Technological advances, the ever-changing communications landscape and the disruption in the higher education space necessitate that marketing and communications departments strategically work together towards common goals. This means that everyone is aligned on what the objectives are and how to achieve them through the collaborative effort of those responsible for earned media (media relations), …
Podcast Episode #59: The Importance of Media Monitoring
The success of a PR program depends on monitoring. We need to have the tools in place to know not only what is being said about our brand, industries, competitors and audiences. We also need to have the appropriate systems to share intelligence with our different stakeholders, whether it be senior leadership, faculty, alumni, students and the communications team. Episode 59 of FIR on Higher …
Podcast Episode #56: Lessons from Ken Starr’s Media Interview Debacle
The media interview is not the right time to be reviewing answers and going over tactics! Ken Starr, the recently ousted president of Baylor University following an investigation into the mishandling of sexual assault at the school, and his media adviser Merrie Spaeth, founder of Spaeth Communications, learned this first-hand. In a KWTX News 10 interview from earlier this month, a journalist …
Podcast Episode #51: Nurturing Relationships with Journalists
Newsrooms are shrinking. The ratio of PR professionals to journalists in the United States is almost 5 to 1. Journalists complain about the exorbitant number of pitches they receive. For media relations professionals, it can be difficult to get on the radar of a targeted journalist. On episode 51 of FIR on Higher Education, media relations expert Kiki Keating discusses the art of developing …
Podcast Episode #47: Video Storytelling Tips from a TV Anchor Turned School Communications Director
Jim Hanchett has covered major news stories as a journalist for various media outlets, including NBC. These stories included the Bush – Gore 2000 election, the Pope’s visit to Cuba and Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial for several media outlets. In 2012, Jim turned in his media accreditation card and now is telling the story of the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs …
New Survey: The State of PR and Communications at Public Policy / Public Affairs Schools
Public policy and public affairs schools still have work to do in ensuring that their PR activities are aligned with institutional big-picture goals. This is among the findings from Experiential Communications’ inaugural public relations and communications survey of schools focused on public policy and public affairs. The 10-question survey was conducted in May and June 2015 with the goal of …
Episode #35: How to Work with Practitioner Publications Like Harvard Business Review
Getting visibility in Harvard Business Review can be a game-changer. In the case of thought leader Dorie Clark, an HBR blog post led to a full-length piece in the print magazine which then led to a new book (and she had written a follow-up book for good measure). On episode 35 of FIR on HIgher Education, senior editor Gardiner Morse discusses the best ways in which academics and PR professionals …
How to do media relations without pitching a story
PR professionals – are you doing media relations” or “media blasting"? There is an important distinction between the two. Many journalists complain about some of the terrible tactics public relations professionals employ. From what I see and hear, this complaint has some warrant to it. Many PR folks resort to blasting their message as far and wide as possible. The idea is that the more wild …
Podcast Episode 5: Discussion with Editor Jenny Rooney on How to Work With Forbes’ CMO Network
What does it take to become a contributor on Forbes’ CMO Network? What does a busy editor look for in a pitch? Jenny Rooney, CMO Editor at Forbes, shares insights on these questions and talks about ways she works with higher education to co-sponsor events on episode 5 of FIR on Higher Education. She talks about her editorial priorities in the months ahead and shares best practice for …
University online pressrooms – best practice examples
University communicators – how is your online pressroom? Is it meeting journalists’ expectations? If your media site is like the average, then according to a new survey your site needs some revamping. A study led by Proactive Report and Press Feed found that only 15 percent of PR practitioners are delivering the information that media need. Some 500 people journalists and media relations …
Podcast #2 – Media relations tips in a higher education environment
It is a competitive world out there in media relations land. As we all know, the media industry has been significantly disrupted. So what are they keys to generating consistent positive media coverage for an institution? How can academics and thought leaders best prepare for interviews? What is the role of the media relations professional in the process? What about generating coverage …
Disseminating research through earned and owned media
There is good news and bad news when it comes to academics disseminating research. On the negative side, traditional media relations is tougher than ever. The media industry is going through constant disruption. Print advertising continues to decrease, according to the latest State of the News Media 2013 Report. Many city newspapers that had been around for over 100 years are no longer in …
How to organize a media roundtable
Experts and public relations professionals interested in building media relationships + a group of targeted journalists + good food and drink = successful media roundtable. This above formula is a rather simplistic way to go about organizing a media roundtable. This past week at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, we used this approach in hosting a roundtable for local media in the …
Integrating the university communications role into the student experience
Look at any university / school communicator job posting and odds are you won't see any mention on how the role correlates to improving the student experience. Performance reviews doubtfully will highlight how communicators can actually help educate students. Often overlooked, I believe university communicators can play an important, direct role in students' education. I was fortunate to join 25 …
Bucking the western trends – the media landscape in India
Trivia – which newspaper listed has the highest circulation? a) The Times of London b) The New York Times c) The Wall Street Journal d) The Times of India …