PRPA 602 LECTURE NOTES (PDF Flip) WEEK 3.0. - PR’s Tactics - News Releases, etc

The Graduate School: PRPA 602 Public Relations Tactics and Techniques

Lecture Notes PR’s Tactics: News Releases, etc.
Week 3.0.

In this course so far, we covered PR research and planning, and PR writing. This week we turn to
some of the specific tools PR practitioners use to communicate information to the public.

It is not unusual for PR
practitioners to face a wide variety of
writing assignments on any given
day. The illustration (right) is
representative, but does not include
all tactics’ tools available to PR
practitioners. However, these “tools”
can be used to support both your
day-to-day PR requirements. While
each of these tools (or PR products)
can stand on their own—for their
own purposes—they also should be
considered for inclusion in a PR Plan
or campaign, consistent with
organizational goals and objectives.

Additionally, within each of these
types of writing typically found in the
PR industry, there can be subsets—variations on the theme so to speak—either in form or
function. For example, news releases, which can be in a hardcopy (mailed) format, e-mailed, used
in Social Media and written in a specific format for electronic media. While this course cannot
cover each of them, we’ll concentrate on those most commonly used, stating with “news
releases”; you may find other PRPA courses cover some of these not covered in 602.

News Releases

While originally, people referred to them as “press” releases (see “Historical Note” below),
today—with the plethora of electronic (news) media in the mix, they are more correctly called
“news” or “media” to be inclusive of all forms of news media. Media release generally are a page or
two of formatted information—news—given to the media by public and private organizations. For
many, perhaps even most, public relations practitioners in local, state and federal government,
private and public companies, and PR agencies, the new release is almost a daily tool—a tactic—for
getting information to the public via the media. To the general public, news releases are
synonymous with the PR profession.

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PR—Historical Note

As background, “press releases” date from “October 28, 1906, [when] at least 50 people lost their
lives when a three-car train of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s newly equipped electric service jumped
a trestle at Atlantic City, NJ, and plunged into the Thoroughfare creek.

“That afternoon, Ivy Lee, who some consider to be the father of modern PR, created the first press
release. The Pennsylvania Railroad was one of his clients. Following the accident, Lee not only
convinced the railroad to distribute a public statement, he also convinced them to provide a
special train to get reporters to the scene of the accident.

“The New York Times was so impressed with this innovative approach to corporate
communications that it printed the first press release—verbatim—on Oct. 30, 1906 as a
“Statement from the Road.” In the weeks that followed, both newspapers and public officials
effusively praised Pennsylvania Railroad for its openness and honesty” (Search Engine Watch,
2016).

As radio, followed by television, then social media became the news avenues the public, PR
practitioners used releases to disseminate “news” in both print and electronic formats. Hence, the
philosophy changed as the term “press” was not considered inclusive of the electronic media,
especially as the latter began to see themselves as entities that stand on their own—they were not
“press.”

Some suggest that the news release is dead or dying. Just take a look at the results of a Google

search for “Is the Press Release Dead?” to see a broad range of opinions on the topic. For examples,
do a Google search for “Is the press release dead”?; here is one sample in Forbes.

News release decidedly are alive and kicking and, in some respects, growing stronger as a
primary source of news in a culture where journalism is struggling to find sustainability. Most
practitioners would advise that the call to the coroner should wait, and that the news release
simply needs to be updated to better suit the digital media age such as using social media press
releases (SMPR); more on this topic later.

News releases stay relevant and effective when they provide newsworthy content. Many, if not
most media outlets—certainly the major news (print and electronic) organizations, have a 24-hour,
7-days a week news cycle, journalists are looking for “news” and other content as fillers. (And, as
economics pressures increase journalism age-old drive be the “first”—with a story—to beat the
competition with some piece of news). Therefore, news organizations are constantly looking for
new “content,” especially content that can be used “as is” because news (and production) staffs
have shrinking. According to the American Society of Newsroom Editors, “There are about 38,000
full-time daily newspaper journalists at nearly 1,400 newspapers in the United States. That's a
2,600-person decrease from last year's 40,600. Of the 38,000 employees, about 4,700 or 12.37

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percent are racial minorities; the percentage of minority employees has consistently hovered
between 12 and 13 percent for more than a decade” (ASNE, 2013). For broad perspective on just
how the media are doing in 2016, check out the Pew Research Center’s ”State of the News Media

2016.”

Additional pressures on the media industry are reflected in this Gallup survey, which says, “The
20% of Americans who are confident in newspapers as a U.S. institution hit an all-time low this
year, marking the 10th consecutive year that more Americans express little or no, rather than high,
confidence in the institution. The percentage of Americans expressing "a great deal" or "quite a lot"
of confidence in newspapers has been dwindling since 2000, and the percentage expressing "very
little" or "none" finally eclipsed it in 2007. The percentage with low confidence has only expanded
since, tying a previous high of 36%” (Saad, 2016).

As the numbers of journalists continue to go down, more and more PR practitioners can point
to news releases that were used with few or no changes, especially by small publications that
needed content. In other instances, journalist may just use a few paragraphs or quotes from a
release, or just use the release as a basis for their own story. The overall health of the new industry
continues to be in flux. “Despite widespread talk of a shift to digital, most newspaper readership
continues to be in print. Online, more traffic to the top newspaper websites and associated apps
comes from mobile than from desktop users, and the average visitor only stays on the site for three
minutes per visit. And several larger media conglomerates spun off their newspaper divisions as
separate companies in an attempt to prevent the newspaper industry’s woes from affecting the
health of their broadcast divisions” (Barthel, 2015).

Reporters live by the motto “Trust, but verify.” Some old time journalist wags had a different
version, saying—tongue in cheek—“If your mother says she loves you, get a second source”
(Scanlan, 2003). Either is a valid point for PR practitioners to remember. Your job is to build trust
and credibility with reporters by providing accurate and complete information. Unlike journalists,
however, PR practitioners are not objective or impartial—we provide one side of a story. In other
words, you are an advocate for your clients, whether for your organization or a client. This position
is similar to role an attorney plays with his or her clients.* We leave it up to the journalist, other
organizations, or the public, to provide the other side. If the client is Dell Computers, we have no
obligation to talk about Apple’s innovative business strategies.

*Caution: In the legal world, while there is attorney—client privilege (and confidentiality),
as a PR practitioner, you have NO such similar under the law and your “communications” are not
protected.

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As Americans, we rightfully place tremendous value on having a free and
independent press. Our role as journalists is to give voice to the voiceless, and
hold our leaders and institutions accountable. But the circle is only completed
when that information is consumed by a free-thinking and engaged audience.”

~ Lester Holt (n.d.)

Print and electronic media editors must sort through information of what’s happening at any
given moment around the country and around the world from many sources or leads. Included
among the plethora of avenues for stories, are the sometimes times hundreds of news releases that
cross their desk or computer daily. Most of the releases received find the trashcan—sometimes
quickly as they are poorly focused or poorly written. These editors are always making judgment
calls as to what’s import and interesting to their readers, viewers and/or listeners.

As a PR practitioner, you job—as your organization or client’s advocate, is to get the attention of
the editor with your release. In Week 2, we covered “Finding and Generating News,” the elements
for a good story to tell. And remember, news releases generally should always contain the 5-Ws of
journalism, the “who, what, why, when and where, and sometimes “how.” It also is good to
remember that a release itself, while it may not get immediate publication, it may generate follow-
on media interest, therefore, you should be prepared for a call from a reporter or editor for
additional information or a follow-up interview, say with your “subject matter” expert or even a
storyline tangential to your initial release’s focus.

There are two basic types of news releases: “hard news” and “soft news.” The first type covers
stories of immediacy (right now!). The second type covers “nice to do” or stories without specific
time requirements. In other words, if they are published tomorrow or next week, the public will
still be informed.

Because most American journalists or reporters use
the inverted pyramid style of writing, then, as a PR
practitioner, you should as well. In doing so, you will help
the editor (journalist, writer, broadcaster or producer) --
and doing so also will bring added professional credibility
to you.

The inverted pyramid style (graphic right) begins with
the most important information and then transitions, in
the second and subsequent graphs, to less important copy.
While a direct quote from someone in the organization can
be included in the first graph, generally, an appropriate

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quote will be included in the second or third graph. Quotes, even short ones—whether from the
institution’s public relations person or the CEO, or other appropriate spokesperson, will add
additional credibility to your story.

Historically, this technique—the inverted pyramid style—came about with the telegraph and
teletype so that an editor could get the gist of a story up front and could cut anywhere after the first
paragraph and still be able to give readers the essence of the story or information. Give it try! Pick
up any newspaper and read any news articles. Starting from the bottom of the article, see if you can
remove the story, one paragraph at a time to see if the story still retains its essence. If it doesn’t,
then the editor is not doing his or her job—within a journalistic style.

From a format perspective, the lead or first graph (paragraph) for a hard news release usually
contains the five Ws of journalism and the rest of the release is in the inverted pyramid format
(descending order of of the information discussed (Figure left, Inverted Pyramid Style Writing). The
order of the "who," what," "when," "where," and "why" (and, sometimes, "how") can change
depending on the flow, style and logic of the information provided. It depends on what makes sense
and what's most important. Traditionally, to note the conclusion of the formal part of a news
release, you use: (—END—), (—30—) or hash marks (—# # #—). You may then attach other
material(s), such as a Backgrounder or other supplemental—but helpful material that directly
relates to the release.

As a general rule, the major difference between journalism writing and public relations writing
is that most—but not necessarily all PR writing—is "active" voice, whereas journalist normally
write in “passive voice.” For example:

PR style (active voice) Journalism style (passive voice)
“The plant’s closing affects forty-five “Forty-five employees will be affected by
employees.” the plant’s closing.”

For a more full discussion of news release writing and formatting, review the University of
Kansas Community Tool Box: Chapter 6, Section 3. Preparing Press Releases, which also is listed in
your course readings for this week.

To give your news release focus, here are some subject areas your release might cover (Diggs-
Brown, 2004):

 “Announcement”: You have a new product or significant organizational change, or an
event, a service, program, or similar news that has general public interest. If such
information has a “limited” public interest, then target the media that has that limited
focus. Here is where Social Media shines as a platform to get your story out—you can
target specific interest groups.

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 “Bad news”: Most organizations are “bad news” adverse, but especially today, keeping a
lid on a bad event or story is difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, as many organizations
have learned the hard way, it’s best to be truthful as quickly as possible and not make a
bad situation worse. It’s an image and reputation management issue. This also is where
your relationship with media members can be helpful. You may not be able to turn a
“lemon” into lemonade, but for good tips on how to make the best of a bad situation—
check this article on NEWSWIRE online.

 “Reaction”: When there is public knowledge of an issue or subject that your organization
has expertise or knowledge you can then offer an opinion supporting or countering what
others are saying. There are numerous examples, but for one such example of a
“reaction” release, see “Cordero Reaction to ....”

 “Hometown” or local angle: Similar to the “reaction” release above, when a state or
national story is gaining public interest, you may be able to add to the “discussion.” For
example, the U.S. military takes advantage of major military exercises by sending out a
release on an individual participating service member to his or her hometown media. It’s
a large effort—lots of “employees” to connect with their hometown news and families. For
example, perhaps one of your clients has received a national award for service other
recognition; you can send a release to his or her local media noting the local angle such
as the individual grew up in that town or went to the local high school, college or
university. Another example is a college and university that provide a stories of student
achievement to that student’s hometowns, for example: Lewis & Clark.

 “Feature”: This type of release is considered in depth “soft news,” but nevertheless, has
media value. Sometimes these are called “evergreen” pieces—stories that have little or
no “news” immediacy, but do play up something of human-interest; an example of what
ideas that work can be found in this Business Wire article.

Now that I’ve written my release—what do I do?

The days of actually mailing (or even faxing) a news release have pretty much passed. Today, e-
mailing your release to the media is the standard. Nearly all media organizations post their contact
information for news releases, “Letters to the Editor,” etc., on their websites or you can call the
organization directly for those numbers. If you work with or have a good relationship with one of
more reporters, they can help you as well. (More on “working with the media” later on in the
course.) Just remember, a clean, error-free, properly formatted release with solid news value will
go a long way to getting your story covered.

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Media Advisory and Editorial Boards

Media Advisor: Similar in form and function to a news release is the “Media Advisor,” (or
“Alert”), which PR practitioners use to notify members of the media about an upcoming news
conference, media availability, or similar media-only event. This type of release sets the agenda,
date, time and place for such meetings. A good discussion media advisories and a sample format are
ones used by the public affairs staff at the National Institutes of Health. Below are two Media Advisor
examples. The first is a simple version—“just the facts madam”; the second more lengthy version is
both an “invite” to media organizations as well as providing FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to
some of the more common questions the issuing organization thought would be raised by the
media/public at or prior to the event. By providing this “additional” information, it often can help
save time at the actual media event or allow the media to form more in depth questions. Compare
the structure and language in these following two advisory to the structure and language found in a
standard or “straight” news release:

Media Advisory—Short Example

Below is a sample media advisory for an organization to announce an event or project that is
part of United We Serve. The purpose of a media advisory is to give the basic details (who,
what, where, when, why) of an event to attract media to attend. Feel f ree to use or adapt this
to meet your needs. To let us know what you have planned, please email a copy of your media
advisory or release to [email protected].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:

CONTACT: (name)
PHONE:
EMAIL:

Councilmember Smith, Volunteers and Students
To Kick Off Summer Reading Group

Locals Promote Literacy as Part of President Obama’s United We Serve
Initiative

Joining a national initiative that promotes community service to address local needs,
Councilmember John Smith, local volunteers, and twenty elementary school children
will kick off a new summer reading program at the Smithtown Public Library on
Friday, July 10th at 10 AM.

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The effort responds to the problem of declining student reading levels in the summer
months: 78 percent of fourth graders see a drop in their reading scores over the
summer, according to the Smithtown school board. A young person who reads just
five books during their vacation can help prevent this decline. Volunteers in the
Smithtown literacy project will hold regular reading and tutoring sessions throughout
the summer.

WHO: Councilmember John Smith
Smithtown volunteers
20 elementary school children

WHERE: Smithtown Public Library
10 Maple Street (between 5th and 4th)

WHAT: Service project to improve student literacy skills

WHEN: July 10, 2009, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

The Smithtown literacy project is one of the thousands of grassroots service projects
taking place across the nation this summer in response to President Barack Obama’s
United We Serve initiative. This initiative aims to both expand the impact of existing
organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work and encourage volunteers to
develop their own "do-it-yourself" projects.

United We Serve is President Obama’s call to service challenging all Americans to
engage in sustained, meaningful community service. United We Serve initially runs
from June 22 through a new National Day of Service on September 11, but will grow
into a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to promote service as a way of life
for all Americans. United We Serve is led by the Corporation for National and
Community Service. For more information, visit www.Serve.gov.

###

Media Advisory—Long Example

Media Advisor Example (E-mail format)

From: Kathryn Xxxy and Dennis Bxxxxxxt
To: Joan Wxxxx, Barbara Yxxxxx, Naomi Gxxxxx
Cc: Barbara Sxxxxx, Elizabeth mxxxx

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Subject: Old Library to be demolished Monday, Oct. 1 and Community Meetings

Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:11:31 +0000

Media Advisory

Contact: Moses A. Gxxxxx
202-555-1184

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

DEMOLITION OF Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library Set for October 1 Community Meetings on
Preliminary Library Design Plans to Be Held Days Later.

WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) announced today that the demolition
of the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library has been scheduled for Monday, October 1, 2007, at
1:00 p.m. Two days later on Wednesday, October 3 at 6:00 p.m., DCPL will host a second round of
community meetings at the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Interim Library concerning the design
and construction of a permanent library.

"I want to personally thank the Friends of Tenley-Friendship Library and this community for your
continued patience with us since this library was initially closed," said Ginnie Cooper, chief librarian of
the District of Columbia Public Library. "Over the next few weeks, those who work and reside in this
area will see DCPL moving forward with the demolition process and in our commitment to hearing
from the community regarding its desires in a new library."

Prior to the demolition, Goel Services representatives will conduct two media -only tours of the
interior of the library at 12:15 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. All media interested in participating in the tour are
required to wear shoes or boots with hard soles. To RSVP for a pre-demolition tour, the media is to
contact India Yxxxxx at 202-555-xxxx.

Invited Guests include:

Ginnie Cooper, DCPL Chief Librarian
Mary Cheh, Ward 3 Councilmember
Harry Thomas, Councilmember and Chairperson of the Committee on Libraries
Scott Cartland, Principal of Janney Elementary School
Rodney Sewell, LIUNA International Representative

A "Most Commonly Asked Questions" sheet concerning this demolition is posted on the D.C. Public
Library's Web site at www.dclibrary.org and is also available at the Tenley-Friendship Interim Library,
4200 Wisconsin Avenue. NW.

WHAT: Media Briefing of Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library Demolition

WHEN: Monday, October 1, 2007 12:15 p.m. & 12:30 p.m. (Media -only tours of the interior) 1:00 p.m.
Actual demolition with machines begins

WHERE: Field of Janney Elementary School, 4130 Albemarle Street, NW

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(The actual location of the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library is 4450 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
Media check-in for pre-demolition tours is on the field of Janney Elementary School, adjacent to the
l i bra ry.)

----- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -

MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Should The Local Neighborhood Community Expect?
Residents, local business owners and patrons should keep in mind that Goel Services, the

contractor for the demolition of this library, is razing a building made of metal, concrete, wood, and
bricks. Diesel powered, heavy construction equipment will be used to take down the structure. Horn
use will also be necessary on site.

As of press time, Goel Services had not applied for extended hour working permits; therefore, its
working hours will be according to District of Columbia law. Also, no weekend work has been
scheduled; however, if work falls behind schedule due to weather c onditions or unforeseen
circumstance, the company may need to apply for extended or weekend hours.

What Will The Demolition Process Entail?
There are three phases to the demolition process :
Phase I -- The building will be demolished with machines.
Phase II -- Waste will be segregated into separate piles of concrete, metal, and wood and
then disposed of accordingly (recycled or landfill).
Phase III -- Site restoration. The land will be backfilled and grated; seeding will eventually
occur.

What is the estimated timetable for the demolition process?
Four (4) weeks are scheduled for demolition and removal of debris. Backfilling and seeding will

come once the ground has been cleared.

What about Pedestrian Traffic?
All plans for demolition were reviewed by the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and

Regulatory Affairs before permits were issued. As long as all posted signs are abided by pedestrians,

no problems should occur.

What About Child Safety?
DCPL and Goel Services are aware that there are several elementary schools in close proximity to

the demolition site and every safety precaution has been considered to ensure child safety. All project
team members are expected to work in a professional manner. The public should feel free to bring
any issues concerning child safety to the attention of DCPL immediately.

What if members of the community want pieces of the building for memorabilia?
A preset number of bricks have been set aside for those who desire a keepsake from the former

structure. Contact Nancy Davenport, interim director of library services, at (202) xxx-xxxx to reserve
one of these bricks.

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Additional Comments

The Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library signage that was purchased by the community will be
taken down before the demolition begins. Everything in the interior was removed before the contract
was solicited. If there are additional questions, which have not been adequately answered here,
please call Nancy Dxxxxxx at (202) 555-xxxx or email her at [email protected].

While this example is long, it nevertheless is a good format that can be modified to meet your
organizational or task requirements.

“Daybook”

In many cities with one or more large newspapers, especially Washington,
D.C, have a (media) “Daybook” feature, a calendar of local events and
activities. Getting your Media Advisory (Alert) posted on this calendar can
be very helpful. For more information, see Daybooks.

Editorial Board: As a PR practitioner, you also may arrange an Editorial Board meeting.
Normally, these are conducted with the senior leader (CEO, President) of your organization or a
client meets with the senior editorial staff at a newspaper—a roundtable affair. It’s an opportunity
to advocate for something in which your organization (or client) has a strong interest. While you
may have a single focus for such a meeting, be aware that, once on their turf, these editors may
delve into other topic areas regarding your organization. You can be sure these editors will have
done their homework on your organization (or client). Therefore, be sure to also do your
homework and prepare your leader for the “unexpected” question, especially if there is any
controversial issue lurking in the background. Sometimes, editors will just use these give and take
sessions as background, other times the effort may result in an Editorial, or the editors may assign a
reporter to follow-up for other stories. For more on Editorial Boards, here is good advice from the
American Library Association.

Facing the press is not easy, but because you have to go, you
have to try to take a lot of positive things for yourself from these
face-to-face meetings.”

~ Jose Mourinho (n.d.)

Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets are convenient, organized information, rather like quick, visual (and graphic) bites
of information. As one good example of well-written content and graphics, here is an online
example presented by the Pew Research Center in its discussion on the “State of the New Media

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2015” (Newspapers: Fact Sheet). As you can see from the Pew example, Fact Sheets provide
general information about the organization:

 its mission and purpose
 when it was founded
 key personnel
 significant facts or achievements of the organization

You also can use Fact Sheets for public events (open houses) and media conferences. They are
often found in a number formats; here are some additional examples:

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ-Online): Make-a-Wish Foundation Wish FAQ
 Timeline–The FedEx Timeline (Online Infographic): FEDEX Timeline
 Bullet Points (PDF): Music Business Academy Fact Sheet: A Prototype
 Infographics (PDF): NAMI Infographics & Factsheet Library

Other Fact Sheets are organized around a theme. For example, an organization dedicated to
fighting childhood obesity might send out a news release about an upcoming event, and the
accompanying fact sheet could list facts about the benefits of exercise for kids (gleaned from a study
conducted by the organization). Fact Sheets also are sent to reporters (and posted online),
sometimes with or as a news release. They also should be included in a media kit. Below is another
Fact Sheet example:

(White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 2016)

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Backgrounder

“Backgrounders” are very similar to Fact Sheets. While a Fact Sheets provides bullet points or
short descriptions (of products, issues, etc.), the purpose of a Backgrounder is to provide more
depth by discussing a single topic or single area of focus. This tool (or tactic) is useful in a variety of
ways; for example, as with a Fact Sheet, it also can accompany a news release or be used as a
handout at a news conference, as part of a general media kit, or at other public events. As an
example, here is one by GainSpan: “Backgrounder.”

Brochures

As with Backgrounders, a brochure is a handout. You see them all the time as they are
ubiquitous PR and marketing tools—just another of the tactics toolkit. While their use is limited
only by your imagination, as with your other PR
products (tools), you should have a clear understanding
not only how to use them effectively, but also their
design (color, size, typography, graphics, etc.), one which
will achieve your goals and objectives. Therefore, do not
just slap them together and hand them out—but do
include them in your planning efforts. Cost and qualities
also should factor in such decisions. For example, should
you also include your organization’s contact information
as a tear-off (or pull-out) business card? If you or someone on you staff is not experienced in
graphic design, then seek someone who is.

The fortunate or unfortunate feature of MS Word or PowerPoint (as well as other similar tools)
is that they have a plethora of internal features that allows a user to add “design” elements or they
provide ready-made templates for users. For example, within
Word or PP, there are brochure “templates” that may or may
not work—each of these design features needs to be carefully
considered. In the hands of an inexperienced user, they can be
deadly, either by conveying the wrong message or distracting
the reader/viewer. Thus, the intended message may be lost.
Therefore, if you or someone on your staff is not a graphics
design expert, I would recommend hiring such expertise, either
for the staff or an outside company. “Content” of a product is
certainly critical to getting your message to your intended
target audience(s), but so too are the design elements that
should be considered, not only for brochures, but also each

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print, video or online product. One of my favorite “go-to” designers is John McWade of Before &
After magazine. In this short video, he explains and demonstrates why design is an import
consideration: Before & After, which is one of the “14 Essential Magazines for Graphic Designers.”

Annual Reports

The last topic in this lecture is an organization’s annual report. Depending on the size and
nature of someone’s business—usually “public” companies, there are state and (often federal)
statutory and fiduciary requirements that can be met by issuing an “Annual Report.” These not only
go to the requiring agency, but also to shareholders. They also
may be made available to the general public. These reports tell a
“story” of the organization’s progress for the year as well as
providing data on finances and productivity. Many organizations
seem to just slap them together to meet the minimum state
(and/or federal) requirements; others spend a considerable
amount of money in publishing their reports, focusing significant
efforts in design, layout and color, typography, etc. These latter
organizations understand the “legs”—use beyond any mandatory
reporting requirements—by also using them as direct or indirect
PR or marketing “sales tools,” etc. As with other PR and/or
marketing) efforts, you must ensure this tactics tool meets your
organization’s (or client’s) goals and objectives provided by your
strategic planning document.

In addition to paper (hardcopy) editions, as the following examples show, many organizations
also put their annual reports online.

In conclusion:

Beyond these basics in the PR tool bag of tactics, there are many other ideas that can be
considered, such as a wide variety of audio-visual products (video news releases, podcasts, etc.).
The Corporation for National and Community Services published a good guide that is worth your
time to review: Working with the Media. Using such tools and materials available to you, you only
need to stretch your imagination and your understanding of the industry to have a very successful
program, to meet your audience needs and your organization’s desires and limits—all of which
should be considered in your strategic plan.

Reviewed: July 2016–PCB 14

The Graduate School: PRPA 602 Public Relations Tactics and Techniques

References

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http://asne.org/content.asp?pl=121&sl=284&contentid=284

BARTHEL, M. (April 2015). Newspapers: Fact Sheet. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from
http://www.journalism.org/2015/04/29/newspapers-fact-sheet-2015/

Diggs-Brown, B. & Glou, J. L. (2004). The PR Style Guide: Formats for Public Relations Practice.
Wadsworth: Belmont, CA.

Holt, Lester (n.d.). Brainy Quotes. Retrieved from
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/press.html

Lamb, D. (2015). Facebook Rolls Out A Revamped Suicide Prevention Tool. Retrieved from
http://www.fastcompany.com/3042931/fast-feed/facebook-rolls-out-a-revamped-suicide-
prevention-tool

Mourinho, J. (n.d.). Brainy Quotes. Retrieved from
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/press_5.html

Saad, L. (June 13, 2016). Americans' Confidence in Newspapers at New Low. Gallup. Retrieved
from http://www.gallup.com/poll/192665/americans-confidence-newspapers-new-
low.aspx

Scanlan C. (2003). If Your Mother Says She Loves You: A Reporter’s Cautionary Tale. Retrieved
from http://www.poynter.org/2003/if-your-mother-says-she-loves-you-a-reporters-
cautionary-tale/10039/

Search Engine Watch (Oct. 30, 2006). The 100th Birthday of the Press Release. Retrieved from
https://searchenginewatch.com/sew/news/2067724/the-100th-birthday-press-release

White House (2016). Fact Sheet: Cyber Security National Action Plan. Retrieved from
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/09/fact-sheet-cybersecurity-
national-action-plan

Reviewed: July 2016–PCB 15