This document discusses online media relations and maintaining an effective corporate website for journalists. It provides tips for organizations, including providing extensive relevant information and links on their website so journalists can find what they need without searching elsewhere. Statistics are presented on internet usage globally and in New Zealand, and how many journalists use online resources for their stories. An effective media website should include media releases, executive bios, photos, event calendars, past media coverage and contact details. Maintaining an updated online newsroom is also important for cultivating relationships with journalists.
2. The ultimate aim
• Provide EVERYTHING they could possibly want on YOUR
site, so they don’t need to search elsewhere
• Include links from your site to other coverage available
online
• Other coverage has the advantage of seeming more
independent/credible
• You can respond to contextualise
• Include links to general data sources on industry and other
stats
• Give useful data
4. Who uses the Internet?
• More than 2,802,478,934 individuals are connected
worldwide (29% of population)
• But… that is only 39.0% of the world’s population
5. The Internet in New Zealand?
• NZ - 4,401,916 population (2014)
• 3,810,144 Internet users
• 86.6% of population
• 2,291,240 Facebook users
• 52.1% of population
• 21.42 Mbps Broadband download speed on August, 2014
!
internetworldstats.com
6. Stats (from Middleberg & Ross, 2001).
• 98% of journalists spend 15 hrs a week (minimum) online
• 92% of journalists use online data in stories
• 81% search online daily
• 47% would consider reporting a story that they saw on the
Internet, if they could obtain an independent source
7.
8. Does it matter?
• Journalists who can’t find what they want endure a
frustrating experience
• Research shows that this frustration then transfers to their
opinion of your company (Nielsen & Coyne, 2001)
• That then translates to a higher likelihood of negative
coverage or no coverage at all
• “better not to write it than get it wrong”
• “makes me think they are incompetent”
• Bottom line: if they don’t feel valued by you, they won’t value
you in return (social exchange theory)
9.
10.
11. Top 5 reasons journos go to corporate
websites
1. Find a PR contact (name & ph no)
2. Check basic facts
• Spelling of exec’s name, age, headquarters location, etc.
3. Find out company’s angle on current events
4. Check financial info
5. Download images to use in stories
13. A media friendly website
• Media releases (by date and topic)
• Executive bios
• Useable photos
• Activity calendars
• Copies of speeches
• Downloadable logos
• Lists of upcoming events
• Past media coverage
• Contact info
• Discussion papers or backgrounders
14. Online news rooms
• Now an essential PR tool; increasingly offer broadcast quality
digital video/audio.
• Require a united approach by all sectors within an
organisation.
• Should reflect journalists’ needs (e.g. good archives, easy
navigation).
• Should only contain what can be maintained. Add news and
keep calendars and contacts up-to-date.
• Avoid recycling stories
15. Organising the online newsroom
• Keep open access; encourage media to register for email
alerts, online conferences, etc.
• PR should have overall responsibility for newsroom, with
support from IT.
• Consolidate all contact information on specific, well
signposted page – and update regularly!
16.
17.
18.
19. And journalists do use the web to find
story material…
Some stats:
• 92% of reporters go online to gather information for stories (Vocus,
2010, p. 3)
• A decade ago, most of those journalists (77%) couldn’t find the
information they were looking for, most of the time (Bransford,
2001)
• Although not re-surveyed, this may have improved as more
companies get media savvy, but this means even more of an
imperative not to be left behind…
• 80% of US PR practitioners plan to focus on social media in 2010
(Vocus, 2010, p. 2)
21. Blogger relations
• Cultivation: Get to know bloggers
• Collaboration: working together to develop mutually
beneficial relationships
• Content: help the blogger out
• Community: Most bloggers answer to their community: not
editors or publishers
• Communication: Be specific in your communication.
Bloggers are pressed for time