For starters, what is a journalism movie? Is it a movie about journalism, like All The President’s Men, or would a journalist character be enough, as is the case with Superman? Then there’s the question of films like Capote or The Help, which don’t meet the former criteria, but have elements one could argue are representative of professional journalism. Would these films be worthy?

Then there was the issue credibility in recommending any films to watch. I’m not a film critic. I’m not a journalist. And for the most part, I haven’t seen all the films I would put on the list. Then it hit me – you probably haven’t seen a lot of these films either. Why not just put together a thoughtfully assembled list and let you decide which films appeal to your interests? I relied heavily on @journalistics‘ Twitter followers for suggestions, and thanks to them (and some research into the topic), I’ve come up with roughly 30 journalism-related films. Most you’ve seen, but my hope is you discover one or two on this list that you didn’t know about.

I’ve tried to provide a little background for each film on the list. Where possible, I’ve included tweets from our followers about the films – as an added thanks for their contributions. The list includes some great Oscar-nominees and winners, some incredible documentaries and a few less respectable works I’m mixing in there for the heck of it.

I view this post as a work in progress. It won’t be complete until you chime in with your suggestions for films I overlooked, or your opinion on the films you’ve seen on this list. The goal of this post is to help some of you discover a journalism-related film you didn’t know about before reading this post. If that happens, please let me know.

Without further adieu, here’s that list of journalism-related films I cam up with. Brace yourself, the post comes in just under 4,700 words.

A Mighty Heart (2007)

Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl went missing in Pakistan after he was supposed to interview an Islamic fundamentalist. His pregnant wife, Mariane Pearl, also a journalist, embarks on a search to find her husband. While the story is sensationalized in film, it’s a great reminder of the risks and sacrifices some brave journalists face to bring us the news. While there was no Oscar love for this film, Angelina Jolie was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role as Mariane Pearl.

Ace in the Hole (1951)

I wouldn’t have thought of this one, but I’m glad our Twitter followers delivered. Ace in the Hole stars Kirk Douglas as a down and out reporter at an Albuquerque newspaper who finally gets his big chance to report on a story for national newspapers. Things get out of control as Douglas’ character works to restart his career around this once-in-a-lifetime story. This film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay in 1952.

• From Twitter: Martin Kohler, Berlin (@martinko58) – “”Ace in the Hole” – Kirk Douglas: so incredible!”

Absence of Malice (1981)

This film has a pretty cool plot as far as journalism story lines go. The son of a dead Mafia boss is falsely accused of murder by a frustrated prosecutor who leaks false information which is covered by reporter Megan Carter. The reporter is cleared of libel under the ‘Absence of Malice’ rule in slander and libel cases. It also makes a great title for the film. The rest of the film deals with the accused trying to move on with his life, but it’s an interesting plot about the implications of false accusations that get play in mainstream media. Something that’s probably even more of an issue today than in 1981, where news spreads faster and lasts longer. The film has a great cast which includes Paul Newman (Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominee), Melinda Dillon (Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominee) and Sally Field. The film was Oscar nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay.

All The President’s Men (1976)

If any of you made a list of “journalism” movies, it would have this classic tale of the Watergate scandal on it. I remember reading the book and watching the movie in my Interviewing & Reporting class in college. It’s the definitive film on what investigative journalism is all about, and no doubt the film most responsible for students wanting to major in journalism in the 80s. I had the opportunity to meet Bob Woodward and hear him speak at a PRSA conference in the 90s. It was incredibly motivating to me as a journalism student at the time. There’s a lot to learn from this film, even if it’s just how good Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford are at acting. Protect your sources, be deliberate and fearless in pursuit of the truth, and you too can make a difference. If you haven’t seen this one, put it at the top of your queue on Netflix. All The President’s Men won four Oscars, including Best Actor (Jason Robards) and Best Writing, Screenplay. It was nominated for four others too.

Of interest to fans of All The President’s Men, The New York Times featured an article by Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) – who starred as himself in Page One, another film on this list – announcing Robert Redford is producing a documentary about Watergate. You can read the article, “Watergate Reporting, the Second Draft” here.

• From Twitter: Riya V. Anandwala, Communications Specialist at Waldorf College (@riyavanandwala): “All The President’s Men! Hands Down.”

Almost Famous (2000)

This is one of those movies that purists would say doesn’t belong on the list. I beg to differ. It’s the story of the famous director Cameron Crowe’s early ‘luck’, landing a dream job reporting for Rolling Stone. Crowe quickly learns covering the rock & roll scene isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be, as he travels the country writing about one of the hot bands of the time. I think it’s worthy of a spot on this list, but I could see how some of you might disagree. The writing for the film was fantastic, but don’t take my word for it, the film won an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay. It was also nominated for two Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscars (Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand) and Best Film Editing. A word of caution if you do decide to watch this one, you’ll be singing Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” for days to follow.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

“I’m Ron Burgundy?” Yes, yes you are Will Ferrell. Ferrel plays a television ‘anchorman’ in the 70s parody of the broadcast news business. He faces some steep competition from a woman (Christina Applegate) who is quickly proving she’s better at the job then the men, in the man’s world of television news in the 70s. If there’s any movie on this list worthy of a sequel, it’s this one. Earlier this week, rumors surfaced that there is in fact a sequel in the works. While this isn’t one of the “best” films made about journalism, it’s certainly one of the funnier ones. I own a copy, you should too.

• From Twitter: Evan Floyd, Public Relations Graduate, Georgia Southern (@evoyd) – “Anchorman has to be the top journalist movie. I’m Ron Burgundy?”

Balibo (2009)

I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of this film about war correspondent (Roger East) and Romos-Horta covering the murders of the “Balibo Five,” five journalists that go missing at Indonesia prepares to invade East Timor in 1975. This is one of the films I discovered through my informal poll on Twitter. Hat tip to Hilton Thom for bringing this one to my attention. I also didn’t know Indonesia every tried to invade another country, so I got a history lesson writing this post as well. I’d love to get some reader feedback on this one, since I’m clearly not the best endorser for the film.

• From Twitter: Hilton Thom, Student at University of Pretoria, South Africa (@schalkie_thom) – “Balibo. Definitely inspired me to study journalism.”

Broadcast News (1987)

Part comedy, part drama, and a wee bit of romance makes Broadcast News a perennial favorite among journalists I’ve polled for this post. This one was nominated for nominated for 7 Oscars (wow), including Best Picture, Best Actor (William Hunt), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Albert Brooks) and Best Actress (Holly Hunter). This is on the “must watch” list if you haven’t seen it. Even if you have, it’s worth watching again. I’m adding it to my growing library of journalism-related films.

From Twitter:

• Michelle Garrett, PR Consultant & Technology Specialist, Columbus, OH (@PRisUS) – “Easy – Broadcast News! Love that one! Least fav – The Paper.”
• Rachel Moore (@rachel_really) – “”Broadcast News!” Holly Hunter & Albert Brooks were incredible.”

Capote (2005)

This is one of those films that doesn’t fit the typical definition of a “journalism movie,” but it is based off the research Truman Capote did for his book “In Cold Blood” – which is classified as a journalistic work, since it was based on a murder of a Kansas farm family in their home. The book was based off of journalistic research Capote did for the book, and it’s the book Capote is best known for. Just to get the facts straight, since I know somebody will point this out, Capote actually wrote “In Cold Blood” with help from Harper Lee, who wrote “To Kill A Mockingbird” (so now you know, in case it comes up when you’re watching Jeopardy). Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Oscar for Best Actor, and the film was nominated for four others in 2006, including Best Picture.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Based on some early reader comments to this post, I realized I left Citizen Kane off the list. I’m adding it now to save face. A group of reporters scramble to figure out the last word spoken by Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper tycoon: “Rosebud.” Through flashbacks, the film shows us how Kane rose to fame – and how he eventually fell from glory. Do we ever find out what Kane meant with his dying word “Rosebud” – you’ll have to watch it, if you don’t already know the answer. Directed by and starring Orson Welles, the film won an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay and was nominated for eight others, including Best Actor (Orson Welles) and Best Picture. It was clearly an oversight on my part to leave Citizen Kane off the original list.

Deadline U.S.A. (1952)

This is a great find. Another film I hadn’t heard of before writing this post, Humphrey Bogart stars as editor Ed Hutcheson. Hutcheson is working to write an expose on a notorious gangster, working against the mother of all deadlines, a change in newspaper ownership. Will he file his story in time and expose the gangster? You’ll have to watch the film to find out (or rely on the reader comments below for a spoiler).

Going the Distance (2010)

While I can’t bring myself to put Never Been Kissed (another Drew Barrymore film where she struggles as a journalist) on this list, I’ll let Going the Distance slide because a few followers found it entertaining. The story does attempt to shed some reality on the topic of how difficult it is to make a go at a career in newspaper journalism. You won’t see any award nominations for this one, but if you like Drew Barrymore and romantic comedies, I can think of worse suggestions than this one.

• From Twitter: Paola Loriggio, Reporter/Editor, The Canadian Press, Toronto, ON (@p_lori) – “”Going the Distance” (another Barrymore flick) was a lot more accurate. Re: Job Prospects for Journos.”

Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy in this history drama. Directed by and starring George Clooney, this film was nominated for six Oscars in 2006, including Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor (David Strathairn) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay. This one is near the top of my queue at the moment.

Helvetica (2007)

In the Best Documentary named after everyone’s favorite font, this suggestion came in from another Journalistics reader. It’s a documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. This is one of my favorite additions to this list, because you won’t find it on any of the other journalism movie posts out there. I’d love some reader feedback on this one if you’ve watched it. I can’t remember which reader suggested this – if it was you, let me know via the comments or Twitter (and thanks).

His Girl Friday (1940)

This is why I love our readers so much. This 1940 film starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell and Ralph Bellamy wouldn’t have made it on this list without a reader suggestion. The premise? A newspaper editor uses his powers to prevent his ex-wife from remarrying. The film was from 1940 – wasn’t divorce still a taboo back then? No Oscar love, but Cary Grant as a newspaper editor? Sign me up. It looks like you can watch the full movie through IMDb. Just click on the title above to head over the listing (just don’t blame me when your boss catches you watching movies at your desk).

• From Twitter: Jeff Domingues, Journalist/Editor (@jeffdomingues) – “His Girl Friday”

Key Largo (1948)

Key Largo is a stretch, but I’ll add it to the list for two reasons: 1) It’s Bogey and Bacall, and 2) It was suggested by Dan Christ, Director of Audience Engagement at The Patriot-News. Isn’t that reason enough? If not, it also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (Claire Trevor). As Christ points out in his tweet below, Bogart plays a former circulation director in the film. I’ve seen this one, and it’s great, so let’s roll with it. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

• From Twitter: Dan Christ, Director of Audience Engagement, The Patriot-News, Philadelphia, PA (@danchristpn) – “”Key Largo.” Humphrey Bogart’s character is a former circulation director. #favoritefilmswithnewstheme.”

Meet John Doe (1941)

Another film you’re likely to see on TCM as you’re flipping through the channels late one Saturday night, Meet John Doe‘s journalistic story line revolves around a reporter publishing a fake letter from unemployed “John Doe” as her final article after being fired by the paper. When Doe threatens suicide, the paper has to hire the reporter back. The “John Doe” philosophy takes on a life of its own in the film, starting a political movement. I won’t spoil the outcome, but I will suggest this one on the list – particularly if you like classic films. Meet John Doe was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Writing, Original Story category in 1942.

• From Twitter: Kathleen Parker, Lifelong Librarian and Cubs Fan, (@marianslibrary) – “Favorite is Meet John Doe.”

Missing (1982)

Another great suggestion from the readers. Another Oscar-winning movie with a journalistic undertone, Missing is a story about a writer that disappears during the Right Wing military coup in 1973 Chile and his family tries to find him. I’ve never seen the movie, but a surprising number of you have. I also don’t remember the coup – but that’s probably because I wasn’t born yet. Please chime in on this one in the comments if you’ve seen it. Missing won the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Actor (Jack Lemmon), Best Actress (Sissy Spacek) and Best Picture. I’m going to watch this one for sure.

Morning Glory (2010)

Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) gets fired from her job as a morning TV show producer. She lands a new job out of desperation, both on her part and her new boss that wants to revive a struggling morning show. There’s lots of friction as Fuller tries to breathe new life into the dying show, along with sexist co-host Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). The film also stars Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum (the only other names I was that familiar with). No Oscar love for this one, but plenty of people said this one was worth watching.

• From Twitter: Alicia Sayers, PR & Media Studies Nerd, Toronto, ON (@arosee) - “Most recent favourite is Morning Glory.”

Network (1976)

“A TV network exploits a deranged ex-TV anchors ravings and revelations about the media for their own profit” (Source: IMDb). I haven’t seen this one, but it looks solid. It won four Oscars (yes, won) for Best Actor (Peter Finch), Best Actress (Faye Dunaway), Best Supporting Actress (Beatrice Straight) and Best Writing. Consider this one toward the top of the “to watch” list for me.

• From Twitter: Rodney Lotter Jr., News Reporter for The Capitol Hill Times, Seattle, WA (@rodneylotter) – “Fav films: Network, Red Riding: 1974, Shattered Glass and Ace in the Hole. Less fav: Edison Force is pretty terrible. JT, LL Cool J, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey churned out a turd on this one…” This might be the best tweet of the bunch.

Newsies (1992)

This film is a musical (only musical on the list), based on the 1899 newsboy strike caused by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raising distribution prices (making it even harder for the ‘newsies’ to make a living. Christian Bale and David Moscow play characters leading the new union, in this classic story of underdogs taking on “the man” – or in this case, the men of the newspaper business at the turn of the century. No Oscar love for this one, but it’s hard to argue the film deserves a place on the list.

• From Twitter: Samantha Werre, Communications Professional and Graduate Student, Twin Cities, MN (@samwerre) – “Newsies All The Way.”

Page One: Inside The New York Times (2011)

How did I not know about this one? A film (documentary) about the most transformative time in traditional media. Filmaker Andrew Rossie goes into the newsroom of The New York Times - for a year – following the ins and outs of the Media Desk, the staff of the Times responsible for covering the transformation of media. That’s a nice twist on this incredibly relevant subject matter. And the cast? Get this: Tim Arango, Julian Assange (yes, the Wikileaks guy), Carl Bernstein (you’ll see his name again a few rungs down on this list), David Carr, Brian Stelter and Jimmy Wales – all played by themselves. I wrote a lot about the demise of newspapers in 2009 when I started this blog. Despite continued declines in a lot of traditional media, it sure does feel like we’re coming out of things. I credit the embrace of new media by papers like The New York Times (regardless of your position on pay walls). This one is now at the top of my list. I will be watching this one this weekend.

• From Twitter: Tulane PRC, Making Healthy Living Easier in New Orleans and Beyond, New Orleans, LA (@tulaneprc) – “”Page One: Inside the New York Times.” A great documentary with human story lines.”

Red Riding: In The Year of Our Lord 1974 (2009)

Okay, I really need to catch up on my journalism movies. I never heard of this one either before this post. This is a complex plot, but I’ll do my best to paraphrase. Rookie reporter Eddie Dunford is working for The Yorkshire Post in 1974. A schoolgirl goes missing and our young reporter suspects its one of several crimes going back six years. The police would rather blame gypsies than investigate Dunford’s findings. When he continues digging into the story, he faces opposition (and much worse) from the police. There’s foul play afoot in this thriller. No Oscars, but one sure to make your list if you’ve seen most of the other suggestions on this list.

• From Twitter: (See Rodney Lotter’s tweet on “Network”)

State of Play (2009)

A team of investigative reporters work with the police to try to solve a murder of a congressman’s mistress. Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams and Ben Affleck star in this “journalism” film. No Oscar nominations for this one, but I’ve liked Affleck since Good Will Hunting and you don’t see Matt Damon on this list anywhere, do you? Exactly.

Spider-Man (2002) and Superman (1978)

I think we can all agree that journalists really are superheros, aren’t they? Spider-Man and Superman were both employed by newspapers. Clark Kent was the real deal, while Peter Parker took pretty pictures. That seems fitting in so many ways though. For one, who’s first on the scene when news breaks? Superheros and journalists. Batman was a spoiled billionaire, while Spidey and Superman were the heroes of their day. I went with the 2002 version of Spider-Man (it was nominated for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects Oscars), partly because I couldn’t find an older film (though I’m sure there was one). For Superman, the choice was easy, you can’t beat Christopher Reeve in the 1978 classic. I loved that movie growing up. Superman won an Oscar, the prestigious Special Achievement Award, and was nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Music/Original Score, and Best Sound (I’m humming the Superman theme right now).

• From Twitter: Mission Agency Ltd., United Kingdom (@missionagency) – “Mission Agency Ltd. likes Superman”

The Front Page (1974)

Two grumpy younger men, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, star in this film set at a Chicago newspaper. Lemmon plays a reporter who’s had enough. Matthau plays a scheming editor trying to keep Lemmon (reporter Hildy Johnson) on staff. It’s not an Oscar-nominated film, but it’s a classic with some great actors. Susan Sarandon also stars in the film.

• From Twitter: Raymond Joseph, Journalist, Journalism Trainer and Media Consultant, South Africa (@rayjoe) – “The Front Page is my favourite by a country mile.”

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

I almost left this one off the list. I think that would have been a mistake on my part, because Meryl Streep was awesome (isn’t she always?). Streep plays the part of Miranda Priestly, a ruthless editor for one of the biggest magazines in circulation. While the film doesn’t stand on its journalism merits, it’s an entertaining look into the world of the New York magazine business. Having worked with a few high-profile magazines during my time in New York, I can honestly say it’s not 100% fiction.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Daniel Craig plays the part of Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist searching for a woman who has been missing for forty years. This bestseller turned journalism-related film was an Oscar favorite this year, winning for Best Achievement in Film Editing and receiving six other nominations, including Best Actress (Rooney Mara). As if you needed an excuse to watch this one. It’s great (and yes, I know, the book is better).

• From Twitter: Kelly Krumsee, Social Media in PR for PKA Marketing, Cedarburg, WI (@kellykrumsee) – “Got say… fav=”Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Blomkvist is the James Bond of Journalists.”

The Help (2011)

While not technically a movie about journalism or a journalist, The Help represents storytelling in its true form. When an aspiring writer takes on the controversial subject of the Civil Rights Movement, and tells that story from the point of view of “the help,” it makes for a fantastic film. What can aspiring journalist learn from the concept of being brave in their pursuit of a great story? A lot I think, which is why I’m putting this one on the list. Of course, the Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), and three nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain) help justify my decision too.

From Twitter:

• Jewel Figueras, Award-Winning Blogger and Self-Professed News Junkie, South Florida (@thetinyjewelbox) – “DEF @helpmovie!”
• Rachel C. Stella, Student Journalist, Chicagoland, Ill. (@rachelcstella) – “The Help.”

The Killing Fields (1984)

The Killing Fields deserves a place on this list. It’s the only film with a photojournalism hook, based on a New York Times journalist and photographer Sydney Schanberg who covered the Civil War in Cambodia in the 70s. A war that claimed the lives of more than two million “undesirable” civilians during Pol Pot’s bloody “Year Zero” cleansing campaign. The film earned three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor (Haing S. Ngor), and was nominated for four others, including Best Actor (Sam Waterston), Best Director (Roland Joffe), Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay.

• From Twitter: Boris Licina Borja, Journalist, Zagreb (@borislicina) – “The Killing Fields”

The Paper (1994)

There had to be one film on the list with a tabloid hook, right? Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is a tabloid editor – a low-paid workaholic. He has an opportunity to work for the The New York Times and is conflicted with the decision. One of the best quotes from the story, which pretty much sums up the tabloid business, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” While the film was technically nominated for an Oscar, don’t get your hopes up, it was for Best Song (Randy Newman’s “Make Up Your Mind.”).

The Paper (2007)

Thanks to our readers, The Paper rounds out the list of journalism movies I’ve decided to share in this post. The Paper is a 2007 documentary following The Daily Collegian, Pennsylvania State University’s newspaper. The film takes a look at the pressures and problems of modern journalism as faced by the staff. The film showcases the challenges of plummeting circulation, barriers to investigative reporting and criticism of coverage, from the viewpoint of first-time journalists. This is a great film for anyone passionate about journalism, particularly students enrolled in journalism programs today.

• From Twitter: Meredith Cummings, Journalism Professor, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (@merecummings) “”The Paper,” hands down.” I’m going to give Merdith the benefit of the doubt here and assume she was referring to this film, and not the Michael Keaton one – being a journalism professor and all.

Up Close & Personal

This one almost didn’t make the cut, but if my only criteria is a movie about journalism or with journalist characters, I must include it. Honestly, I remember watching this movie for the first time because it was about journalism. Well, that’s what I thought. It’s a love story set in the world of TV journalism with an aspiring TV journalist played by Michelle Pfeiffer. I’ll let you be the judge on this one. Believe it or not, it was nominated for an Oscar. Oh wait, “Best Music, Original Song” for Diane Warren’s, “Because You Loved Me.” Never mind.

• From Twitter: Danielle Grant, Managing Director/Co-Founder A&O-a Creative Communications – and a cool Twitter handle owner (@tinysentences) – “”Up Close and Personal” is both fav and least fav. Penned by Joan Didion…could have done without Bob Redford though.”

The End 

So that’s my list of movies that have some journalism tie-in. Thanks again to all the @journalistics followers who provided input for this post. Can you believe how many of these films were nominated or won Oscars? I was. It appears The Academy loves journalism movies as much as we do. You know what would be really cool? If some adventurous Journalism Professor turned this subject into a class. I would go back to school to watch Journalism movies every week for the semester.

Now it’s time to finish this post. As I mentioned in the beginning, this post won’t be complete until you share your comments below. I want to know what you think of the films on this list. Which ones do you love the most? Which ones did you just learn about? Of course, which ones do you loathe? Did I miss any great journalism-related films? Please share your thoughts below. As always, particularly with this one, thanks for reading!

When I’ve had problems getting coverage – while I didn’t realize it at the time – it was because the story wasn’t actually newsworthy, or I was talking to the wrong journalists. The purpose of this post is to help you figure this stuff out much sooner than the 15 year mark in your career.

First, Are You Talking to the Right Journalists?

Who covers your news? Which reporters write the most about the topics related to what you do? You should know who they are off the top of your head. If you don’t, start there. Subscribe to the publications they write for. Read the stuff they write. It only takes a couple of minutes a day to do this, and you’ll quickly find that you know exactly who to talk to when news bubbles to the surface in your organization.The key here – and you’ve heard it before – is to do your research. Of all the best media relations professionals I’ve worked with, every single one of them did their homework. They’re not magically gifted in media relations (though that could have something to do with it). Rather, they know how to build a target list that makes the most sense for the news they’re pitching on a regular basis. They understand the limitations of their news and that not everything is cut out for the front page of the biggest newspapers in the U.S.

Once you home in on who the most important journalists are in your industry, it’s up to you to get on their radar. You can do this through regular communication and networking – actually getting to know them. Don’t just contact a journalist when you’re pitching a story. Provide them with tips throughout the year when you come across information that’s of interest to them – even if, especially if, it’s not related to your organization. They’ll quickly start to value you as a source – and they just might call you the next time they’re working on a story. The trick is to get yourself inserted into their Rolodex or whatever “trusted source” file they use. Again, it’s born out of mutual respect for each other – your job is to demonstrate that you understand and follow their coverage. If you send them something off topic – something that has nothing to do with the content they produce – you lose.

This may sound like pie in the sky to some of you that have been working in media relations for a long time, but I can assure you, it’s not. When I’ve practiced what I preach, it’s always worked. I’m currently working in mobile banking and payments. Almost everyday a journalist contacts our CEO to comment on a story – and we get a ton of coverage as a result. That should be your goal – become such a trusted, reliable source that the PR opportunities come to you with minimal effort.

Second, Do You Have a Newsworthy Story?

As employees, it’s easy to get distracted by the people we report to. Your CEO or team leader isn’t always the best person to determine the quality of news. To them, more often than not, everything is newsworthy and a good fit for The New York Times. Remember the stuff you learned about journalism in school? What makes a good news story? Your topic should be timely and relevant for the audience of the outlet you’re pitching. Even if your story is timely and relevant to the outlet you’re pitching, it might now be a fit for the reporter you think writes about that stuff.

Sometimes newsworthiness is merely a factor of how you package the news in your pitch. You have to adapt the pitch to each journalist and outlet. Does this take more time? Yes. Is it worth the effort? Yes. If you don’t have the time to do this with every outlet, use the 80/20 principle to focus your time where it will make the greatest impact (which 20 percent of outlets will produce 80 percent of the results you’re looking for?). This could be a 90/10 or even 99/1 split, but you get the idea. To help you adapt your pitch to the right journalist or outlet, here are some tips for refining your pitches:

• Localize – is your story not a fit for national news, but a good fit locally? Get strong local coverage in the outlet with the widest coverage. If your company is hiring 20 new employees this year, it’s not a fit for The Wall Street Journal. If you’re hiring 2,000 employees this year due to a big contract you just landed, it might be. Find local angles and see your placement success go up.

• Timeliness – if your story has a time element to it, you need to be able to act fast. The best example I can think of here is when you try to ride the coattails of a story in the mainstream. Let’s say you work for an allergist or a company that makes a product that relieves the effects of high pollen. How can you capitalize on news coverage of record high pollen counts in the Southeast to get your client on the evening news? To capitalize on current events like this, you need to have the right reporters on speed dial. If you want to read more on this aspect, check out David Meerman Scott’s book, “Newsjacking: How to Inject Your Ideas Into Breaking News Stories and Generate Tons of Media Coverage.” The book is chock full of great case studies on how PR professionals have scored incredible coverage using this tactic.

• Numbers – when was the last time you saw an infographic in the outlets that cover you industry? Exactly. Journalists love numbers. Pretty numbers are even better. You’re probably sitting on a bunch of recent facts and statistics about your industry you could package as an infographic to support your news. Not only will the infographic help you break through the clutter of competing pitches, but it also provides the journalist with a potential visual to use with his/her story. There is way too much “fluff” in a lot of the press releases and pitches reporters receive day in and day out. When you say it with numbers, you separate your news from the pack. I recently got coverage for a story on the growth of lacrosse in our county. I didn’t tell the reporter, “Lacrosse is growing a lot down here.” I gave him specific numbers on the growth of lacrosse in our area, and I tied it to regional and national trends (again, real numbers). I got a call back immediately.

• Seasonality – this isn’t a new tactic, but it might be for some of you. What seasonal events create PR opportunities for you? Right now, we’re in the midst of spring. We’re a few days away from April Fool’s Day. Easter is coming. March Madness is drawing to a close. Summer is right around the corner. Kids will be out of school soon. Then they’ll go back to school. I could go on and on, but there’s always some recurring event you can tie your story to and create a more newsworthy pitch. There’s always some special “Day” or “Week” or “Month” you can tie into. From “Talk Like a Pirate Day” to “Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” you can find an endless array of tie-in ideas from “Chase’s Calendar of Events.” It’s a pricey book, but no PR agency office is complete without one. A word of caution though… the themed events thing is a little overdone. Try to find unique ones to tie into, and don’t make it the focus of the pitch – rather, use it as a tie-in to make your pitch more timely.

• Bouncebacks – what do you do when a reporter writes a great story about your industry and leaves your company out? Do you ignore it and take the abuse from your superiors? Do you write a scathing letter, lambasting the reporter – asking them how they could have possibly overlooked you? No, you educate them on your organization and the value you could bring to the table on future stories. Start by acknowledging that the story they wrote was on-target – in some cases, it might be appropriate to highlight some elements that you felt were left out. Journalists like to get reader feedback in most cases. It’s okay to share your side of the story. Even if it doesn’t get you in this article, they’ll think of you next time around if you’re polite and professional.

• Namedrop - if your story is related to well-known organizations or people, get that stuff in the first paragraph of your pitch. While it’s not a guarantee for coverage, the better known the players are in your news story, the more likely you will break through the filters. If you don’t have any big names tied to your news, how can you make that happen?

• Copy Success – pick apart the outlets you read. This goes with the targeting research, but become an analyst of the news. Try to figure out which stories you read were generated from a PR pitch. It’s not that hard to figure out. How did the other companies get included in the story? If you start to analyze the news, you can start to identify the formula for how coverage happens with each outlet – and each reporter. From there, you can develop strategic approaches to getting your organization or experts included in the mix.

The final point I’ll make on this post is you should surround yourself with peers that “get it”. Don’t learn from the telesales PR people that do whatever they can to try to jam a story down a reporter’s throat. That rarely works. You don’t want to be a “smile and dial” PR person – you’ll get burned out fast. The mentors you’re looking for are the people that tend to always land the mainstream press. The ones that know how to do their homework. They know how to target the right reporter, at the right outlet and at the right time to produce publicity miracles. You can learn the most from these people – I know I have.

To review, you shouldn’t have a hard time getting coverage for the news you’re pitching. If you do your homework and tailor your pitch to the needs and interests of each reporter, you’ll find success. I know some of you will roll your eyes at this post, thinking to yourself, “I don’t have time to do media relations this way.” To you I say then you’re wasting your time everyday on tactics that no longer work in media relations. If you want to get coverage for the organizations or clients you represent, this is the only tried and true way to find long-term success.

Which tactics work best for you? Do you agree or disagree with the tips I shared in this post? Share your perspective in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

I found myself thinking about the topic of how networking has changed in my recent trip to SXSW Interactive. Think about the startups generating the most buzz coming out of SXSW the past couple of years. There’s Highrise, GroupMe, Twitter, Forecast, Plancast and Foursquare (this list could easily be 50 companies long, but you get the point). What do they all have in common? In one way or another, they help us to connect easier with one another. Isn’t that what social media is all about?

For the social media-savvy group, which I consider myself a member of, it’s helped us to develop hundreds (if not thousands) of new connections that wouldn’t have been possible using traditional networking. By traditional networking, I mean getting out there and meeting people in real life. It would take a lifetime of traditional networking to make the connections we can make in a few months using social media. Would you have known that the woman you work with went to school with your best friend’s fraternity brother? Nope, not without LinkedIn. How about the dozen or so people in your city you know through Twitter now? How long would it have taken to meet them the old fashioned way? You probably would never have met them.

So it’s easier to connect online (and I’m using “online” loosely – it’s more mobile than online these days). I question whether online can help you develop the most meaningful relationships though. How many times have you connected with somebody at an event, only to find out you were already following each other on Twitter? It happens to me all the time. There’s too much information online. To build meaningful relationships, I think we need the offline component. As I walked the halls of SXSW, everyone was looking down at their iPhone or Android devices – it’s hard to make eye contact with somebody without a concentrated effort.

As an experiment, I chose to tweet less and make eye contact more at SXSW this year. Rather than scanning check-ins and tweets to see who was in the room, I went up and talked to people. I broke the ice with a handshake instead of an @ reply or DM. The result? I met some pretty cool people. I got these things called business cards – pieces of paper with contact information on them. I won’t call out all the people that I met in this post, but I will encourage you to evaluate how you’re currently going about your networking in 2012.

If you’re focused on building a following, that’s a quantity play. It’s a useful strategy for a lot of reasons, some akin to traditional advertising models where reach and frequency help you build brand awareness. It’s important to build brand awareness – whether for the organization or products you represent, or for yourself (I tend to put more emphasis on the latter). With reach, you can get your message out to a lot of followers. With frequency, you can build recall and retention for your message. In the process, you build your reputation as an information source.

In the offline world, things are less cut and dry. It’s one thing to make a connection and start a relationship. From there, it’s the follow-up that matters. I content that a reputation is more than your follower count or Klout score. To build a reputation, you have to build relationships that give people some context over time. Online channels can help you accelerate this, but it takes a combination of both. A lot of us are just starting to figure out the balance.

How do you build the relationship from there using online and offline channels? This is where the real power in social media comes from. When you can start a relationship offline – or convert an online relationship to an offline one – you can really start to forge meaningful relationships that can help you accomplish your goals as a professional. Whether your goal is to find a new client or job, or help connect job seekers to their dream job. This is just one lens to look at things through, but one that’s been on my mind since the clouds parted at SXSW to shine light on some relationships I hope to nurture in the weeks and months to come.

When you boot up tomorrow and start flooding your streams with useful information for your audiences, pay attention to the people you’re interacting with. How well do you know them? How can you build that relationship beyond a tweet exchange here or there. For me, I’ve got a bunch of appointments scheduled. And I’m looking forward to organizing a meetup or two in Atlanta once the pollen washes out this spring (for those of you not in the Atlanta area, the pollen is horrible this time of year – it’s a blanket of yellow everywhere you look).

You know how to build a following with social media. For a lot of us, it’s what we’ve been focused on the past couple of years. I think now is the time to get back to the real networking. That’s my focus for now. Here are some quick reminders for building relationships in the real world:

• Find People That Share Your Passion – do you love lacrosse? How about blogging? Startups? I love all three. I tend to spend time in groups of people who like the same things as I do. It’s easier to find these commonalities with social media. There’s no excuse not to anymore. When you circulate with people with similar interests, amazing things can happen. And, you always have a common thread that binds you. At SXSW this year, I knew the founder of a well-known start-up went to Syracuse. I reached out through Twitter to ask him where we was watching the game. Not only did I get to have a few beverages with him, but I met the crew that manages social media for the University. How cool is that? I transformed online into offline (and got a snazzy SU t-shirt out of it too).

• Follow Up – it’s easy to get cards. In the professional world, this is the equivalent of getting digits. Don’t let the cards collect dust on your desk. Do something with them. I like to enter them into LinkedIn’s CardMunch tool (very cool). This tool is the perfect definition of my offline to online transition – you take a picture of your card and connect with people through LinkedIn. From there, it’s easier to follow up and build the relationship.

• Ask, “How Can I Help?” – make it about them, not you. I learned this lesson the hard way early on in my career, when I was only interested in networking for my own personal gain. I wanted more contacts. I wanted to land more clients. I wanted to get a better job. It was all about me, and then a friend called me out on it. She said, “What do you want? You only want to meet up when you want something.” Ouch. From that day forward, I always asked myself, “What can I do to help this person?” Are they trying to find a job? Who do I know? Are they trying to raise awareness for a cause I believe in? How can I get the word out? Is there somebody in my network that things the same way he/she does? Can I connect them somehow? The answers to these questions have helped me dramatically increase my network through helping others. My value has increased, and as an interesting byproduct, so too has the quality of my life.

• Get Out There – it’s easy to get stuck in your Twitter stream. I could spend a day on Twitter managing my interactions – I don’t anymore. I try to find events around town (or in other cities I visit) where I can meet new people. My goal is to meet new people that share my passion about transforming how journalists and sources connect (see ExpertEngine on that front). What’s your goal? How can you find people that share the same interests? That’s where you want to be hanging out. Use online channels to find new places to meet people offline.

• Don’t Be Shy – I’m a talker, but I’m shy like a lot of you. Shyness is like a high school dance. Until somebody makes a move, you all stand around staring at each other across an empty dance floor. Don’t be that person. Introduce yourself and get things going. At SXSW, four of the coolest connections I made came while I was flying to Austin from Atlanta, riding a shuttle to the conference center, waiting in line to pick up my badge, and waiting for my check at a restaurant. I could have just sat there, and I would have never met those people. Don’t miss an opportunity to make a new connection.

So here’s your first challenge in this online/offline thing I’m rambling about. Leave a comment on this blog and tell me who you are. I want to know who is reading this stuff I’m putting up there. If you’re in Atlanta or San Francisco, two cities I frequent, let’s figure out a way to meet up. Maybe you can help me pull together a meetup – or we can just grab coffee. I look forward to meeting you.

(Image Credit: Handshake by buddawiggi / Flickr)

1. The Energy – there is such a good vibe at this “conference”. Maybe it’s the free booze everywhere – but I’d prefer to think that the people who go share a passion for learning, and they realize that comes from meeting and talking with people.

2. The Friends – there are people I run into at SXSW that I can’t manage to catch up with in Atlanta or San Francisco (where I spend most of my time). Despite my efforts the past few weeks to broadcast my intentions to attend SXSW this year, I know I’ll see a dozen or so people there that will surprise me. I can’t wait.

3. The Content - if you can’t find sessions you’re interested in at SXSW, you shouldn’t be going. There are always three things going on at the same time – the conference forces you to make tough decisions every hour.

4. The Surprises – there’s always something unexpected around the corner. Maybe it’s a game of Foursquare with Foursquare’s founder. Maybe it’s a close up look at the Chevy Volt. Maybe it’s getting filmed by Ashton Kutcher outside a Mexican restaurant (story for another time). “Prepare to be Surprised” could be a good motto for the show.

5. Launches – SXSW is a platform for launches. Whether it’s a tiny standout start-up like Twitter, or a battle royale for the title of best new start-up in a category (Foursquare vs. Gowalla was fun while it lasted), expect to have something NEW to talk about when you head back to work next week. I personally think this will be the year of mobile payments (you heard it here first folks). You’ll be able to pay with your phone more – and you’ll probably hear a lot of buzz about new mobile payments services (that’s my day job these days, if you didn’t know).

6. The Parties – really though, I’d be lying if I left the parties off the list. I could do without the lines (to get in, and to get to the bathroom), but hey, it’s the price you pay. Follow the crowd for the official stuff, then find a local for something more chill when you need a break from the madness (well, I’ve never done that, but I hear it’s a good tip).

7. VIP – as an extension of #6, if you’re lucky enough to get into the VIP events, it’s way more fun. I’m not an A-lister (more like a G-lister), and I look nothing like Pete Cashmore, but get to the parties early and be really nice to people and you never know, you might get lucky. Then again, you might end up standing in the rain for hours, only to never get in because some celebrity is in the place and nobody wants to leave (#whiner #shouldhavegotthereearlier).

8. Texas Bar-B-Que – you don’t have to trek out to The Salt Lick to get your Bar-B-Que fix (though all the cool kids and Far Far Away badge seekers are doin’ it). Mmmm. That’s all I have to say about that.

9. The Gurus – or super nerds as I like to call them. I love running into the entrepreneurs and ‘experts’ I’ve grown to love over the years. People like @briansolis, @garyvee and @dmscott to name a few that you’ve heard of. Be sure to check out the book signing schedule – it’s a great way to meet some of the speakers outside of the swarm that follows their presentations.

10. The T-Shirts – it’s lame, I know. But seriously, I am a nerd and nerds like t-shirts (well, and sweatshirts – but nobody gives those out). I’ve been to 100 different marketing conferences and I can tell you that SXSW boasts the best quantity (and quality) t-shirts out there. Get to the exhibition center (and every party you attend) early. You’ll have enough new clothes for the rest of the year. PSA: If you don’t like a t-shirt (or it doesn’t fit), consider donating it to charity. There are people without clothes out there.

11. Yep, 11 – what top 10 list would be complete without 11? You are 11. I love our readers. If you are planning to be there this year (or you’re there, reading this), let’s connect. Twitter is best (@jeremyporter @journalistics).

So that’s my list. Total stream of consciousness of course. It’s way past my bedtime, but I consider it practice for this weekend. I fly out in the a.m. and hope to meet some of you that have read this post. Feel free to reach out and say “hello.” Cheers!

With Journalistics, it was different. In 2009, social media was starting to take off. I had 12 years of PR experience under my belt – and I knew a thing or two about SEO. I never thought of myself as an expert, but as I started to share my suggestions, a lot of great feedback started coming in. I was actually helping people. Some people said my blog had become their favorite (but that’s what mom’s are supposed to say, right?).

If you had told me that hundreds of thousands of people would read my posts, I wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s what happened. Then the posts started being mentioned by people I respected in the industry. And then I’d have people come up to me at conferences and say, “I read your blog. I love it.” I always thought they had me confused for a similar-sounding blog.

After three years of building my audience, making tons of friends, getting posts regularly picked up in trade outlets, being listed on Alltop for “journalism” and “PR” and even breaking the Top 100 on the AdAge Power 150 at one point, things were going pretty good. So what did I do next? I stopped blogging. Call it writer’s block. Call it dealing with stress and other personal stuff. Call it whatever you want, but they’d all be excuses.

I haven’t blogged since December. I have no idea how that happened. Granted, I am a big believer in quality over quantity, but at some point that argument loses its weight. You know, like when you don’t post in three months. If you’re reading this blog, it’s a miracle. I’ve given you no reason to check back here lately – and there’s no shortage of PR and journalism blogs out there.

I may not be listed on the AdAge 150 anymore. And it looks like Alltop took me off their lists of journalism and PR blogs. So that’s the bad news… But I don’t lose as much sleep over that as I would if you stopped reading. Let’s make a deal. If you keep reading, I’ll never let another month go by without posting something decent. Over the past three years, I’ve averaged six posts a month. I think that’s the write balance for one moonlighting blogger.

The Good News?

The good news is, facing the choice of shutting down the blog or cranking things back up, I opt for the latter. Why? One word… you. I’m so grateful for everyone that reads this blog. I don’t write for money (I barely cover hosting). I write to help students and young professionals. I write to stimulate meaningful dialogue with my peers (and experts that know a lot more about this stuff than I do). And I write because its fun and I love it. I can’t believe I’ve let this much time go by – but it’s not like I haven’t been thinking about things I want to write about, or ways to improve the blog.

If you were thinking of unsubscribing or taking me off your blog roll, hold your horses. I’ve got a lot of good things up my sleeve. Here are some of the content categories you can expect moving forward. Some you’ll recognize, some are new, and some will remain a surprise.

• “How Tos” for media and PR pros – not just limited to PR – historically, you’ve asked for these posts the most – from how to write a boilerplate or how to work a room, you’ve told me these posts help (help me help you with more ideas)
• “Tips and Tricks” to help you work smarter/faster
• Guides and resources for PR and journalism – there are some great posts from the past that need to be updated (like that infamous post on ‘best’ J-schools)
• Analysis and opinion on current industry issues and news stories – there’s a couple of things I need to chime in on
• Career-related advice for finding work (or making more moola working for somebody or yourself)
• Interviews with people doing cool work in journalism and PR – people you wouldn’t get to talk to everyday
• Topics you want to know about (comment on this post and I’ll consider your ideas)
• Guest blogs from really smart people (as a side note – I’ve dropped the ball with some guest blogs in the past; my standards will be much higher moving forward)
• Reports from events I attend nationally – or good scoops on regional happenings in Atlanta
• Updates on our projects outside of Journalistics – because I know some of you care about that stuff
• Stuff you won’t see on every other PR blog out there (like the truth on how to get covered in certain pubs – or tough love for things like press release writing)

For you loyal readers that have resisted the temptation to unsubscribe from the feed, thank you. Let’s just look at this time as my sabbatical. It was time to recharge and get fresh ideas. Please let me know what you’d like to see here. And, if you’re still reading and attending SXSW this year, let me know. I’ll be there Friday to Monday and would love to connect with some of our readers. Cheers!

(Image Credit: Quality Ice Cream Mural by KB35 / Flickr)

One of the best and worst things about working with start ups, particularly if you’re entrepreneurial like myself, is you inevitably find yourself wanting to do your own thing again. As some of you know, I majored in public relations and journalism at Utica College of Syracuse University. It’s one of the few colleges that combines instruction for journalism and PR – so since college, I’ve learned about both sides of the fence. I’ve always thought of starting a business related to PR/journalism – but not a service business like I did with my agency, but rather a product business.

Somewhere in the midst of Web 2.0, but before the social media craze, I started thinking to myself, “There has to be an idea I can take to market that PR people will love?” PR is hard work… how can I make it easier? What problem that hasn’t been solved yet? Surely there is an outdated or overpriced service that could be updated for the 2000s? I mean, what independent PR professional can afford $5K a year (at the time) for a media database? I ultimately settled on creating a FREE media database. You know, Vocus/Cision meets Wikipedia? If you ever read Wikinomics, you know there are plenty of examples of peer production and mass collaboration successes out there – I was sure it would work if I built it. I did start to build it, but then…

Know a Bad Idea When You See One

As I started interviewing journalists – you know, doing market research for the idea – I was blown away by how bad the “PR spam” problem was. Shortly around this time, Chris Anderson came out with his infamous list, Gina Trapini followed with her wiki of PR spammers, and there were dozens more examples of PR gone wrong. It was at that time that I decided there was NOTHING I wanted to do to make it easier for PR people to spam journalists with more “spray and pray” pitches (or to find myself in the cross hairs of Chris or Gina).

I also realized during this time that journalists were seeing a tremendous increase in workload. Now forced to produce more content than ever, with less help than ever and less revenue than ever, and… you get the picture. If it weren’t bad enough, journalists were fielding an endless barrage of story suggestions from PR pros, which often translated into hundreds of letters, packages, phone calls, emails, direct messages, blog comments and other interruptions per week. You think that phone call from a telemarketer during dinner is annoying? Imagine if that happened every hour or every day and you had to figure out a way to filter through it all (or choose to ignore it and risk missing a good story?).

But There Was Hope…

With the launch of Help A Reporter Out (the HARO we have all come to know and love), Peter Shankman did something amazing. The impossible actually. He broke down the barriers between journalists and PR professionals and found some common ground on which they could collaborate on stories. It’s easy for people to say, “Oh, HARO is just a free ProfNet,” but it’s much more significant than that. HARO was pro-journalist all the way. It prohibited bad pitches from the beginning, and blacklisted anyone that broke the rules. It worked better than anyone could have imagined. But still, PR people tried to work around the rules and still tried to make their crap stories fit a journalist’s query, regardless of how specific the query was. People do crazy things when their job is on the line and their success rests on whether or not they get news for something that isn’t newsworthy.

This think called Twitter launched too… and the media embraced Twitter. All of the sudden, guarded journalists were comfortable talking publicly. If you could communicate your pitch in 140 characters, you had a chance. But, you know the Twitter story…

So, Can We Build Something to Help Journalists?

So back to my desire to launch something. That was the nugget I got from everything going on in the market. 99% of the PR services out there focus on helping PR people get more press, not making it easier for journalists to get their work done. Having worked with a lot of start ups over the year, I also know there’s a huge problem trying to break through the clutter created by this PR spam/information overload journalists have to deal with. If you don’t have an existing relationship with a journalist, you’re going to have a hard time breaking through the filters. Social media has made this easier, but not unless you’ve got some reach.

So that’s how we ended up at the ExpertEngine idea. Tejus Parikh, a developer I had worked with at a previous job, started hacking away at code. Our top priority was to build a database of great sources a journalist could search when they’re starting research for a story. While journalists at large organizations have bookings departments or editorial assistants to help them find sources, most don’t have a lot of help.

Consider the options a journalist at their disposal to find a source:

• Call somebody already in their Rolodex (yes, they still use ‘em) or check your contacts – some newsrooms have shared databases of sources they’ve used in the past, which is obviously a great resource
• Ask around the newsroom for suggestions (or email some trusted PR people)
• Search Google (even the best power users of Google will have a hard time finding a person – and then finding the person’s contact info – using Google)
• Search LinkedIn (great for finding experts – but LinkedIn users are notoriously slow to respond, which doesn’t work with the deadline nature of the reporting world
• Tweet the request – this works great, a lot of times journalists find a good source quickly this way
• Issue a query – HARO is the best option available to journalists today

These are just a few of the source-finding options available to journalists. Is there another option though? One that caters to my bias in this post? Why yes, there is… What if there was a database of sources journalists could quickly search to see if there were a source that fit their needs? If they could review some profile background and some recent social media updates to get a feel for the person’s expertise? If the journalist could click a button to request an interview, without having to broadcast what they’re working on to their competition or sources they’re not interested in, would they use it? In hundreds of conversations with journalists, they said “yes.”

Journalists don’t want to have to register to use a service. They don’t want their competition to scoop them on a story. And they don’t want to have to filter through low-quality pitches. They would much rather find a source that fits their interests, contact that expert directly (preferably without any PR intermediary to deal with) and get on with filing their story. That’s our vision for ExpertEngine.

What is ExpertEngine?

ExpertEngine is an expert search engine journalists can use to quickly and anonymously search for sources. If they find a source, they can contact the source directly through the system. Experts add their profiles to expert engine to put themselves in front of journalists interested in their expertise. It’s a simple matchmaking service. If journalists don’t find a source in ExpertEngine, they can proceed to step two and use the other options at their disposal. If they find a source however, maybe we save them an hour today. What’s an hour worth to a journalist? You decide.

Of course, the DIY PR potential of this concept is significant as well. Rather than hiring a PR person to badger journalists all day long, often with mediocre returns – a source can add themselves to the database, along with some story suggestions, and let the journalists come to him/her. It’s an inbound marketing approach for PR if you will. Stop interrupting journalists – put your stuff out there, and if they’re interested, they’ll contact you.

That’s what the ExpertEngine is all about. Want to check it out? Sign-up for the beta: http://www.expertengine.com. Love or hate the idea? Sound off below.

(Image Credit: Brian Solis, “Dear Chris Anderson, an Open Letter to Make Things Right“; “Question mark” by konradfoerstner / Flickr, )

This couldn’t be more true this year. I took a look back at our Top 9 Posts of 2009 and Top 10 Posts of 2010 to see how the blog has changed over the past few years. The first thing that jumped out at me is how good the posts from 2009 were. Three or four of those first posts remain the most-viewed each year on the blog (I won’t reveal which ones they are, mainly because they’re great resources – but in desperate need of updating).

The popularity of these posts tells me two things:

1. Those posts were great – and well worth the effort that went into them (some of the more labor intensive posts to date)

2. If I was writing great content, posts from 2009 wouldn’t still be the most popular content in 2011

We have a lot of great content lined up for 2012. As always, we welcome your feedback. For now, without further adieu, here are the top posts of 2011:

1. Press Release or Press Delete?

This was one of my favorite posts to write this year – I couldn’t be more excited that it was your favorite to read and share. In typical Journalistics fashion, the post provided suggestions for writing press releases that don’t get deleted. If you’re going to write a press release, make it great. If you’re not willing to do that, why bother?

2. Surviving Facebook’s New Fan Page Photo Roulette

One of several guest posts that made the list this year, Facebook for newsrooms expert Kim Wilson helped people navigate Facebook’s changes to its fan page photo layout. Maybe Kim will give us some more advice in 2012 to help us navigate Facebook Timeline?

3. 8 Google Tools for Brainstorming I use Google products all the time to help me do things smarter and faster. What an incredible range of great FREE tools Google provides for us all. This post focused on the 8 Google tools I use for brainstorming topic ideas.

4. Making the Case for Infographics in PR

This may as well have been the year of the infographic. There are dozens of great blogs out there dedicated to publishing infographics (and I’ve seen quite a few start-ups pop up dedicated to helping business build great infographics – Visua.ly comes to mind). Infographics have run their course for some outlets – see Gizmodo’s The Infographic to End All Infographics for a subtle hint.

5. Journalists on Facebook

Facebook has taken some big steps to help the media – and journalists – use Facebook in their work. On the heels of its Facebook for Media page, Facebook launched Journalistics on Facebook this year (and snagged Vadim Lavrusik to manage the effort). If you haven’t checked it out, read the post and head over the Facebook for Journalists to join the conversation.

6. PR Students Improve Marketability

I was fortunate to have access to a lot of alumni when I studied public relations and journalism at Utica College of Syracuse University. I’ve always had a pay-it-forward attitude in my career. When Vince Paventa, a recent PR grad, wanted to share his advice to help other entry level job seekers, I was all for it. His advice was popular. I hope the post helped some people get hired (let us know if it did).

10 iPad Apps for Journalists

I bought a netbook and a Kindle last year at this time. It’s amazing how quickly the iPad took off, pretty much making both of those things obsolete in my book (I broke down and got an iPad by spring). I’m clearly not alone, since the iPad has since cemented it’s place as the most popular consumer electronics device of all time. This post suggested some iPad apps for journalists. Honestly, every journalist has their favorite iPad apps. That’s one of the things that makes the device so special – it’s level of customization.

As an interesting side note to illustrate this point, check out this First & 20 blog I just discovered. It shows the first 20 apps from the home screen of notable tech folks. Cool idea. Maybe I should do a follow up post on the apps media and communications professionals use the most? Send me images of your home screen and maybe I’ll feature them in a post).

11. 4 Tips for Creating an Intriguing Elevator Speech

Going down? Everyone can use a good elevator speech. Whether you’re introducing yourself, or trying to explain what your company does, a concise elevator pitch is incredibly valuable. Our readers agreed, with this post rounding out our list of 11.

We want your help! What type of content would you like to see from Journalistics in 2012? Are there any industry experts you’d like us to interview? Let us know and we’ll do our best. Happy Holidays!

Despite denials and indignation from journalists, money does talk at many print, electronic and online media sources; often in direct relation to the financial health and business prospects of its corporate owners. These quid pro quo arrangements are never in writing, and typically are communicated over a lunch with a publisher or sales rep who, with a smile or a wink, assures the client or agency that, “I have no influence over editorial…but I’ll see what I can do.” The more reliant the media outlet is on ad dollars, the thinner the line between advertising and editorial.

Trade and professional associations are not burdened with an obligation of intellectual honesty akin to that of the Fourth Estate. But it’s safe to assume association membership expects that guest speakers and “experts” featured on the agenda of their organization’s annual conference will be selected on the basis of experience, insight and presentation skill. A small number of these groups do restrict vendors from agenda participation, but at most industry conferences, any outside 3rd party can purchase a prominent place on the program agenda…and many of those presentations are poorly disguised sales pitches.

This sale of “thought leadership”– market visibility with inherent credibility – is neither a recent development nor a crime that deserves a congressional investigation. Pay-to-play is a fact of business life, and to deal with this reality, PR and marketing professionals can either:

• Use the market advantage that deep-pocketed companies have over their (limited budget) client or employer as a convenient rationalization for their inability to generate (unpaid) thought leadership; or they can

• Stop whining, get creative, and lacking economic resources, promote bona fide content and foster personal relationships as currency to generate thought leadership.

With the media, succeeding in a pay-to-play world means two things. First, it means creating content that’s timely, tailored for the recipient and never delivered in a press release. Secondly, it means building good will with key journalists by consistently providing them with relevant information and ideas, regardless of whether it relates to your company or client, without any expectation of immediate return.

With public platforms, succeeding in a pay-to-play world mostly means advance planning. It can begin by attending the prior year’s event to get a sense of the organization’s membership, priorities and culture, and to meet the group’s leadership. Conference agenda development can start 9 or more months in advance of the event, so it’s important to be on line early with a topic likely to resonate with members. It also helps if your proposal features a dues-paying member of the sponsoring organization.

In both cases, succeeding in a pay-to-play world means managing internal expectations. From the outset, your CEO or client needs to understand that you’re running against the wind, and in exchange for that effort, you must be given permission to fail.

What do you think? Is there a separation between editorial and advertising? Have you experienced an instance where a magazine was more interested in your news after you became an advertiser? Do you completely disagree and believe journalism ethics are alive and well today? Let me know.

About Gordon G. Andrew

Gordon G. Andrew is managing partner of Princeton, NJ based PR and marketing communications firm, Highlander Consulting Inc. (www.highlanderconsulting.com). He has more than 25 years of experience on the corporate and agency sides of the business. He blogs at www.marketingcraftsmanship.com. Contact him at (609) 987-0200 or @gordonandrew.

What does your company do? Do you have a description you can send me?

If marketing communications is a component of what you do, you know your “about us” paragraph is one of the most important weapons in your marketing arsenal. If you’re the type of person that starts fresh every time you get a request for a company description or about paragraph, you’re wasting a lot of time. Aside from being a drain on your productivity, rewriting your description can also lead to inconsistency in your brand message. Inevitably, it will dilute the impact of your brand message.

On the other hand, if you have a prepared company description and use it consistently in your communications, you’ll strengthen your brand message – and someday, if you’re lucky, people will remember what you do. It’s not just a reach and frequency formula. It’s more like reach, frequency and consistency. Memorization happens through repetition. If you hear the same thing over and over again, you’ll eventually absorb it.

The first step on this journey is having your About Us paragraph ready to go for that next request. Here are a few suggestions:

Your About Us paragraph should be two to five paragraphs (I’ve linked to some great examples at the end of this post) and should include all the pertinent facts about your organization. This is commonly what you do (products you make, services you provide), when you started doing it, where you’re located or who started the organization. If you use the five Ws and one H, you should be able to get a good draft going of your About Us paragraph.

Your About Us paragraph is the most important piece of content in your marketing materials, since it can be  adapted into a lot of other items, such as your boilerplate for press releases, an elevator speech for salespeople, or a long-form company backgrounder for your website. You can pull your key messages out and hang a cheat sheet in everyone’s office or cube to further reinforce your message – right alongside your mission and vision statements (a future post?).

Here are a few pointers for keeping your brand message clear and consistent. If you follow this advice and create your About Us content, you’ll save yourself a lot of time in the coming year.

Draft Your About Us With Friends

Your marketing team should create your About Us paragraph. This team should include your top business decision maker (CEO, President) and your marketing leader. In small companies, this might be the same person. I’ve always included more people in this process. You may want to include people form different departments, particularly those who work with customers on a daily basis. If you include them now, it may take longer, but you’ll have less people altering your copy later on. It’s always interesting to see how people from different parts of the company perceive what you do differently. Make the development of your About Us paragraph a collaborative process with your organization and it will be better and more reflective of who you are as an organization. 

Post in a Central Place

Despite wanting to be consistent with your About Us paragraph, things will change over time (e.g. the number of years you’ve been in business, your business location or the number of customers you have). It’s important that you have one version of your About Us paragraph (and all the other marketing materials you share publicly) in a central place – this way, when you update it, the fresh version is available for everyone that needs it. If you have an intranet, put it there. Google Docs or a wiki is a good option too. When you update it, let people know. There’s always somebody that downloads it to their desktop and ends up using a three-year old company description.

Enforce Noncompliance

I’m not much for rules, but if you find somebody is describing your company incorrectly, or using a three-year old version of your description, make them current. Educate them on what they’re doing wrong or give them the correct file version. If you do this, you’ll ensure that all your audiences (or publics for you PR purists) get the same message.

Have Different Word Options

A lot of times you will be limited by word limits for your company description. For your first draft, write as long a company description at you need to communicate all your facts and background. Once you have that version finalized, create smaller bite-sized versions in the final document. I’d suggest a 50, 100 and 150 word version for starters. You may want to have an optional paragraph that gets inserted for different instances. For example, if your description is being used in a communication for recruiting, you may want your “Recruiting Paragraph” that includes more information about that “Great Places to Work” nod you got and the number of employees you have or other key messages.

It’s probably a good idea to come up with a 140 character version as well.

Revisit Quarterly

Change happens. Take a fresh look at your description quarterly. There’s always some small detail that needs to be refreshed. Try not to change the essence of your message too often – unless what you do or your focus has really changed. On a quarterly basis, I suggest limiting your refresh to factual updates, such as the number of employees or customers you have. Of course, you may have some new information to add, such as a recent award or recognition worthy of inclusion in your company description.

Track Placement

Your about us copy can show up in a lot of places over time. Keep a running list of all the important places. If you make an update to your description, you’ll want to make sure it gets updated across all these places – particularly in directories or other listings that refer visitors to your site.

The SEO Component

Most of you know this, but your company description should have your top keyword linked to your most important page. In many cases, this is your website homepage and the most popular keyword for what you do. Since your company description will appear in hundreds or thousands of places over time, that can add up to a lot of inbound links. I would also include a separate written link to your website in the description, since people may not link your word, but they will include the link. Even if not hyperlinked, people will still find their way to your site.

Love in an Elevator

Most people can’t memorize your entire company description. Make sure you’ve got an abbreviated version you can spout off consistently in a short amount of time. Most people call this your elevator speech (hint, hint).

Put It Everywhere

In case this wasn’t obvious in the previous tips, put your description everywhere. Hang it up all around the office. Let people download it or copy it from your website. Put it in your About Us section and your pressroom. The more places your description appears, the more reach you have and the better chance you have for being discovered.

Examples

As promised, here are a few examples of “about us” company descriptions. Please feel free to add yours in the comments.

• About Foursquare
• About Facebook
• About Charity: Water
• About Vaynermedia
• About Pixar
• About Nascar
• About Starbucks

What can we learn from the examples above? What advice can you offer for people working on their About Us paragraph? Have a great About Us – share it!

Let me start off by sharing a few branding and naming personal pet peeves:

• Name and/or tagline that is arbitrary, lacks meaning, is overly clever or “too insider”. Mudpie is a store that monograms nearly anything. They have really cute stuff but the name certainly doesn’t tell you about that. I’m not sure if they have a tagline, their website doesn’t. The name/tagline should give some indication as to what the organization, initiative, etc. does.

• Over reaching. OneHope.org is the Purina dog food’s non-profit arm. If your one hope in life is dog-related, you either have a very nice life or are delusional.

Where to Begin

Start by creating list of words that describe what your organization/initiative does. Then create a list of categories to help filter what words work best (remember the 5 Ws—Who, What, Where, When, Why). Categories could include:

1. Who will benefit—does your organization help moms or homeless; children or families?

2. What does your organization/initiative do—pass out food or blankets, arrange legal counsel, teach adults to read?

3. Where do you operate (geographic region)—is your organization global or country-specific; city-wide or a neighborhood collaborative?

4. When will you operate—year round or quarterly; annually or one time only?

5. Why is your organization/initiative important/needed—will people go hungry or sit at home bored; gain literacy or clean up a park?

With your list of words now categorized by the Ws, you are on your way to an organization/initiative/business name and a tagline to support/describe what you do. While you may not use any of these words, these words should bring focus to selecting the perfect name.

Some basic rules for creating an organization name:

1. If your name does not express what you do, then the tagline must or vice versa. The name and tagline do not need to work independently of each other but one should support the other to build a strong understanding of what the organization/initiative/business is or does.

2. Once you settle on a few name choices, Google them. Are there similarly named organizations that already exist? Do they do the same thing? If there are similarly named organizations that do similar things, then it’s best to scrap that name. Selecting a name that is similar to another organization with a similar function will cause brand confusion.

3. After Google-ing a few names, check to see if the domain is available (.com, .net, .org, etc.). If one domain is unavailable (.com for example), check to see what is at that web address. Is it a placeholder site or a similar organization? If it is a placeholder site, the person who owns the domain address is likely waiting for someone to purchase the domain from them at a premium price.

4. Now that you have narrowed down your name, know that there are no similar organizations with a similar name and your preferred domain is available, I recommend purchasing all domains that are available. By purchasing .com, .net and.org, you are preventing a similar organization from using the same name and creating future brand confusion.

Do you have any other naming guidelines? How did you come up with your name?

About Jocelyn Broder

Jocelyn Broder is vice president at Robin Tracy Public Relations. She has managed the communications efforts of one of the world’s most recognized brands–Coca-Cola–and launched turn-key communications initiatives for some of the world’s most respected ministries, non-profit organizations, authors and publishers (including two book campaigns that made all four national best-seller lists). Before finding her love for PR, Jocelyn was a writer at The Oregonian, a top 25 newspaper.

(Image Credit: “Hello My Name Is…” by Alan O’Rourke / Flickr)