PR & Media IntelligenceA handy guide to understanding PR & market Glossary intelligence jargon Glossary

The PR and comms industry is crowded, complex, and often confusing. The prevalence of PR jargon and sector specific colloquialisms can make the industry seem exclusive and If you can’t explain difficult to navigate. It can be a minefield of information, but once demystified it is as easy to understand as learning your ABCs. Signal AI’s comprehensive PR and Media Intelligence it simply, you don’t Glossary is a handy guide to the industry and will help you understand the previously understand it well unknowable. enough,” said Albert Einstein.

2 Glossary

ABOVE THE LINE ANOMALY DETECTION AUDIENCE that is ‘talking at The process of modelling The people you want to you’, such as TV and radio ads, historical patterns of media reach and target with PR, or posters. coverage for topics and entities communications, and of interest, then using these efforts. models as a contextual baseline ACTUALITY A news report at the scene to identify unusual trends and AUDIENCE SHARE including background sound, events that divert levels of media The percentage of an audience commentary from an on-scene coverage from the norm. within a defined market of reporter, witness or participant, or listeners/viewers who tune in to an interview with an expert. ARTIFICIAL a broadcast by a media outlet. INTELLIGENCE (AI) An area of computer science ADVOCACY AUDIO PHONE FEED Support or argument for a that focuses on the theory and Providing radio stations with a group, an organisation or development of computers special number they can call to a cause. and software with the ability to tape one or two minutes (or less) think and learn. Often referred of information you have recorded to as Machine Learning, AI for continuous automatic ANGLE The approach or perspective systems are trained to undertake sending. This provides stations from which a news fact or event is tasks usually requiring human with actualities they can use. viewed, or the emphasis chosen intelligence such as translation, for a story. speech-recognition, and visual perception. AVERAGE MINUTE AUDIENCE (AMA) Part of BBM’s television ratings ADVERTISING VALUE system, average minute audience EQUIVALENCY (AVE) ATTITUDE SURVEY The amount a story would cost A survey examining enduring represents the average number if appearing as paid advertising. systems of positive and negative of viewers watching a particular Usually in dollars, the AVE is evaluations, emotional feelings, TV channel per minute in a determined by multiplying the and pro or con action tendencies specific time period. length of a story by the going with respect to social objects – rate for paid advertising at a people, places, things, and ideas. particular publication.

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B-ROLL BIG DATA Video material accompanying Large data sets too complex to or supplementing a VNR (see be handled by traditional data- Video news release), following the processing application software. primary material on the cassette. BILLBOARD ANNOUNCEMENT B2B (BUSINESS TO BUSINESS) A brief message, submitted , marketing, and by non-profit or community communication dedicated to groups, on community needs providing information resources and activities. They are run free between businesses. Includes of charge on community cable professional services, training, television channels. human resources and office supplies. BOOLEAN ALGEBRA The logic that defines the path a B2C (BUSINESS TO CONSUMER) computed expression takes. As B2B, but between businesses and the consumer. BOOLEAN SEARCH A type of tong-tail search used BACKGROUNDER in media monitoring, allowing A document providing more PR professionals to combine extensive background keywords with modifiers like AND, information on a person, NOT and OR to specify results organisation, or issue, than is and ensure relevancy. However, usually included in PR collateral. boolean is often a long, complex, and inaccurate process that has been superseded by AI-powered BEAT The area covered by a particular media monitoring platforms. reporter, such as politics, environment, or crime. BREAKING STORY The first report of a story that is currently taking place or is BELOW THE LINE Advertising that is ‘talking to impending (see spot news). you’, such as direct mail, point of Details may initially be scarce purchase, or leaflets. but are released as they become available.

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Continued BRIEF BROADCAST MEASUREMENT BYLINE A concise news item covering The measurement of viewer/ The or reporter’s name at the bare facts (who, what, listenership of broadcast the beginning of a news item, why, when, and where) of a story, media. Nielsen Media provides story, or column. often grouped with other brief TV ratings while the Bureau of news items. Broadcast Measurement (BBM) BYLINED ARTICLES provides data for both radio and Articles written mostly for trade television. and business publications, with a BRIEFING BOOK Briefing material provided to byline that is a key player in the management or corporate BUMPER submitting organisation. spokespeople prior to a news A brief or transitional device conference or other event, used in between segments of a consisting of potential questions, broadcast program, such as a suggested answers, fact sheets, newscast. For example, it can be and backgrounders. as simple as “we’ll return after these messages.” BROADCAST The dissemination of BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE programmes or messages The technology-driven process for through the media of radio, analysing and presenting data as internet or television. actionable insights to corporate end users to inform business decisions.

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CAMERA-READY FEATURES CITY EDITOR COLUMNISTS Evergreen columns or feature Director of a ’s local A guest or producing stories that are ready to be news operation. They assign signed stories of opinion or published by a newspaper. reporters to cover stories, analysis. Guest columnists often although some publications will syndicate their columns to a have an assignment editor to number of . CAMPAIGN The planning, carrying-out and fulfill that function. the analysis of a PR plan of COMMUNICATION PLAN action. A roadmap for delivering your CLEAR To obtain permission or message to an audience. It is an authorisation to publish content. essential tool to ensure you send CENTRAL AREA A geographical area defined for a clear, specific message with reporting purposes and assigned measurable results. COLLATERAL PR to stations. All stations in a market The effect of gaining good PR share the same central area. on the back of someone else’s COMMUNICATIONS coverage. This can happen MANAGEMENT when your product or service Developing and managing CHANNEL The means or pathway through is compared favourably to a communications objectives which a message is transmitted competitor’s in an editorial. that are consistent with the from source to receiver. organisation’s overall goals. Communications managers COLUMN An opinion piece written by a identify relevant stakeholders CHIEF NEWS EDITOR and audiences, and devise long- The editor responsible for both guest or staff columnist, often term strategies and tactics to national and international news published on a regular - weekly reach them. stories, often supported by a or monthly - basis. news editor, national editor, and world editor. COLUMN NOTE A pitch to a columnist, providing them with brief information CIRCULATION/SHARE Total number of copies of a relevant to their regular column. printed publication delivered directly to audiences; known as a media circulation.

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Continued COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE CONTENT/NATURE DESK Defining, gathering, analysing, OF QUOTES The desk, or an area of an office, and distributing intelligence An amalgamation of what was used by copy editors to edit about products, customers, said or printed in the media, who copy and write print headlines competitors, and any aspect of was quoted in the story, including if necessary. professional context needed the quotes themselves as well as to support executives and the source. COPY EDITOR managers in strategic decision An editor who proofreads making. The Signal A.I. platform CONVERSATION MEASURES and sub-edits copy for various allows businesses to build Analysing and measuring online purposes. Traditionally, their competitive intelligence conversations such as tweets, newspaper copy editors work effectively and in real-time. blog posts and comments, around a desk called a rim and and linkbacks, related to an edit or re-write stories for all organisation or issue, by quantity, CONNOTATIVE MEANING sections. The emotional meaning we read tone or sentiment, and message into words due to our individual fidelity. COPY STORY experiences and background. A brief story or news item read CONTROLLED CIRCULATION by a TV anchor without any Distributing printed publications, CONTENT MEASURES accompanying videotape. Evaluations of how online content free of charge and usually in (facts, opinions, or messages bulk, to specific areas, businesses, about an organisation, issue, or groups of people, or locations. COPYRIGHT LICENSING AGREEMENT (CLA) topic) is accessed, adapted, and A UK non-profit organisation shared on websites. COPY providing rights and licences for Text written for a publication intellectual property, simplifying or broadcast. copyright to make it easier to access and re-use content. The Publishers Licensing Society performs collective licensing on the CLA’s behalf.

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Continued CULMINATIVE AUDIENCE CORPORATE CORRECTION CRISIS MANAGEMENT Establishing plans and strategies (CUMES) COMMUNICATIONS If an error reaches publication The total number of number of Public relations for a corporation, to be used when an individual, it will be retracted or corrected people or households exposed integrated as part of a company, or organisation if they are serious or if someone to media, be it TV, print, radio, company’s strategic objectives. becomes involved in a crisis. requests a correction. etc. calculated over a specified The policies and procedures for period of time - also referred the distribution of information to as accumulated audience, CORPORATE COMPLIANCE CORRESPONDANTS to employees, the media, the The way that a company ensures Reporters working in the field. cumulative reach, reach, net government and other governing that it is following all the laws and unduplicated audience, or regulations that apply to their bodies, and customers. COVER STORY unduplicated audience. business. This generally involves The main story featured on the the design, implementation, and cover of a magazine, or the CUE SHEET monitoring of policies, trainings, Briefing notes to help a CUTTINGS major story in a magazine-style An extract from a newspaper or procedures and practices. spokesperson prepare for an TV programme.credentialsEither magazine that makes reference interview with a journalist. The the published information to the client. Also commonly cues should cover issues that are consultancies provide to referred to as a “clipping”. CORPORATE SOCIAL likely to arise in the interview and RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) prospective clients or an initial Providing support to a cause or no-cost presentation of the approach that should be taken an event by devoting corporate consultancy’s capabilities. on these issues. resources in exchange for an opportunity to enhance good CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS will. The role of PR in CSR is to A sub-section of public relations communicate effectively in order (PR) that is designed to protect to build corporate accountability and defend an individual, and transparency. company, or organisation facing a public challenge to its reputation.

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DASHBOARD SOFTWARE Software providing at-a-glance views of key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to a particular objective or business process.

DATA SCIENCE A multi-disciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems, to extract knowledge and insights from data.

DATELINE Place and date of an article’s origin that appears at the beginning of the first paragraph of an article.

DEFAMATION Commonly known as libel, this is the making of false or malicious claims that may harm someone’s reputation.

DEPARTMENT EDITORS Editors at newspapers in charge of specific subjects or sections such as business, sports, lifestyles, and entertainment for example. Supported by /reporters who work on that specific beat.

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E-PR EFFECT ENTITY RECOGNITION/ Also known as online PR, this uses The measurable outcome of DISAMBIGUATION the internet and new technology communications. Commonly referred to as to communicate with stakeholders. Named Entity Recognition and This includes using the company Disambiguation (NERD). Signal ELECTRONIC MEDIA KIT (EMK) website effectively, to a “word-of- A media kit for the production of A.I.’s entity recognition is the mouth” campaign using e-mail news on TV containing a VNR and process of extracting information (known as viral marketing). B-roll footage. EMKs often include and determining the identity of materials such as a copy of the entities mentioned in text. EARNED MEDIA script and additional PR tools Publicity or media coverage such as backgrounders, and fact EVALUATION gained through promotions, sheets. The continuous process of rather than paid media measuring the impact of a PR (advertising) or owned media campaign from start to finish. EMBARGO (branding). An agreement between two parties not to publish a story until EXCLUSIVE A story a reporter or publication EDITOR an agreed-upon date and/or time. The person who sets the direction has obtained before anyone else, and tone for content production or a story a publication has sole ENDMARK at a publication or newspaper. A typographic symbol used at permission to publish. the end of news copy and press EDITORIAL releases to indicate the end of EXPOSURE An opinion piece in print or digital an article. The extent to which the target news content. audience becomes aware of a person, message, activity, theme ENGAGEMENT or organisation through the EDITORIAL CALENDAR The measurement of an A calendar used by an editorial audience’s interaction efforts of PR. team to plan content, themes, with content, and the and special editorial focuses, nature and extent of that including significant dates that interaction, indicated by may effect or influence content two-way conversations, the production. sharing of information, and other engagements such as subscribership. EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR The editor charged with managing the editorial page in a newspaper editorial team.

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FACT SHEET FLAG A short document providing useful The printed title of the newspaper information, usually in short bullet on page one, often incorrectly points, to support other PR tools called the masthead. such as press releases. FLARE/SPLASH FEEDBACK The main story on page one of a The return of information to the newspaper. source of a message. FORMATIVE RESEARCH FEATURE STORY Research conducted at the Also called a feature, this type beginning of a campaign or of story is more descriptive, long- project to gather information on form, and less time sensitive than an organisation, the issues that regular news stories. affect it, its stakeholders, message content, and the appropriate medias with which to reach FINANCIAL PR The efforts of a publicly-held audiences. company, or one that is on the way to a public flotation, to FREQUENCY communicate with shareholders, The measurement of the number security analysts, institutional of times (within a specific period) investors and stock exchanges. an audience is potentially exposed to a message. FILLER A short piece of content used to FULL COVERAGE AREA fill blank space (specifically in Includes all areas where print publications) or to provide respondents’ meters or diaries community interest information. indicate listenership/viewership to a station. Stations in the same markets have different full FLACK An industry term for a PR coverage areas. professional.

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GATEKEEPER An entity (person or company) with the power to control and direct the flow of information, as well as the ability to limit, expand, emphasise, or interpret that information. In the media, gatekeepers consider whether pitches from businesses are worth considering or .

GHOSTWRITER Writing generated without published credit to its author, that is often credited to a spokesperson.

GUEST EDITORIAL An opinion piece written externally, often by an expert or someone with particular insight on an issue, event, or situation.

HACK The industry term for a journalist.

HARD NEWS Timely news about serious events or significant situations, that hold importance to a considerable share of an audience.

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IMPRESSIONS INTEGRATED RESEARCH INVERTED PYRAMID The number of times your content, Monitoring the progress of a A style of in which the advert, or promotion is seen by campaign or project whilst most important information in an an online viewer. in the midst of it - including article or blog is put in the lead, monitoring the traffic on a followed by less and less important website, tracking the number information. This is constructed so INSIGHTS an editor can cut any paragraph The breakdown and analysis of and type of participants at an after a certain point and still have the results of a search on the event, and analysing inquiries. a complete story that meets space Signal AI platform, including: This provides an opportunity for limitations. number of articles, potential major overhauls or tiny tweaks to reach over time, source location, campaigns to ensure success. media type, sentiment, etc. ISSUE A subject or topic that is being Communicating with employees tracked and analysed for media INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN coverage, usually a public issue A multidisciplinary approach and shareholders to inform them including but not restricted to a utilising a number of marketing of change (for instance during a problem, opportunity, question, or communications techniques in company merger), keep them up choice affecting society. order to deliver a consistent set of to date with company news and messages. The aim is to achieve developments, or to help achieve seamless communication with the corporate objectives. ISSUE MANAGEMENT audience. An ongoing activity that includes studying public policy matters and other societal issues of concern to an organisation. The manager identifies relevant issues, problems, and trends and executes a program to deal with them.

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JUMP KICKER To continue a story from A brief and light story that can one page to another in print be used to end a newscast or publications such as magazines segment. and newspapers. KILL JUMP HEAD Pulling a story or piece of content The headline of the continuation at any stage of the process. of a jumped story, using the same This can happen at any time from words as in the jump line. the pitch and initial writing stage to being pulled out of the news line-up at the last minute. JUMP LINE A line inserted where the jump occurs to direct the reader to the rest of the story.

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LEAD STORY LETTER TO THE EDITOR LISTENERSHIP/ VIEWERSHIP The first story in a newscast. A letter written for, and sent Data on listeners (radio) and to, the editor of a newspaper viewers (television), including the or magazine to present an size of the cumulative audience, LEAD TIME The deadline for submission of organisation’s position, make a the number of listeners calculated articles, set by reporters, editors, correction, or respond to a story by a quarter-hour average, the or publications, which allows or letter. average hours tuned in by listeners, enough time for a piece to be and the audience share in a written, edited, and sent to print particular market. LIBEL or published online. Often used in legal terminology, libel is the communication of a LOBBYING statement that makes a false Direct attempts to influence LEAD-IN Introductory comments to a claim, expressly stated or implied legislative and regulatory taped or live story on a news to be factual, that may harm decisions in government. Lobbyists event or situation, providing the reputation of an individual, can either be individuals such context for the upcoming story. business, product, group, as PR consultants who, for pay, government, or nation. See provide certain types of lobbying defamation and slander. services on behalf of a client, or LEADER The dominant article that is given employees of an organisation whose jobs involve a significant primary attention and prominent LINE-UP placement on the first page The order in which stories are amount of lobbying for their of a publication, known as the arranged in a newscast. employers. opening news story. LOGO A graphic or symbol owned by LEDE A print story’s opening and representing a company paragraph. or brand.

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MACHINE LEARNING MASTHEAD MEDIA BRIEFING The scientific study of algorithms The formal statement of the A session designed to provide and statistical models that publication’s name, officers, background information or computer systems use in order to place of publication, and other explanation to interested media perform a specific task effectively descriptive information. It usually representatives. without using explicit instructions, is printed on the editorial or relying on patterns and inference op-ed page. MEDIA CONTACT LIST instead. A list of experts from various organisations, alongside the MEDIA ADVISORY topics or subject matter that MANAGING EDITOR A written notice sent to media The manager of news operations, establishments providing they are qualified to discuss. second in command to the information (who, what, when, editor. The managing editor and where, and why) on a press MEDIA DATABASE their assistants are in charge of conference or a newsworthy but A structured directory of day-to-day operations and it is not immediate story or event the journalist, editor, and influencer their job to make sure that the sponsoring organisation would contact information. This newspaper presents the news of like covered. allows PR and communication importance or interest to readers. professionals to search and find The details are delegated to the right people to reach out to MEDIA ALERT sub-editors and staff. A written notice sent to the media when pitching an idea to gain providing information (who, what, earned media coverage. MARKET INTELLIGENCE when, where, and why) on harder, Information relevant to an more timely news. If alerts are MEDIA DIRECTORY organisation’s market, such as used indiscriminately, the effect PR professionals can buy a trends, competitor and customer becomes muted. general (all media), geographical monitoring, aggregated and (Canadian, American, European, analysed to aid in determining etc.), specialty (health, business, MEDIA AVAILABILITY strategy in areas such as Informing reporters that a environment) or customised market opportunity. Signal AI spokesperson will be available listing of publications and simplifies and speeds up market for interviews within a specific broadcast stations that includes intelligence gathering with time period. key personnel and the necessary artificial intelligence specifically contact information. to help business-leaders make smarter, faster business decisions.

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MEDIA DROP MEDIA MONITORING MEDIA RELEVANCE MESSAGE FIDELITY Arranging for a spokesperson Monitoring a company’s The criteria that determine the Data an information on how to “drop in” on a radio or TV coverage in the press, on TV relevance of a specific media well the message conveyed station. It also refers to dropping and radio, and on the internet. outlet to an organisation’s target by the media matched the off creative PR props and other This process has been automated audience. This can be assessed message an organisation materials to create buzz and and augmented using artificial by how closely the demographic wanted to communicate. hopefully earn an on-air mention. intelligence by Signal A.I. which composition of a media enables organisations to monitor audience matches that of an more than their own media organisation’s audience. MULTIPLE CHANNEL MEDIA JUNKET APPROACH An all-expenses paid trip coverage. Replacing long-tail Communicating a message boolean searches and Google offered to reporters so they can MEDIA TOUR through a variety of channels, report on an event, interview a Alerts, platforms like Signal A.I. This is either when an including various mass media, spokesperson, or see a facility. add value to a businesses’ organisation’s spokesperson is personal conversation, or Although generally unacceptable PR efforts. sent out to visit media outlets for meetings. in the straight news, reporters interviews and appearances. Or are still offered, and accept, a press officer or PR professional MEDIA PARTICIPATION media junkets in the travel, sports, Obtaining the support of a travels to media outlets to brief and entertainment sections. In particular media outlet regarding key journalists. addition, reporters may receive an event or cause; involving PR tools such as bios, media kits, promos, prizes, ticket giveaways, MESSAGE photos, and “freebies”. or celebrity activities. The content of, and underlying reason for, a press release or piece of media coverage. MEDIA KIT MEDIA PREVIEW/ SHOWING A collection of documents A showing prior to general Alternatively, the agreed words or MEDIA RELATIONS including the primary press availability or public release. Setting up and maintaining statements that an organisation release and any supporting a professional and mutually conveys to third parties, such as documents. beneficial working relationship with the media or shareholders. the media, in part by becoming known as a credible source, thought leader, and a provider of factual, expert information. In the short-term it involves dealing and communicating with the media when seeking publicity or responding to reporters’ questions.

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provide reporters with details on NEWS NEWSPAPER LICENSED spot news. Media kits usually are Information that is new, unusual, AGENCY (NLA) unexpected, controversial, of The Newspaper Licensing Agency given to reporters who attend the wide significance, or of interest to (NLA) is a publisher owned news conference. the audience of a publication or rights licensing and database programme. business for UK newspapers. NEWS VALUES The NLA undertakes collective The factors that determine the rights management on behalf worth of an event or situation NEWS BULLETIN A brief story covering an of its members and licenses to be covered in the news. This important, and often breaking companies: including press includes impact, timeliness, news, event that may be cut into cuttings agencies and media prominence (whether well-known regular TV or radio programs. monitoring firms. personalities or institutions are involved), proximity, human interest (an emotional story), NEWS RELEASE NOISE Generally referred to as a Anything that interferes with unusualness, or general interest press release, it is the most the ability to send or receive in the story. common written form used in messages, usually related to radio or TV broadcasts. Noise public relations, announcing NLA MEDIA ACCESS an organisation’s news and could also refer to topics that are NLA media access refers to the information. frequently talked about. Cutting Newspaper Licensing Agency through the noise is a key job of a (NLA), who provide access to and PR professional. license the re-use of publishers’ NEWSBREAK A brief segment with two to three content to streamline the process of gaining copyright approval news headlines or teasers to NEWS ANGLE encourage viewers or listeners A new, important, different, or from individual newspapers. to tune in for the complete unusual take on a specific event, A press cutting agency or media newscast. situation, or person in the news. monitoring firm will often refer to having ‘NLA media access’, which means they have a license to NEWS CONFERENCE An event organised by an copy from an extensive range organisation or spokesperson of UK newspapers, magazines, to make an announcement and websites. directly to the news media. News conferences usually are called to

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OFF-THE-RECORD Information provided by a source that is strictly intended as background information for a reporter and which cannot be published, attributed to the source, or used in any way.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT A written comment prepared for the purpose of responding consistently to all questions from the media regarding a particular controversial issue.

ONE SHOT STORY A story that is covered only once in the media, either published or aired.

OP-ED PAGE In many newspapers, this page is opposite the editorial page and contains staff or syndicated columns, guest editorials, and letters to the editor.

OUTCOME MEASURES Used to evaluate how the results of content initiatives correlate with outcome objectives.

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PAID CIRCULATION PITCH LETTER/MEMO PLAY A method of distribution A one-page pitch in letter The way media covers a where the readers pay for the or memo format that sells story, whether it is played publication. a TV producer or editor of up or played down. a publication on having a spokesperson participate in PHOTO OPPORTUNITY PODCAST Providing the media with a programme or article. A TV A podcast is an on-demand an opportunity to obtain memo is designed specifically audio series that is released photograph or video footage to sell TV gatekeepers on story periodically and made available of a newsworthy spokesperson, ideas, while a query letter is for download, mimicking both people, or event. a pitch directed to editors of radio and TV but allowing for publications. longer-form audio experiences. Episodes can be downloaded PITCH (EXTERNAL) An external pitch involves PLACELINE automatically by the listener and providing a writer, journalist, or An internal pitch consists of a full stored locally on their device for editor of a publication, with all presentation, generally to key offline use, making it simpler for the necessary information to stakeholders, of a large-scale the user to listen to content that consider covering an aspect public relations campaign. It is released episodically. of your business, from product should be carefully researched releases and events, to interviews and costed, which usually takes a POOL with spokespeople and thought number of weeks to prepare. A small group of reporters leadership content. chosen to cover an event when PLACEMENT the number of reporters allowed Where the story was placed in access limited by an organisation. PITCH (INTERNAL) An internal pitch consists of a full the media. In print, it could range If they have the power and ability presentation, generally to key from the front page to page 52 or to do so, the organisation may stakeholders, of a large-scale in a specific section. In broadcast, embed reporters with those public relations campaign. It placement is where the story was participating in the event. should be carefully researched aired in the newscast (lead story, and costed, which usually takes a story number five, etc.). Online it number of weeks to prepare. refers to the space it occupies on a blog or the number of mentions on Twitter for example.

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POSITION PAPER PR RESEARCH PRESS PACK/KIT A document stating the Any type of research that yields A branded pack handed out to organisation’s position on a data for use in planning and the media by an organisation, public issue. Position papers are evaluating public relations efforts. usually containing background distributed in response to media The four most common basic material, photographs, requests or inquiries, included categories of public relations illustrations, and news releases. in media kits, or sent, with a research activities are: media covering letter, to all media monitoring, public relations PRESS RELEASE interested in the organisation’s audits, communication audits, A written statement issued position on a certain issue. and social audits. These can be to news publishers, giving formal or informal, primary or information, an announcement, secondary, and qualitative or PR MEASUREMENT or an official statement on a The measurement of PR efforts. quantitative. particular matter. PR professionals disagree on the best way to PR, but it is usually PR WIRE SERVICE PRINT CIRCULATION done through a combination A commercial enterprise that The total number of copies of attribution, advertising value provides press releases and other of a publication available equivalency (AVE), market share PR tools at no charge to media to subscribers as well as via of voice, and other tactics. establishments. Organisations newsstands, vending machines, pay the service to distribute their and other delivery systems. materials. PR PHOTOGRAPHS Photographs taken for publicity purposes and submitted with PROACTIVE PR/REACTIVE PR PRESS OFFICE Editorial that appears as a direct press releases or cutlines to the A press office handles all result of PR input is proactive PR. print media. Photos may illustrate media enquiries and puts out Reactive PR happens when an a press release, fact sheet, or all company messages or press editorial has appeared as a result other PR tools. releases to the media on behalf of the publication’s initiative. of an organisation. This may be an in-house function or PR PROP PRODUCT PLUG Inexpensive but relevant items outsourced to a PR consultancy/ An agreement between a sent with “soft” PR materials to agency. producer and a company to use attract media attention and, a product or service in exchange perhaps, serve as props for for the product or service being visual media such as TV or digital mentioned or featured. media.

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PROMINENCE PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLICITY STUNT The attention, and therefore The strategic management of An interesting, unusual, or standing, a story on an the relationships between an shocking event planned and organisation, brand, issue, or organisation and its diverse executed as a publicity vehicle. message, gets in the media. audiences, through the use A publicity stunt is sufficiently of communication, to achieve interesting and newsworthy to mutual understanding, realise receive media coverage in a PROMO A broadcast announcement that organizational goals, and serve publication or broadcast. promotes an upcoming program the public interest. or activity on a radio or TV PUBLICS INVENTORY station. PUBLICITY A list of publics (PR audiences) The spreading of information – which may include segments to gain public awareness of a from various stakeholder groups PUBLIC AFFAIRS Dealing and communicating product, service, organisation, – who share a common interest, with the government and issue, or cause. concern, or bond (demographics groups associated with societal or psychographics). Some publics (public) policies, action, and are always on the radar, while PUBLICITY MANUAL legislation. Unlike government A document that contains others form when they collectively relations, where the practitioner information on mass media need or want something from an works strictly on behalf of an outlets relevant to an organisation or an organisation organisation, public affairs also organisation. While it includes all determines it needs something is concerned with the effect the information in a media list, it from them. of public policies, actions and also contains data on deadlines, legislation on its audience. information on reporters, and notes based on the creator’s experiences with various media outlets.

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QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITIVE EVALUATIONS Measuring and evaluating the media coverage achieved in a quantitative way such as the number of times you have been mentioned, or number of clippings, and qualitative, the quality or sentiment of the coverage achieved.

QUARTER HOUR AVERAGE Average number of listeners tuned to a station in any quarter hour in a given time period. It is determined by adding all the individual quarter hour audiences and dividing by the number of quarter hours involved.

QUERY LETTER A one-page pitch to a periodical that sells the recipient on an idea for a story, the person and organisation supplying the pitch, and the relevance of the pitch to the periodical’s readers.

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REACH RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Refers to the number of people The heart of public relations, PR’s management of human and who could have been exposed, relationship management financial resources revolving around at least once, to an article. It is revolves around establishing, administering resources for setting the number of people who are enhancing, and maintaining objectives, planning, budgeting, exposed to the medium and effective and mutually recruiting, and hiring PR staff. hence have the potential to see beneficial relationships with key the article. stakeholders and audiences. RISK MANAGEMENT Preventive PR through which an READER REPUTATION organisation focuses on identifying A story read by a radio The public or target audience’s areas of potential danger and newscaster without any other perception of a business, product, risks, and recommending necessary audio material. or service in terms of credibility, action before any threat develops trustworthiness, or image. into a crisis. RECEIVER A person who receives media, REPUTATION MANAGEMENT ROUND-UP STORY whether as an intended or The planning and implementing A summary of a news story that may unintended target, of a source’s of policies, procedures, and or may not include new information, efforts during the communication campaigns that build public relying on different sources to process. perception of a businesses’ provide a wider perspective on a reputation or demonstrates an story. organisation’s commitment to REGULATORY COMPLIANCE A continuous effort for a public and social responsibility and ethical behaviour. RSS (RICH SITE SUMMARY OR business to ensure that they REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION) are aware of ,and take steps Rich Site Summary or Really to comply with, relevant laws, Simple Syndication is a format for REPUTATIONAL RISK policies, and regulations. Signal The potential loss to financial syndicating web content. Readers A.I. tracks international legal capital, social capital, and/ of a website or digital nws platform and governmental updates or market share resulting can subscribe to RSS feeds, without throughout the legislative from damage to a businesses’ providing personal information, lifecycle giving you a heads-up reputation. This is often to automatically receive updates at each stage. measured in lost revenue, about content they are interested in. increased operating, capital or regulatory costs, or destruction RUNNING STORY of shareholder value. A story that is covered in the media for two days or longer, following a significant event or a story that is unfolding in real-time.

24 Glossary

SAAS SEO (SEARCH ENGINE SIDEBAR Software as a Service is a method OPTIMISATION) A secondary new story that of software delivery and licensing Measuring and evaluating explores an interesting or unusual in which software is accessed the media coverage achieved angle, providing further detail, online via a subscription, rather in a quantitative way such as related to the main story. than bought and installed on the number of times you have individual computers. been mentioned, or number SIGNAL AI of clippings, and qualitative, Enables business professionals the more commonly utilised SCOPE to answer the strategic questions The geographical area of the in marketing, Search Engine that matter to their business. An reach of media, including Optimisation is the process of AI-powered platform cuts the time national, provincial, regional, and optimising content on a website it takes to monitor, report and other specifically defined areas. to ensure it ranks highly on analyse. Unparalleled access to the search engines such as Google world’s media empowers business and Bing. By identifying and leaders to focus on what matters SEMANTICS utilising keywords associated A branch of linguistics concerned the most. with a company or product, then with the meaning of speech using this information to inform forms, especially changes in the every aspect of a website, SEO SIGNAL BULLETIN meanings of words. Allows you to customise real-time leads to organic or un-paid alerts to your organisation, allowing search results and traffic. the flexibility to create unique SENTIMENT A feeling or opinion held about newsletter-style emails with minimal something. Sentiment is used SHARE OF VOICE effort. An organisation’s share of in PR to measure the feeling attention in the total media towards a brand, spokesperson, coverage of a product, issue, SIGNAL MEASURE or topic, and is usually classed On the Signal A.I. platform, Signal industry, cause, or topic. as either positive, neutral, or Measure delivers automated Share of voice is useful when negative. analytics that provide real-time researching and reporting on insight into your world. This ranges competitive intelligence. from in-depth competitor analysis, SENTIMENT ANALYSIS On the Signal A.I. platform, market landscape intelligence, sentiment analysis is the results or brand reputation and media of the measurement of who is presence. influencing the story and how.

25 Glossary

SIMULCAST SOFT NEWS Broadcasting the same content Not necessarily important or over two mediums at once. Often timely, soft news is based on a newscast either aired across the values of human interest, TV and radio stations or two prominence, interest, and different TV or radio stations. unusualness.

SLANDER SOUNDBITE Often used in a legal setting, A succinct and catchy slander is the publishing of false summarising message that or malicious claims that can illustrates or encapsulates damage someone’s reputation. a story in just a few seconds.

SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCE Digital social networks used to A person, document, or record connect people from around that provides information that the world: Twitter, Instagram, a reporter or writer uses to Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest, attribute the facts to in a story. If Tumblr, Reddit, etc. the news is sufficiently important or the source wants to remain anonymous, a journalist may SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Businesses providing support, agree not to name the source. through corporate resources, to a cause that demonstrates SOURCE LIST the organisation’s commitment A collection of sources most to maintaining ethical and relevant to your company or responsible behaviour. industry you want to specifically monitor with an AI-powered media intelligence tool.

26 Glossary

SPIKE STAFF WRITERS STRINGERS Unusual patterns detected in Writers and reporters working at Part-time correspondents, paid media coverage of your brand, a newspaper will generally work by the number or length of spokespeople, or product, that in the office and will be assigned stories published. will alert you to potential crises, to stories on various beats. emerging trends, or virality in your earned media. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER The method in which a PR A party who affects, or practitioner, acting as a SPIN who can be affected by, counselor, serves on the A pejorative term signifying a a company’s actions. management team helping to heavily biased portrayal in one’s integrate an understanding of own favor of an event or situation. the concerns and attitudes of key STANDUP It often, though not always, A taped or aired live on-camera audiences into the organisation’s implies disingenuous, deceptive report done by a field reporter. managerial decision making. or highly manipulative tactics.

STORY SUMMATIVE RESEARCH SPOKESPERSON When building a report on the Research undertaken when An expert source and Signal A.I. platform you can add a campaign or project is representative of an articles to build the story. completed to evaluate whether organisation willing to or not it was successful and comment on a timely issue. why. It provides data for future STORY TIP SHEETS A selection of leads for stories campaign or project planning as it uses relevant evaluation SPOT NEWS that a reporter may want to Also called breaking news, spot develop and write, alongside the mechanisms – media monitoring/ news is hard or soft news that sources for them to contact. analysis, surveys, panel studies, is published or aired as soon interviews, etc. – to measure the as possible after an event or outcome. STORY TREATMENT situation occurs and information How a story is treated in the is available. media, from a cover story, running story earning coverage day after day, one-shot mention, to a story earning multiple mentions in one issue, broadcast or Twitter day.

27 Glossary

various human quirks – serves as TALKBACK A brief section at the end of a live a filter. field report, in which the anchor discusses the story with the field TOPIC CLASSIFICATION reporter. Topic classification, or categorisation, is the automatic labelling of events into a TAPED ACTUALITIES A recorded interview with, or research field in a predefined speech by, an organisation’s set of areas of interest. spokesperson to be used as soundbites in broadcast. TV MEMO A written TV pitch to a news director, assignment editor, or TARGET MARKET The audience(s) an organisation producer, including a summary has chosen to communicate its of the content, possible photo key messages to. opportunities, and suggested interview subjects. Often accompanied by a fact sheet, THEORY OF COGNITIVE backgrounder, bio, or other DISSONANCE The tendency to avoid supplementary PR tools. information that is opposed to your point of view or seeking TYPE OF COVERAGE out information that supports How something is presented in your own attitudes. Sometimes the media, such as news, opinion, attitude of an individual or group. referred to as an “echo- thought leadership, etc.This can chamber”. be broken down further and TONE defined as an editorial, news Tone is the measurement of how story, blog post, news brief, THRESHOLD OF a person, group, organisation, or bumper, or letter to the editor, for CONSCIOUSNESS The process a concept passes issue is portrayed in the media. example. through, from absolute unfamiliarity and through various TONING UPDATE STORY stages of awareness in someone’s Toning, or measuring tone, can A story providing new mind. Threshold of consciousness be enhanced when an analyst information about something needs to be reached before a or AI-powered machine – able previously covered in the news. concept becomes a factor in the to recognise sarcasm, irony, and

28 Glossary

WEB MEDIA CENTRE WORLD CLOUD A page on an organisation’s website designed specifically Visual depiction of a topic, to host news media. The media document, trend, or set of data centre often contains breaking in regards to the frequency of news, press releases, calendar of words. The more frequent a word upcoming events, and more. is, the more prominent it is in the world cloud. This facilitates quick VERTICAL MEDIA Media relevant to different visualisation of the important WEBINAR market sectors for a product or Term coined meaning web-based words related to a topic. service. seminar. Webinars are in the format of a seminar, presentation, WORDPRESS A commonly used CMS (content VERTICAL NEWS RELEASE lecture, or workshop that is (VNR) hosted online using video management system) or web A videoed press or news release conferencing software. Webinars software that can be used to produced and distributed by are generally conducted live create a website or blog. an organisation for television and are interactive, providing a newsrooms. VNRs are generally space for audience participation, WRAPAROUND produced as announcements discussion, or the sharing of The live lead-in and close-out that during a crisis. information. bookends a pre-taped segment of radio. Or in TV, it is when a reporter on the scene introduces VIRAL CAMPAIGN WIRE SERVICE A PR, communications, or Term coined meaning a pre-taped report and provides marketing campaign that web-based seminar. Webinars additional information and/or an becomes incredibly popular and are in the format of a seminar, update in closing. is actively shared by it’s audience, presentation, lecture, or or is designed to capitalise on workshop that is hosted online the internet’s ability to spread using vid Also known as a content and messages rapidly. newswire or news service, wire services are news agencies that collate and send out syndicated VOICER An in-the-moment report by a news copy. These include services radio or TV reporter who doesn’t such as Reuters or Associated appear on camera. Press (AP).

29 Glossary

YELLOW PRESS ZEALOTS Pejorative term referring A fervent fan and devout to journalism that features promoter of a business with sensationalism, scandal- word of mouth via social mongering, or other unethical media. or unprofessional journalistic practices. Loosely associated with libel.

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