Reporters and editors are always looking for news. You can make their jobs easier by developing and packaging story ideas. This is usually a win-win scenario, because journalists get content and you get to push your messaging out there. Just be mindful of their deadlines and need for balanced straightforward news. When pitching stories, it’s important to be targeted in your outreach because reporters are usually crunched for time, especially in this era of shrinking newsrooms

So, my son Owen has become something of a media sensation with the success of his shop SquidFlip. Yes, I am a publicist. But no, I did not start his promotion as you may think. Squidflip started off in the summer of 2016 as his idea. We had just bought a summer cottage in Maine as a rental property. Owen worked with his mom to find and redo furniture to furnish the cottage, to save money and give it a unique character. They did a great job, and when it was done, Owen had the

At Louis Karno & Company, we tell our clients that Key Messages are like Gummie Bears: They are bite-sized (short, easy to speak) They are sweet (your key messages should say positive things about your organization) They are sticky (not only are they easy for you to remember, but they are memorable to your key audiences). Making Gummie Bears… To get started, consider asking these questions of your staff, board, and partners: How do your messengers describe you? Who are your t

Set goals for every appearance Keep thinking O-S-T-A: objective, strategy, tactics and audience Hammer home your key messages For interviews, keep answers - especially for TV or radio - to about 10 seconds each. Remember the Key Message! Nothing is 100% off the record Whatever you say - anywhere - can follow you around endlessly and perhaps disastrously. If you don't know the answer to a question, say so. Then later on, be certain to get back to the reporter with an answer. D

In most instances journalists will not confirm whether they will run a press release. Editors also have to weigh in on news coverage decisio

And for every newsworthy release there are 100 terrible ones today. Add to that many in the media scan their emails because of the prolifera

What is a press release good for? Press releases still have relevance if you follow these four best practices.

And have a plan. It call comes back to what you are trying to do online – not how cool you think you are.  You want to connect and share, no

Today’s lies come without a clear end game. Rather than coming at a time of a national crisis, they feed fears of crisis – and they are divi

Is Lying Good Marketing? What You Can Learn From the Truth Wars