Good News Gal

Remembering Tim Russert

The tragic news of Tim Russert's unexpected death brings a tremendous amount of loss for the news media and news-viewers alike.

A devastated Tom Brokaw, former anchor of “NBC Nightly News” and longtime friend and colleague of Russert, announced Tim’s death on Friday afternoon.

Brokaw describe Tim as “a beloved colleague and one of the premier journalists of our time.  ....Tim loved his family, his faith, his country, politics, he loved the Buffalo Bills, the New York Yankees, the Washington Nationals. ....This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice. He'll be missed, as he was loved, greatly."

Tim's passion and enthusiasm for his family, politics and public policy was admired by many. He truly represented everything that a journalist should be.

China Quake Relief Effort - Release Fees Waived

Send all of your China Earthquake Relief Effort news and information at no cost through PR Newswire starting today, May 13th - Sunday, May 18th.

PR Newswire Waives Distribution Fees for China Earthquake Related News Releases

Organizations offering aid to the victims of the earthquake in China can distribute their messages through PR Newswire in the U.S. and China-based Xinhua PR Newswire at no charge; all releases will also be distributed through PR Newswire's partner CSRwire.

NEW YORK, May 13 / PRNewswire / -- PR Newswire has waived fees for all news releases relating to aid in rescue and recovery efforts for the severe earthquake that struck Sichuan province in China on Monday.

PR Newswire, and China-based Xinhua PR Newswire, will waive fees for organizations that wish to communicate their efforts of assistance to media and public audiences in the United States and China. PR Newswire's corporate social responsibility partner, CSRwire, will also waive fees for distribution to their network of academics, activists, CSR investment houses, NGOs, educational institutions and government bodies.

To view news releases issued by PR Newswire members offering aid, please visit http://www.prnewswire.com/gh/cnoc/comp/683207.html under Earthquake in China.

Get your BlackBerry out of our bed! - CNN.com

I had the opportunity to discuss my dependence on technology - my "digital mistress" stories - and how it is playing out in my marriage with Diane Mapes at CNN.com.

Get your BlackBerry out of our bed!

By Diane Mapes

(LifeWire) -- Like other couples, D-D Flannery and her husband have an assortment of buzzing hand-held devices in the bedroom to help keep things lively. The problem is, these devices don't improve their love life -- just their work flow.

A study says that 37 percent of laptop owners "frequently" use their computers in the bedroom.

"If you come to my house in the evening, you'll find me in bed with the laptop on my lap, the cordless land line next to me, and then my Treo," says Flannery, a 31-year-old public relations consultant from Rochester, New York.

She says the same goes for her husband, Aaron Lazenby, 35, a mortgage consultant.

Click here to view the entire story.

Inside the Governor's Office - A View from the Press Room

It's been a week filled with emotion and disbelief, especially for those of us who reside in the State of New York, as Governor Eliot Spitzer's sex scandals have been brought to the public eye.

I am not going to get "all political on you" or share my opinions on this situation as this is not a political blog. However, I do want to share with you an inside perspective on what it was like to be present in the press room when the Governor publicly announced his resignation today.

Immediately following the press conference, CNN corespondent Allan Cherno who was a member of the press, shared his perspective from the Governor's office this morning.

Cherno reported...

"It was absolutely a stunning moment in the Governor's office located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan."

Cherno went on to say, "The mood was of disbelief that it has come to this as we've seen political (sex) scandals in the past. But Spitzer was a politician of ethics, proclaimed to be 'Mr. Clean,' when really he was a client of a prostitution ring."

Cherno finished his statement saying, "again, absolutely stunning moment in this room."

The Cancellation of the Golden Globe Awards Impacts PR

Organizers of the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards announced on Monday that the televised awards show has been cancelled due to the Writer's Guild of America's strike. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) will instead announce this year's winners during a press conference that NBC News will broadcast.

"We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007's outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television," said the president of Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Jorge Camara.

PR agencies take a big hit as HFPA rolls up the red carpet. Without the show and the brand-sponsored before and after awards parties, PR folks lose out on major product-placement opportunities for their clients.

Bad Publicity Pays Offs

The Rochester Chapter of the American Marketing Association (I am a member of the Board of Directors and publicity chair) hosted B. Thomas Golisano, who is the owner of the Sabres and founder of Paychex, Inc. The title of the presentation was "Reinvigorating the Sabres Brand" where Mr. Golisano focused on their turnaround story. He walked us through the strategies and tactics used to bring the bankrupt Sabres back to being financially stable... and eventually profitable.

Most of Mr. Golisano's tactics were well received except for one. His decision to change the team's logo and color design did not go over well.

"An on-line petition against the new logo had eclipsed the 30,000 signature mark, indicating that growing numbers of Sabres fans hadn't accepted the logo (thanks to Wikipedia)." The press continued to beat on the Sabres for nearly 6 months over this decision.

After researching this further on Google, it looks like the media kept the negative buzz going amongst the fan base. This blogger leaked the story three months before the design was finalized - click here to view.

Golisano claims that his decision to change the logo paid off. Clothing sales of Sabres' attire were up 900 percent last year. This is unheard of in NHL history!

My guess is that it got so much media attention (or shall I say a media slam), that the fans become more and more aware of the Sabres' clothing and product line. It may have been a headache in the short term, but paid off in the long run... thanks to the media's dedication to this topic.

A great man once said, "the only bad publicity is no publicity." That great man was Franklin D. Roosevelt.

PR Newswire Suspends Fees for News Releases Pertaining to California's Deadly Wildfires

PR Newswire announced today that they are suspending fees for news releases pertaining to the California wildfires. Effective Immediately, news releases and media advisories relating to the wildfires may be distributed at no charge via PR Newswire's US1 Newsline service. Bona fide information sources do not have to be members of PR Newswire to utilize this free service.

Several releases pertaining to the wildfires have already been issued, and an archive of releases has been created on both the public www.prnewswire.com and media-only PR Newswire for Journalists Web sites.

To submit a news release for distribution or to submit the name of a wildfire expert, please see the instructions below.

To Send a News Release / Media Advisory
To take advantage of this free service, please submit news releases via e-mail:

E-mail: wildfires@prnewswire.com
Subject Line: California Wildfires

Include contact information for news release verification:
» Contact Name:
» Phone number:

To Submit Wildfire Expert Submissions
In addition, organizations that are, or represent, experts on wildfires that are PR Newswire members may include their details in ProfNet to be distributed to reporters covering this topic.

To include your experts in the ProfNet database, please submit your experts via e-mail:

E-mail: leads@profnet.com
Subject Line: California Wildfires

Include the following information:
» Expert's Full Name:
» Title:
» Organization Name:
» Phone Number: (contact information for reporters)
» E-mail Address: (contact information for reporters)
» Expert Quote: You may also include a brief quote from the expert.

 

CNN: The only news network to remember 9/11 appropriately

Kudos to CNN News who aired the video footage only once on the sixth anniversary of 9/11 of the four planes plummeting into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, PA! CNN is the only network who refused to replay the video coverage of the plane crashes repeatedly throughout the day. In my opinion, they are the only news network that knows how to remember the victims of 9/11 appropriately!

We are all wounded by the tragedies that occurred in our nation on September 11, 2001 and will never forget what happened. It is forever engraved in our thoughts. CNN realizes this, yet recognizes the need to pay tribute to the victims of this tragedy. 9/11 brought out some good that we forgot existed - people taking good care of eachother.

CNN spent most of today paying tribute to all of the heroes of 9/11, family members & friends who are left behind, and the current state of international affairs particularly in the middle east.

A lesson to those managing communications (PR) in the midst of a crisis. It is necessary to address the realities of the crisis, resolve any or all issues where applicable, and pay respect to those who deserve it. However, it is equally important to guide your audience towards the hope of the future and not to repeatedly rehash the devastating realities of the crisis (or tragedy).

Let CNN's honorable decision to play the video coverage from 9/11 only once on the sixth anniversary of this horrible tragedy be a great example to you as you develop & implement your crisis communications management plan!

The benefits of good press

Marketing News, a semimonthly publication issued by the American Marketing Association published a feature article that illustrates the "power of PR." The "benefits of good press" is a great case study to share with your clients - those in long-standing and prospects.

The following was included in the July 15, 2007 issue. (click on the image to enlarge the font)

Canning An Agent or Client

Every media outlet that we turn to is carrying stories about Hollywood's latest jail bird, Paris Hilton, who is behind bars for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

Today, news about Hilton's agency, The Endeavor talent agency, hit the wire as they announced that Paris is no longer a client. Click on this here to view the story that was reported in USA Today.

Terminating a relationship with a client / agency is a big decision.  In most cases the it is very evident that the relationship must come to an end or you wouldn't be questioning it.

As a publicist, I know how critical it is to work with an individual (or company spokesperson) who is reliable for and during media interviews, comes across as a good interviewee and relays honest and accurate information.  If your client falls short in any of these areas, then you run the risk of jeopardizing your own relationships with journalists / analysts. 

For those of you who have retained an agent, it is equally important for you to select one that is reputable, reliable and highly ethical.  After all, it is your reputation at stake too.