seven percent of U.S. adults say they get most of their news from print newspapers, followed by 24 percent saying they get most of their news from the Internet. Of course, television still dominates with 67 percent of people saying they get their news coverage from TV. (This report was based on a daily tracking phone poll of Internet use. It was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from November 3-24, 2010, among a sample of 2,257 adults, age 18 and older).

While TV taking first place was no surprise, it was a bit shocking that newspapers were ahead of the Internet in 2010.  The Internet has expanded ten-fold since the days of infamous AOL dial-up. So, why are Americans sticking to their newspapers?

Perhaps because of the trusted traditional media editorial function. The Internet empowers professional journalists, bloggers and interest groups to instantly provide a wealth of content to a global audience. However, it’s hard to find anything on the Internet that provides the sustained, systematic coverage that a traditional newsroom provides.  Based on this simple fact, no matter how advanced technology and the Internet becomes, I believe traditional newspapers will always be a part of the American way of life … at least for the foreseeable future. The nation’s 1,400 dailies may face stiff competition from digital journalism, but they are far from extinct.

Year of the Rooster by eugevon, on Flickr

While I know 2010 was the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese calendar, it felt more like the Year of the Rooster. Those born in the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Rooster tend to be quick thinkers who are practical and resourceful. During this [...]]]>

Year of the Rooster by eugevon, on Flickr

While I know 2010 was the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese calendar, it felt more like the Year of the Rooster. Those born in the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Rooster tend to be quick thinkers who are practical and resourceful. During this very busy news year, resourcefulness was a key element to successful campaigns. Being able to identify and utilize appropriate sources for information, news, statistics, policy updates, and other resources helped campaigns achieve their communications goals for the year.

Breaking news stories this year, such as the BP oil spill and midterm election results,  impacted ongoing campaigns as well as created new outreach opportunities for new or existing campaigns. What’s more, many of these stories took on new dynamics in real-time, and had additional nuances or complexities depending on the medium in which information was delivered.  Relying on just one or two sources for news is limiting.

2010 reinforced that diversifying information resources is key. We should monitor traditional and online news sources, social media channels and pop culture trends to find the next big news angle or outreach opportunity. While tracking many resources may seem to reap more work than rewards, it’s the only way we can keep our outreach efforts whether to the media, policymakers and/or the general public, current, relevant, and effective. To aid your resourcefulness in 2011, use these free online tools to help you keep up with the news and political cycles.  They will help you become more proactive and strategically reactive in future campaigns.

Although we are entering the Year of the Rabbit, let’s keep the resourcefulness of the rooster ever present in all the communication work that we do. Forgive me for referencing another saying, but how can we make lemonade in 2011 if we aren’t able to find the lemons?

Since it looks like Twitter is here to stay, public relations professionals need to learn how to effectively use Twitter and the myriad of tools that have been developed to help us navigate the microblogging network. To help, I pulled out the 10 apps that I thought would be most useful for PR pros [...]]]>

Since it looks like Twitter is here to stay, public relations professionals need to learn how to effectively use Twitter and the myriad of tools that have been developed to help us navigate the microblogging network. To help, I pulled out the 10 apps that I thought would be most useful for PR pros from the article, “105 Twitter Apps for PR Professionals”:

1. CoTweet allows multiple people to connect to and tweet from a single corporate Twitter account. This is one of two tools I am highlighting in this post that I have used. I found CoTweet to be extremely easy to use and valuable because when needed, you can schedule tweets far in advance (I scheduled two weeks of tweets at once) and you can see what the other CoTweet-ers are doing on the account.
2. Twiler allows you to receive email updates of tweets that contain the keyword(s) that you set up. Instead of constantly checking Twitter Search or TweetDeck (see #7) you can have the tweets you want to see sent directly to your email to view at your convenience.
3. TwitTrans is a service provided by OneHourTranslation.com that translates your tweet to any language using human translators for a small fee. You can translate your tweet to Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish. I’m assuming that the translation takes an hour, but that’s a lot faster than learning a second language!
4. ConnectTweet allows groups or organizations to combine the voices of its employees into a central Twitter account. With ConnectTweet, multiple people can contribute to the organization’s Twitter account by adding a hashtag to their company-related tweets coming from their personal account. ConnectTweet grabs the tweets containing the relevant hashtag and posts them to the organization’s Twitter page along with the individual’s Twitter handle.  This is a good way to avoid having a ghostwriter for your organization’s Twitter account (see my previous post: Ghostwriting for Social Media).
5. Twitpress automatically sends a tweet each time you update or add a new post to your blog. This helps you to promote your blog without having to remember to tweet about each new post you publish.
6. TwInbox, formerly known at OutTwit, integrates Twitter into Microsoft Outlook. This tool allows you to update your Twitter status, receive updates, archive, search and more all from Outlook. Simplifying Twitter and allowing you to have fewer items open on your computer?  Sign me up!
7. TweetDeck is a real-time browser that you can use on your desktop to connect your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Google Buzz and more accounts that you monitor and use daily. The Integrated Media Services Group at Vanguard uses TweetDeck, and I have found it to be incredibly useful and organized. I can have multiple searches running for my clients at all times and can pull up TweetDeck to view these searches at my convenience.
8. TweetEffect allows you to see which tweet made people follow or unfollow you on Twitter. This could be a great tracking tool to see which messages and information are effective for your audience.
9. Twinfluence measures the combined influence of Twitterers and their followers to allow you to easily see which of your followers has the greatest influence on Twitter. Tracking success on Twitter is an ongoing question for PR professionals, and this may be a way to at least scratch the surface of this complicated question.
10. TweetBeep is similar to Twiler in that it sends you an email when your keyword(s) is mentioned on Twitter. The difference is that TweetBeep sends you an update every hour (which could be helpful or annoying depending on your personal preferences) and not only sends you information on people mentioning your keyword(s) but also who is tweeting your website or blog – even as a shorted URL!

What are your favorite Twitter apps?

Even for those who don’t own a Toyota vehicle, car drivers (and passengers) have been fascinated by Prius’ brake failure problems and resulting recall and federal investigation. Product recalls pose enormous PR and reputation management challenges for communicators. History gives us great examples of crisis communication successes, such as Tylenol recall in 1982, as [...]]]>

Even for those who don’t own a Toyota vehicle, car drivers (and passengers) have been fascinated by Prius’ brake failure problems and resulting recall and federal investigation. Product recalls pose enormous PR and reputation management challenges for communicators. History gives us great examples of crisis communication successes, such as Tylenol recall in 1982, as well as great failures, such as the Enron bankruptcy and scandal in 2001.

Like Rachael mentioned in her recent blog post, social media has changed the way we communicate crises information and resources. However, social media can also effectively manage brand crises for organizations too.

Take Toyota, for example. They turned to social media tools to navigate the hostile waters of frustrated car owners and a concerned public. As highlighted recently in Social Media Insider, Toyota launched Toyota Conversations to aggregate all recall news (internal and external) and the company’s communication channels on to one Web site. The site is powered by TweetMeme, and it’s designed to collect news, videos and images posted on Twitter about Toyota, the company’s official Twitter feed and other important news updates for Toyota car owners.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cloudzilla/ / CC BY 2.0

It is important to note that posts on Toyota Conversations are not moderated by Toyota.  Instead, they allow positive and less flattering posts from Twitter recall conversations to be shared and public. In essence, this Web site serves as a “listening post” for Toyota communicators, helping them stay informed and in tune with what is being said and shared during the crisis.

Transparency is important for successful crisis communication efforts, and using social media tools to aggregate honest conversations (and frustrations) can help organizations recover from crises and allow brands to recover faster over time.

In response to the Social Media Insider post, Denise Morrissey of the Toyota Social Media Team commented:

We consider Toyota Conversations to be a natural extension of our efforts to not only provide information about the recalls but to also listen. The recall page at toyota.com is designed to provide information for consumers. Our newsroom is set up to provide information for both consumers and media. On Facebook, we are hosting a vibrant conversation with over 81,000 folks who’ve taken the time to join our page. We reach out to folks on a daily basis via Twitter regarding their concerns in the hopes we can provide additional information for their use. And we’ve used our YouTube account to post informational videos that have been viewed by tens of thousands of people.

Now we’ve launched Toyota Conversations as both a listening post and an opportunity for interested consumers to continue those conversations. Far from being “noise”, we believe this is a great opportunity for folks to read stories about the recall in one place – at this point, it’s probably the best compendium of recall-related news stories available. And, in addition, there are a multitude of links which point readers to more information in case they have further questions.

Like Denise reiterates, Toyota Conversations is only one part of Toyota’s overall social media strategy. She makes it clear that their social media team’s overall objective is to use these tools to listen to their customers and let their concerns and questions be heard.

Sometimes in crises, just being heard can soothe outrage.  Once a crisis has passed, it can foster positive feelings about an organization. Social media can help organizations listen more closely to their audiences inner thoughts and feelings and take the temperature for how best to respond and move forward. We should all pay attention and take notes.

In my last post on Google Buzz, I promised to provide some applications for organizations seeking to take advantage of this new social network.  As the service expands, people will undoubtedly find ways to use Buzz that we can hardly imagine right now.  But as promised, here are four easy steps you can take [...]]]>

In my last post on Google Buzz, I promised to provide some applications for organizations seeking to take advantage of this new social network.  As the service expands, people will undoubtedly find ways to use Buzz that we can hardly imagine right now.  But as promised, here are four easy steps you can take right now to start using Google Buzz to advance your communications objectives:

1. Create a Google Account for your organization. Google Accounts have always given you access to a huge range of beneficial communications tools, such as Docs, Gmail, YouTube, and more.  But Buzz gives you something new – it allows your account to broadcast your issues and priorities to a public audience.  Think Twitter, but without the 140 character limit and with the ability to add photos, videos, audio, links and more.  Create a Google Account for your organization, link your social media feeds and Google Reader to it, and begin sharing your message with the Google community.  As with any social network, it may take awhile to build up your followers – but if you include links to your account on your other platforms and update with good content, they will come.
2. Monitor clients and issues. The public forum is one of the most powerful features of Google Buzz.  Not only does it allow you to broadcast, it allows you to monitor other users’ broadcasts.  At the top of your Google Buzz window, there is a search field that allows you to comb through every Buzz post that has been made public.  As users can sync multiple platforms to their Buzz account – such as Twitter, FriendFeed, Flickr, Google Reader, and others – this search is a powerful way of checking in to see what Google users are sharing with one another.  A query on the “National Rifle Association” or “SEIU” yields countless public posts from across all of these social networks.  Communicators can use this search to investigate how and why their clients are being mentioned or to better understand how an issue is being discussed.
3. Identify network influentials. This is the next logical step from step two.  Not only does the public search forum allow you to monitor issues or organizations, it also shows you the individuals that are generating conversations about those issues.  Take prominent social media enthusiast Robert Scoble – each of his Buzz updates are generating comment threads that are longer than the original post.  Using Buzz to keep close tabs on your issues or organization will show you which Google users care about your causes and which of them are generating conversation among their friends and followers.  What’s more, for the most active users, you’ll be able to see each of their social media feeds in one place, allowing you to monitor their activity on multiple platforms.
4. Engage the public. There are many ways that you can engage Buzz users.  Follow users that share items on your issues. Then follow their Twitter feeds, Flickr albums, or anything else they’ve linked to Buzz.  Some users tie Buzz directly to their email accounts, giving you the opportunity to reach out directly to those individuals you identify as valuable to your cause.  If you’ve created a Google Account for your organization, you can make direct comments on relevant issues, clarify information, or provide greater resources for individuals that are already interested in what you have to say.

These are just a few ways you can get started with Buzz.  Have other ideas that aren’t mentioned here?  I’d love to hear them in the comments.

A recent study conducted by Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University’s Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations found that a majority of reporters and editors turn to social media when conducting research for their stories:

Among the journalists surveyed, 89% said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social [...]]]>

A recent study conducted by Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University’s Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations found that a majority of reporters and editors turn to social media when conducting research for their stories:

Among the journalists surveyed, 89% said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and 52% to microblogging services such as Twitter. The survey also found that 61% use Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia.

The study also found that the reporters and editors using social media outlets for their research understood the need to verify all of the information that they find.

Eighty-four percent said social media sources were “slightly less” or “much less” reliable than traditional media, with 49% saying social media suffers from “lack of fact checking, verification and reporting standards.

To verify the information found through social media outlets and sources, journalists are turning to public relations professionals. PR professionals can provide verification of the information as well as access to additional information and experts.  From the article:

Editors and reporters surveyed said they depend on PR professionals for “interviews and access to sources and experts” (44%), “answers to questions and targeted information” (23%), and “perspective, information in context, and background information” (17%).

As journalists using social media outlets turn to PR professionals for verification and context, PR professionals should establish themselves as resources by building relationships with local reporters.  This requires public relations staff to be aware of the ongoing conversations in the social media sphere with respect to their clients and areas of expertise.  PR professionals should be constantly tracking the stories in their clients’ field of focus – in new and old media channels alike – in order to keep track of which local reporters are covering those issues.  This enables public relations staff to establish themselves as a contact to be used as a source of information and pathway to experts that can provide quotes and data as needed.  With a good relationship established, journalists will reach out to a PR professional for verification, context and expert input the next time they are working on a story.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitaldemocracy/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Understanding how best to communicate with and support refugee communities living in the United States can be a daunting challenge. In 2008, more than 60,000 refugees immigrated to the United States from all around the world. For refugee families, their arrival in America is not the end of their [...]]]>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitaldemocracy/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Understanding how best to communicate with and support refugee communities living in the United States can be a daunting challenge. In 2008, more than 60,000 refugees immigrated to the United States from all around the world. For refugee families, their arrival in America is not the end of their journey, but a beginning filled with new opportunities and many transition challenges.

Recently, I discovered a new research resource that can help communicators become more culturally and linguistically competent when reaching out to and supporting refugee communities.  The Cultural Orientation Resource Center (COR Center) develops informational materials for refugees, service providers, and anyone interested in learning more about refugee communities in the United States.

Compiled by resettlement service providers working within these communities, the COR Center “backgrounders” provide  historical and cultural characteristics about refugee groups which can help communicators  determine what strategies, tactics, and messages would be best to reach their target audience. For an example, read the recent backgrounder on Iraqi refugees living in the United States that were displaced by the Iraq war and its aftermath.

What’s more, the Center has highlighted their available resources on Haiti, including a background on Haitian history and culture, as well as an English-Haitian Creole phrasebook.  They are designed “primarily for service providers and others assisting refugees in their new communities in the United States,” and both can be viewed online or downloaded for free.

Research is the foundation of effective communication.  Thanks to this free database, we can help refugees seeking asylum in America adjust to their new country by using these documents to deepen our understanding of their past and present, but also learn to speak the same language.

Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office

The Washington Post reports that 20 percent of people may not participate in the 2010 census, even though they are legally obligated to do so. According to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, many respondents said they are too busy or uninterested to fill [...]]]>

Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office

The Washington Post reports that 20 percent of people may not participate in the 2010 census, even though they are legally obligated to do so. According to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, many respondents said they are too busy or uninterested to fill out the 10 question form, while many others simply distrust the government or worry about privacy.

In response to concerns from national civil rights groups, the Census Bureau has been touting a $133 million advertising campaign, which includes television spots in 28 different languages. The Bureau estimates it will reach the average person 42 times with slogans such as the “2010 census – it’s in our hands.”

Key to the Bureau’s success will not only be its ability to offer ads in-language, but also to provide messages that respond to cultural concerns and barriers to filling out the form. The Census Bureau reports that the emphasis in the message varies with the audience, with objects, backgrounds, and other props changing in some TV ads to reach different groups.

The question is, will that be enough? With the Census launching in March, two months of positive, culturally considerate messaging might not be adequate to mitigate years, even decades, of misinformation and distrust.

Census officials say that each percentage point of nonresponse to the initial survey costs $80-90 million to hire people to knock on doors. In preparing for the 2020 census, it might be wise to consider investing that money over the next decade in long-term, culturally competent messaging that increases dialogue and understanding about the need for and benefits of this critical decennial count.

According to a recent poll by AdWeekMedia and Harris Interactive:

Just two in five U.S. adults (43%) say they read a daily newspaper, either online or in print almost every day. Just over seven in ten Americans (72%) say they read one at least once a week while 81% read a daily newspaper at least [...]]]>

According to a recent poll by AdWeekMedia and Harris Interactive:

Just two in five U.S. adults (43%) say they read a daily newspaper, either online or in print almost every day. Just over seven in ten Americans (72%) say they read one at least once a week while 81% read a daily newspaper at least once a month. One in ten adults (10%) say they never read a daily newspaper.

The poll also found that the readership of daily newspapers is “graying.” Nearly two-thirds of those aged 55 and older (64%) reported that they still read a daily newspaper almost every day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drb62/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

So what does this new data mean for media outreach planning? Well, it demonstrates that when developing media strategies and particularly, media lists, we can’t rely solely on daily newspapers anymore. Instead, diversifying the types of outlets included in media outreach is key to expanding the reach of our messages, as well as connecting with younger audiences.

However, we can’t ignore daily newspapers completely. Daily newspapers continue to influence, and at times drive, the daily news cycle. Their value is no longer the size of their readership alone, but how their stories and coverage of issues are picked up by other media channels.

2009 was a rough year for the media business and challenges will continue this year. To keep track of how the media, especially newspapers, are fairing in 2010, follow TheMediaisDying on Twitter for daily updates about outlets closing and reporting staff changes.