REENTARGET S ONTHLY G ’ M PR INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER
Industry News, Tips and Articles | Brought to you by the Media Relations Team
MEDIA AMBASSADOR UPDATES
CHICAGO
• Pensions & Investments: Lisa and Jordan met with Meghan Kilroy. Review the recap here. Please let us know if you have sources to share.
• Wall Street Journal: Lisa and Jordan are planning to meet with Doug Cameron Deputy Bureau Chief and Defense/Airlines reporter at the end of February, we’ll circle back with a recap.
• Midwest Real Estate News: Lisa had a call with the new editor at Illinois Real Estate Journal, Matt Baker to get acquainted. He’ll focus on covering commercial real estate news related to Illinois and Chicago in the Illinois Real Estate Journal and Chicago Industrial Properties, however any Midwest related commercial real estate news should go to Dan Rafter.
• Law360: Lisa is meeting with Diana Novak Jones, senior reporter covering Chicago courts 2/15. She’ll circle back with a recap shortly.
LOS ANGELES
• Los Angeles Business Journal: Ted connected Henry Meier, the new managing editor who previously covered legal. The "legal column" is no more, and rarely will laterals be announced as in the past. Only hi-profile moves/groups will be considered for stories/mentions -- which can be sent directly to Henry. Given this change, in order for experts to be included, they will need to be able to weigh in on local news impacting LA in the areas.
REPORTERS ON THE MOVE
Misc. • Inside Energy – As of Jan. 1, Inside Energy is no longer publishing.
• The Deal – The Deal launched a new website on January 29 that includes profiles for individuals and firms who have been featured in the tables.
• The Wall Street Journal – The Wall Street Journal has welcomed their new Middle East correspondent Jared Malsin.
• The Washington Post – Kevin Sieff, the Africa bureau chief of The Washington Post, will be moving to Mexico to become a Latin America correspondent.
Boston • American Banker – American Banker brings on new reporter Hilary Burns, who will be reporting on community banking.
• Fortune – Fortune magazine’s senior enterprise and tech reporter, Barb Darrow, announced via Twitter that she has left the magazine for new opportunities.
Chicago • Bloomberg News – Kiel Porter is moving to the Chicago Bureau, to cover mergers & acquisitions.
• Chicago Magazine – Culture editor Tal Rosenberg is leaving the Chicago Reader to join Chicago magazine as a senior editor starting Jan. 16.
New York • Barron’s o Mary Childs will be joining the magazine from the Financial Times where she is a financial correspondent. No official start date has been announced. o After 17 years with Barron’s magazine, Dimitra DeFotis has accepted a buyout, and will be departing from the publication. o Ben Walsh is the newest finance reporter at Barron’s. He will cover banking and financial technology.
• Bloomberg News – Bloomberg News reporter Julie VerHage has switched beats to cover the intersection of finance and technology.
• CNBC o Alex Sherman decamps from Bloomberg News and will join CNBC online on Dec. 6 to cover M&A with a focus on technology and the Silicon Valley venture capital world. o Keris Lahiff has joined CNBC where she takes on the role of markets producer.
• CNN – Joan Walsh is joining CNN as a correspondent after news broke that her contract with MSNBC had not been renewed.
• Crain’s New York Business o Rosemary Maggiore has left the publication. o Web producer Peter D’Amato has left the publication.
• Newsweek – Newsweek welcomes reporter Lauren Gill as its new breaking news reporter.
• Reuters – Reuters said goodbye to banking reporter Dan Freed.
• The Atlantic – The Atlantic has brought on Reihan Salam as contributing editor and will write content pertaining to U.S. and international politics.
• The Deal – Michael Brown has been promoted to co-editor at TheDeal. He is also the assignment editor for TheStreet and oversees the mergers & acquisitions tipsheet.
• The New York Times o Kendra Pierre-Louis joins the climate desk for the paper as a reporter. o Jeff Mays joins NYT as a full-time reporter, covering City Hall and politics. o NYT welcomes Michael Keller, joining the team as an investigative reporter covering artificial intelligence, algorithms, robots and technology. o Lauren Kelley has joined The New York Times as its newest editor, focusing on gender issues and news.
• The Wall Street Journal – Gretchen Morgenson has joined The Wall Street Journal investigative team as a senior special writer.
• Yahoo! Finance – Yahoo Finance has added Dion Rabouin as markets reporter.
San Francisco • Bloomberg News – Alex Barinka is moving to the San Francisco Bureau to cover tech and mergers & acquisitions.
• The San Francisco Chronicle – The San Francisco Chronicle welcomes Josh Koehn as its new assistant metro editor.
• Yahoo Finance – JP Mangalindan is now the chief tech correspondent.
Washington, DC • Associated Press – Brad Foss, a former reporter and deputy business editor, has been named the global business editor.
• Axios – Joe Uchill has joined Axios as a cybersecurity reporter. He was formerly with The Hill, covering the same.
• Boston Globe – Liz Goodwin has left her position as national affairs reporter for Yahoo News to join the Boston Globe Washington Bureau as general assignment reporter.
• Buzzfeed – Buzzfeed has named Tarini Parti White House correspondent.
• CNN o Jim Acosta has been promoted to chief White House correspondent. o Pamela Brown, who has covered the Department of Justice for CNN since March 2014, now covers the White House as a senior correspondent. o Sara Murray replaces Brown as Department of Justice correspondent o Senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns shifts from the White House to cover national politics and the upcoming midterm elections.
• E&E News – E&E News has announced the departure of longtime editor in chief Kevin Braun, who was at the helm of all E&E Publishing publications since 1998. Replacing him as the top editor is Cyril Zaneski,
• NPR o Kelsey Snell has joined NPR as a congressional reporter and will focus on budget, fiscal policy, federal spending, and tax reform. o Alex Leff is joining NPR. He began his new role as the as international digital editor in December.
• PBS Newshour – Yamiche Alcindor will join the NewsHour team on Jan. 16 as a White House correspondent.
• The Atlantic – Elaina Plott is set to join The Atlantic as a staff writer at the end of Jan. 2018. She will be covering Congress and national politics.
• The New York Times o Ali Watkins will be joining the paper to cover national security. o Katie Rogers, who joined the Washington bureau of NYT last January, is now a White House correspondent.
• The Wall Street Journal – Lalita Clozel is now a banking regulation reporter for the Washington bureau of The Wall Street Journal.
• The Washington Examiner – The Washington Examiner welcomes a new business editor, James Langford.
• The Washington Post o The Washington Post welcomed Josh Dawsey as their new White House reporter. o Andrew Van Dam will be joining The Washington Post’s Wonkblog on Nov. 20 as a data reporter covering economics and policy. o Erica Werner will exit the Associated Press for The Washington Post, signing on as a congressional economic policy correspondent on Nov. 20. o In January 2018, Sarah Ellison will be leaving Vanity Fair to become the Washington Post’s newest media reporter. o Donna Cassata is headed to The Washington Post Jan. 8 to spearhead the daily’s Congressional coverage as deputy Congress editor. o Paul Sonne will join the outlet on Jan. 29 as Pentagon correspondent. o Shane Harris is set to join WaPo on Jan. 8 and will cover the intelligence community. o Warren Brown has ended his long-running cars column.
Miami • South Florida Business Journal – Jessica Bryant has joined as a data reporter for South Florida Business Journal.
Philadelphia • The Philadelphia Inquirer – A number of staffers have accepted buyouts: o Joanne McLaughlin, who had served as the deputy business editor. o Workplace and labor reporter Jane M. Von Bergen. o Linda Loyd, who had served as a reporter covering air travel, ports and tourism. o Jonathan Takiff, the paper’s technology reporter and columnist since 2015.
Media Relations News
Table of Contents
1. PR News Daily – “6 ways a spokesperson can embody authenticity,” February 12, 2018
2. Forbes – “13 Ways Your Business Can Win More Media Exposure,” January 31, 2018
3. PressThink – “Send the interns,” January 22, 2017
6 ways a spokesperson can embody authenticity PR News Daily February 12, 2018
Authenticity has become something of a buzzword in recent times. It is a term which seems to be increasingly applied to just about everything, from leaders and marketing to furniture and clothing.
Although everyone seems to be seeking authenticity, few people can define what it is. Look it up in the dictionary and you will find terms like genuine, accurate, reliable and “not a copy.” When applied to people it seems best defined as “being yourself.”
However, when it comes to media interviews, it’s not that simple.
Donald Trump has many flaws, but it would be hard to argue that he isn’t himself when he appears in front of cameras and gives speeches. It’s an approach which has won him as many admirers as it has critics.
At the other end of the scale is Theresa May, who particularly during the last general election, seemed unable to move beyond rigid pre-prepared messages. It was an approach which left her dubbed “the Maybot” and left the UK with a government which is anything but “strong and stable.”
What, then, does being authentic mean for media spokespeople? Here are six ways to project sincerity during any presentation:
1. Authentic spokespeople self-edit. Being an authentic spokesperson is not simply saying whatever comes to mind and completely being yourself.
While it may go against the dictionary definition, when we talk about authentic spokespeople, those that monitor and choose their words carefully are best received. They are attuned to their audience, are aware of boundaries and know what will motivate people to take positive action—and what will cause them to look away.
2. Authentic spokespeople put messages in their own words. The more natural a message sounds, the more likely the audience is to feel that the spokesperson genuinely believes what they are saying.
To achieve this, it is crucial that—while spokespeople should still prepare thoroughly—they don’t memorize their briefing and messages so that they sound like they are regurgitating a press release or statement.
Spokespeople should feel empowered to put messages into their own words (within corporate guidelines). Not only does this approach help bring messages to life and give them authenticity, but it will also increase the spokesperson’s confidence and make them more comfortable with what they are saying.
3. Authentic spokespeople are human.
To be an authentic media spokesperson you need to be able to express feelings and show vulnerabilities. This isn’t to say a tear-filled, Oscar-style acceptance speech is always appropriate. Some subjects obviously lend themselves to this style of delivery much more naturally.
It could be as simple as admitting mistakes, sharing what keeps you up at night, what makes you nervous, or what makes you excited—although you should be careful to avoid the clichéd “excited to announce.”
In a crisis media management situation, authenticity is about showing you really care about those who have been affected. While displaying emotion in an interview may feel uncomfortable and perhaps make spokespeople feel self-conscious, it can be compelling and engaging for the audience.
4. Authentic spokespeople draw on personal experience.
The most powerful examples are those which are personal to the spokesperson and that connect with the audience take them on a journey.
Personal stories and anecdotes help make the brand relevant, provide a human side to the organization and help spokespeople grow in confidence.
5. Authentic spokespeople are implicitly honest.
Authentic spokespeople are confident, sincere and honest—but the key thing is that the honesty is subtle and not announced.
Using phrases like “I’m going to be honest with you” or “…to be honest” will undermine your credibility and suggest to the audience that you haven’t been truthful during the rest of the interview.
6. Authentic spokespeople banish the jargon.
Language is a key part of being an authentic media spokesperson. Some representatives opt for words and phrases which they feel may make them come across as more intelligent or they rely on industry jargon and acronyms, but the problem with both these approaches is that they can alienate the audience.
To be an authentic spokesperson you need to be able to create a natural sounding conversation using the language you would use if you were talking to a friend in a coffee shop or pub (sans any swearing). In media interview terms, being authentic means being yourself but with a deft-touch to ensure you avoid the pitfalls of over-sharing experiences, emotions or feelings. Though it may sound like a contradiction to talk about training someone to be authentic, it is the only way to develop the skill, care and craft needed to be perceived as having this rare trait.
What do you think makes a spokesperson appear authentic, PR Daily readers? Adam Fisher is the content editor for Media First, a media and communications training firm with over 30 years of experience. A version of this article originally appeared on the Media First blog. (Image via)
13 Ways Your Business Can Win More Media Exposure
Forbes Communications Council January 31, 2018 https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/01/31/13-ways-your-business-can-win- more-media-exposure/#638e0bde24a8
Maintaining visibility for your company’s brand is a consistent goal among communications professionals. You probably spend a lot of your time coordinating media opportunities to keep your company relevant and in the news.
Securing these media spots can be a challenge, but they are necessary to help your brand resonate with clients. Ensuring your company stays in the spotlight can mean the difference in whether or not you meet revenue goals each year.
Below, 13 communications executives from Forbes Communications Council share how you can create more media opportunities to position your team members as experts in the industry. Here is what they recommend:
1. Follow the headlines.
Offering reporters a quote on a national theme that relates to your brand can often lead to media placements big and small. Proactively reaching out to the press on a story that will only get bigger shows you are on top of the news cycle and that you know your subject matter. Online services like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) can also connect you with reporters in search of relevant quotes. - Ashley Murphy, Stribling & Associates
2. Actively engage your experts.
Our university experts play a key role in positioning our brand. They present at conferences around the globe and are actively involved in creating solutions to challenges facing their communities, such as rising sea levels and flooding in Norfolk, VA. We research emerging news trends and proactively pitch our experts to select national reporters and publish thought leadership columns and editorials. - Giovanna Genard, Old Dominion University
3. Utilize your digital presence.
Ensure that you are updating and utilizing your digital presence to position your brand as a thought leader. Keep website content fresh and add content as frequently as possible. Also, use social media posts to do the same so your digital presence speaks for itself when you reach out to trade publications or any other type of media. - Nishat Jones, Victory Packaging
4. Identify the white space.
To be a true thought leader in a saturated media landscape, you need to have a unique point of view. Identify the white space and gaps in the information being provided by other experts and develop insights that will add a fresh perspective to the conversation. You can't be a thought leader if you're following the pack. - Lou Casale, Hiscox USA
5. Offer more than one perspective.
We recently stumbled upon a way to help reporters in light of getting their new technology stories completed. We address more than the topic they have been assigned by the editors -- our thought leaders have intrinsic and valuable knowledge about the industry, and this only helps educate writers and reporters as they are building their story. - MaryAnn Holder-Browne, One Network Enterprises
6. Participate in user groups.
Recently we had two of our marketing members take part in a software user group panel session. They were able to share their vast knowledge in the space and teach others. Afterwards we had attendees approach us with all types of questions and even job inquiries. To further the effect, answers from the panel were then reproduced into blog posts and shared through social channels. - Noah Mithrush, Evisions
7. Focus on your CSR initiatives.
Many great companies do lots of good without any acknowledgment. When issues arise in the press in areas where you give your time and talent as a company, or if it involves one of the values you hold dear in your culture, be bold and outspoken. Speak about your breastfeeding rooms, diversity initiatives, pro- bono work, donations and support of local and national nonprofits. - Jennifer Mellon, Trustify
Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
8. Build relationships.
Don't be so focused on the finish line that you forget to start at ground zero: building relationships. Opportunities will increase when you truly understand your target market, know the media's coverage area, keep it human (show that you read their content) and clearly show reporters and editors how your thought leaders can add value to current conversations. - Doreen Clark, SmartBug Media
9. Let your star players shine.
I cannot stress the importance and value of thought leaders to your brand and industry enough. Pitch them to journalists who you know do regular Q&A pieces and offer their expertise to writers and bloggers. Their value is inestimable in both positioning your company as a brand leader and assisting the writer. You are growing company awareness in your field, and shining a light on their expertise. - Lynne McQuaker, Studio Movie Grill
10. Make thought leadership a team sport.
Encourage and empower subject matter experts in your company to create content that can be shared via your online blog or when pitching press. In addition, get the most bang for your buck with every content piece you write -- turn a contributed article into a company blog post, break up quotes and visuals to share on social and expand on messaging for curated sites like LinkedIn or Medium. - Jennifer Kyriakakis, MATRIXX Software
11. Exercise a dynamic PR strategy.
Creating more media opportunities requires a dynamic PR strategy. Traditional pitching methods are still effective, but other methods are just as important. Apply for speaking opportunities in your industry. Public speaking can not only help place your leaders in front of live press, but can also strengthen their authority, supporting future profile building and brand awareness initiatives. - Sean P Finelli, The Roman Guy - Italy Tour Operator
12. Train your spokespeople and be selective.
You can go after numerous high-quality publications, but none of it will pay off unless your start with top- notch media training for your spokespeople and keep them fresh with ongoing education. The other key to success is being selective -- the leader needs to be a good fit for the publication’s target audience and journalist. Get this match right and you’ll have lots of long term opportunities. - Brandie Claborn, McAfee
13. Don't underestimate soft skills.
While expertise is important, do not underestimate the power of soft skills. Developing relationships with media via social media and in person is key. In addition, remember to make their job easier. Creating friendly content, such as infographics to easily digest the data, is helpful. Also, don't forget to provide the spin of the story. Give them the why. - Levitica "Lee" Watts, Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Send the interns Put your most junior people in the White House briefing room. Recognize that the real story is elsewhere, and most likely hidden. http://pressthink.org/2017/01/send-the-interns/
PressThink By Jay Rosen, Professor, Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University
#sendtheinterns is a hashtag that stands for some advice I have given the Washington press corps about its dealings with the Trump White House.
After this weekend’s spectacular display by new Press Secretary Sean Spicer — mixing provable falsehoods with culture war attacks on the journalists assembled before him — the case for sending interns to the White House briefing room is stronger than ever. In this post I want to restate that argument in light of what just happened, and clarify what I am not saying.
A good place to begin in the analysis of Spicer’s performance is that we have no name for what this thing was. We can’t call it a press conference because, in a remarkable show of cowardice, Spicer walked out without taking questions. It wasn’t an announcement because there was no policy news external to press relations.
Spicer called it an “update on the president’s activities” but attacking journalists for being biased against you is in no sense an “update.” It wasn’t an informal discussion among people who have to work together because, as I said, there was no back and forth, and the setting was stiff, formal, heavy with significance as this was the first official briefing room event of a new presidency. Spicer looked tense. He was shouting at times as he read from a prepared script.
Trying not for elegance but for accuracy, I would call this event a “relationship message delivery vehicle,” operating on three levels.
First, it told staffers who work for Trump: this is what we expect. If The Leader is reeling from a narcissistic wound (crowd figures too small) you will be expected to sacrifice dignity and best practice to redress that wound. That’s what you bought into when you agreed to work for President Trump. This is a stark statement. No wonder Spicer sounded tense.
A second message was to the press. You will be turned into hate objects whenever we feel like it. We can do that to you without providing right of reply because… what are you going to do about it? Small mistakes quickly corrected will be treated as evidence of malicious wrong doing by the entire group. (And you deserve that.) We are not bound by what you call facts. We have our own, and we will proceed to put them out regardless of what the evidence says. It’s not a problem for us if you stagger from the room in disbelief. We’re not trying to “win the news cycle,” or win you over. We’re trying to demonstrate independence from and power over you people. This room is not just for briefings, announcements and Q & A. It’s also a theater of resentment in which you play a crucial part. Our constituency hates your guts; this is the place where we commune with them around that fact. See you tomorrow, guys! Reaction from the press corps: “Jaw meet floor” – Glenn Thrush, Twitter A third “relationship” message went to the listeners, in tripartite.
* To the core Trump constituency — and an audience primed for this over years of acrid ‘liberal media’ critique — two things were said. “We’re going to rough these people up.” (Because we know how long you have waited for that.) But also, and in return, you have to accept our “alternative facts” even if your own eyes tell you otherwise. This too is a stark message. The epistemological “price” for being a solider in Trump’s army is high. You have to swallow, repeat and defend things that simply don’t check out. Screen shot from the Washington Post’s fact check:
* To the listeners who are hostile to Trump the message is: you don’t count. There is no common world of fact that connects us to you. Rage on, losers. We don’t have to acknowledge any part of your reality. We’re fine if you dispute ours. In fact, the hotter the better. Our aim is true: to maximize conflict between your core group and ours. So please: help us polarize!
* To the neither/nors, the people who are not part of the Trump constituency and not yet committed to opposing him either, the message is very different. I can summarize it in two words: Don’t bother. People are fighting over what is real— and what is a lie. They dwell in different worlds— different, but neither of them yours. Any modest effort to pay attention will collapse into futility. Truth is impossible to discern without a heroic — and expensive — act of crap detection. Mostly there is confusion. The only rational choice is to pass on the whole spectacle. This space isn’t for you. This is for “them,” the people obsessed with politics. You should just live your life.
Look, then, at what Sean Spicer’s “relationship message delivery vehicle” accomplished on Day One. For Trump staffers: You gave up your dignity when you joined up with The Leader. Act accordingly. For journalists: You are hate objects. We are unbound from all evidence, all truth. For Trump supporters: We will put these press people down for you, but in return you have to lie to yourselves for us. For Trump’s opponents: go nuts, we love it! For the neither/nors: Don’t bother paying attention. You won’t be able to figure it out.
Listen to Ezra Klein explain why this is more than a sideshow:
The Trump administration is creating a baseline expectation among its loyalists that they can’t trust anything said by the media. The spat over crowd size is a low-stakes, semi-comic dispute, but the groundwork is being laid for much more consequential debates over what is, and isn’t, true. Delegitimizing the institutions that might report inconvenient or damaging facts about the president is strategic for an administration that has made a slew of impossible promises and takes office amid a cloud of ethics concerns and potential scandals.
And that is the business that was transacted in the White House briefing room… on Day One.
“Send the interns” means our major news organizations don’t have to cooperate with this. They don’t have to lend talent or prestige to it. They don’t have to be props. They need not televise the spectacle live (CNN didn’t carry Spicer’s rant) and they don’t have to send their top people.
They can “switch” systems: from inside-out, where access to the White House starts the story engines, to outside-in, where the action begins on the rim, in the agencies, around the committees, with the people who are supposed to obey Trump but have doubts. As I wrote on December 30:
During the Trump campaign who had better access: The reporters in the media pen, or those who got tickets and moved with the rest of the crowd? Were the news organizations on the blacklist really at a disadvantage? I can hear the reply. We need both: inside and outside. Fine, do both. My point is: outside- in can become the baseline method, and inside-out the occasionally useful variant. Switch it up. Send interns to the daily briefing when it becomes a newsless mess. Move the experienced people to the rim.
Sean Spicer has no power over the press but what they give to him. From a New York Times reporter whose beat is Congress: “If @seanspicer is going to lie in your faces fellow reporters, you don't need to go to his briefings. You don't need to talk to him at all.” – Jennifer Steinhauer
When I say #sendtheinterns I mean it literally: take a bold decision to put your most junior people in the briefing room. Recognize that the real story is elsewhere, and most likely hidden. That’s why the experienced reporters need to be taken out of the White House, and put on other assignments.
Look: they can’t visit culture war upon you if they don’t know where you are. The press has to become less predictable. It has to stop functioning as a hate object. This means giving something up. The dream of the White House briefing room and the Presidential press conference is that accountability can be transacted in dramatic and televisable moments: the perfect question that puts the President or his designate on the spot, and lets the public see — as if in a flash — who they are led by. This was always an illusion. Crumbling for decades, it has become comically unsustainable under Trump.
Please note: I am not saying that as a beat the White House is unimportant, or that its pronouncements can be ignored. I’m not saying: devote less attention to Trump. Rather: change the terms of this relationship. Make yourself more elusive. In the theater of resentment where you play such a crucial part, relinquish that part.
The hard thing is not sending the interns, or tasking the experienced people with an outside-in beat into which they can dig. The hard thing is giving up on the dream of some exquisite confrontation that reveals all: accountability in a box.