After Deadline is a blog featuring comments taken from a weekly newsroom critique overseen by Philip B. Corbett, the deputy news editor for the New York Times (who is also, coincidentally) in charge of The Times’s style manual. "The goal [of After Deadline] is not to chastise, but to point out recurring problems and suggest solutions," writes Corbett.

I find his comments interesting and also take his advice to heart. For example, in his August 18th post, Corbett writes:

"Colloquial or slang words detract from the polished, literate style of our best writing. What’s worse, they often seem trite and lazy, rather than fresh or sharp. 'Posh,' along with close cousins like 'glitzy' and 'tony,' is both colloquial and tired. But it has popped up a number of times recently."

You won't have to remind me not to use "posh" in any upcoming pitches, press releases, bylines or case studies!

What I like best about After Deadline is that Corbett provides examples, real life instances, of less than perfect writing published by the famous paper. Not only do the examples illustrate his point but they teach you how to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

If you haven't already checked out the After Deadline for yourself, take some time today to do so!

The recent phenomenon and popularity of blogs, especially the extent to which they've grown in the past few years, astonishes me. The fact that something that never existed until very recently can provide a lucrative career for people now seems crazy. But that is the world we live in - where new technology is developed every day, and new developments very quickly become obsolete.

I vaguely remember becoming aware of what a blog was sometime when I was in college. A blog was then simply a means of online communication for friends, family or a group of people with similar interests. It was a simple forum for discussion, which until the past year I really had no interest in. But modern-day communication is constantly evolving, which requires everyone - businesses and individuals alike - to not only take notice of the trends but to join them. These days, you can find a blog on just about any topic you're interested in - from sports to politics, education to ice cream. Corporations and political candidates have their own blogs as do college students and retirees. Here at Dittoe PR, every account executive has her own blog for which she writes on a regular basis.

Online news sites have largely replaced print newspapers and magazines. While many people still enjoy picking up a hard copy of their favorite news source to read on a Sunday morning or when they're traveling on an airplane, it is far easier to read news on the computer - especially when so many people are in front of one all day long. Online news sites can still make money by selling advertisements on their web pages. Similarly, bloggers who are able to generate enough traffic to their sites can sell ads as a means of income - supplementary or even full time.

For example, I just read an article this morning in the New York Times on a woman, Heather Armstrong, who runs her own blog for other women - particularly mothers - called "Dooce." Her site has become so wildly popular that she's been able to sell ads to corporate giants like J.C. Penny, Crate & Barrel, Walgreens and Starwood. She's generating enough income through these ads that both she and her husband have since quit their regular jobs to focus on running the blog!

With forms of communication changing so rapidly - not to mention the other technological advancements that are constantly happening in our world - students in college today are likely to have a job in something that didn't exist when they were preparing for their careers. And for the rest of us - we'd better stay up to date with the changes, or we'll be left behind!

Have you ever used NO-AD sunscreen on vacation?  It's really good stuff... great value for the money too because the bottles are ginormous.  What makes this sunscreen really different than Banana Boat, Panama Jack and Coppertone is they don't advertise - hence the name "no-ad."

This company has relied on word of mouth marketing for years.  I first started using it when I was in middle school because I saw a friend with a hot pink bottle of 15 SPF.

While it makes for an interesting case study, NO-AD is also very unique.  Many companies are creating "word of mouth" marketing campaigns which rely heavily on social media sites like Facebook or MySpace, emails (like those sent out by Indianapolis-based ExactTarget), blogs (like your's truly here) and SMS text messaging.  NO-AD really relied on good, solid, old-fashioned word of mouth.

On the American Marketing Association's Web site, Marketing Power, they currently have a survey posted which I found to be extremely interesting.  They ask, "What is your most effective word-of-mouth technique?"  The responses are what got my attention:

• Social Media Sites - 22%
• Email - 54%
• Blogs - 16%
• SMS - 8%

Honestly, I voted for blogs.  I have experienced a great deal of success in gaining coverage for my clients in blogs.  Many blogs have a daily traffic snapshots reaching over 2.2 million making their online viewership greater than the printed circulation of the same company or other reputable media outlets in the same space.

I believe people are more likely to believe the word of a blogger than some group on Facebook or some email they've received.  Emails have a leg-up on blogs though... many campaigns are opt-in and all [should be] opt-out compliant.  To find a blog takes more effort than just checking your inbox - I'll give you that!

I am sad to see that SMS isn't appearing to catch on as quickly as I had anticipated.  I've yet to participate in any opt-in SMS campaign and I really don't think it's for me.  I equate it to receiving a phone call from a telemarketer right when I sit down for dinner.  There's never a good time to receive a random text message from a stranger... not for me, at least!

So what about you?  How will/would you vote?

On July 28, Laura Olson, a reporter from the Indianapolis Star wrote the article, "Indy-area volunteers not stingy with time." She stated in the article, "Indianapolis is one of the top 10 metro areas in volunteer hours per resident, according to a federal report released Sunday."

Many Indianapolis residents are always itching to learn more about where they can volunteer their time and services.  I know of a great volunteer opportunity that you can partake in at any time of the year and as much or little as you would like! 

Eagle Creek Park on the Northwest side of Indianapolis is looking for volunteers to help out at the park doing various activities.  Some of them include taking children on hikes, gardening, working at the marina, working at the newly built Discovery Center, answering phones, taking care of animals and setting up for art shows that exhibit four times a year at the Discovery Center.



If you or someone you know is interested please contact Rosie Johnson, the volunteer coordinator at Eagle Creek Park.  Her number is (317) 327-7148.

One thing I loved about Notre Dame is that a huge percentage of the student body is comprised of athletes - which meant there was always someone to toss a football, shoot hoops or play a game of pick up soccer on the quad with. As someone who loves sports and played competitively through high school, being part of this atmosphere was a lot of fun for me. Since Notre Dame's varsity sports teams are very competitive, a lot of students who attend Notre Dame are good enough at (one or more) sports that they could have played their sport(s) at another college. I actually considered applying to several smaller, Division 3 schools so that I could keep playing soccer during college. Ultimately, I decided that I cared more about attending Notre Dame than I did about playing soccer at the college level. However, I was lucky that this didn't mean I had to give up sports all-together.

In fact, during my years at Notre Dame, I played intramural flag football, soccer, basketball, volleyball and broomball - and had an absolute blast doing it. I met some of my best friends through these teams, and my experiences playing on them remain some of my favorite memories from college. I'll never forget when my freshman year flag football team - from the smallest dorm on campus - beat the team from the largest dorm on campus in the intramural championship game. The coolest part of this, though, was that the game was held in Notre Dame stadium. For a huge ND football fan like myself, getting to step foot on (much less getting to play a game of our own on!) this field was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Another one of my favorite intramural experiences was with my broomball team. If you're not familiar with this sport, let me give a quick outline. It's played on half of an ice rink, with goals at either end. Members of each team run on the ice in shoes (not skates) and hit a ball (not a puck) with a stick that literally could be made at home with a broom handle and a wider piece of plastic at the bottom. Games are twenty minutes long, and in this league they're played at night - usually at 10pm, 11pm, or 12am. My team, which played together for three years, was called Fr. Sorin and the Funky Bunch. (Fr. Sorin was the founder of the university.) For each game, we dressed up in ridiculous non-matching outfits and had so much fun out on the ice. The best part was that despite the recreational nature of the game, we actually took it seriously and got really pumped up for each game. One night we even had a friend who was in the school's band accompany us over to the hockey rink playing music & cheering us on.

Since graduating in May of '07, I've definitely missed getting to play on all these teams with my close friends. This fall, I'm hoping to help coach a soccer team. I think it will be a lot of fun getting to be around the game again, teach it to younger girls, and see them enjoy it the way I did for so many years. Maybe I'll even get to play a little too - although my footskills have definitely gone downhill over the past few years. Oh well, I guess I'll see if a little practice can help bring them back!

We've all done it. You see a homeless person on the sidewalk or at an intersection and you give them what little change or maybe cash you have in your wallet. Maybe you've even given someone your doggy bag from your nice dinner out. Ultimately you feel sorry for the person and try to offer assistance without really getting involved, right?

My friend Matt did this for an "amputee" and Vietnam War veteran who was seemingly down on his luck in Louisville. Hours later, Matt was astounded to see the man stand up out of his wheelchair and run off with some very real legs and with all of the cash he was given. Matt was upset and everyone who witnessed it commented they would never give money to a homeless person again. 

While finishing up her masters, one of my best friends worked for a company committed to helping homeless people here in Indianapolis. Sadly, one day her purse was stolen out of her office. Though it was later found, the man seen taking it was one of the people her company had offered its services to in the past.

It's hard to help people when you know the odds of them taking your help and actually using it to better themselves (buy food, clothes, etc...) are slim to none. A friend of my Dad's offered to take a homeless man in my hometown of Greenville, SC to McDonald's and buy him lunch - anything he wanted. The man stared at him in disbelief and said, "Just give me money, man."

Unfortunately, many people who are forced to live on the streets face addictions ranging from alcohol to gambling. Their addiction is a disease, and any money they receive goes to feed it. Other large portions of homeless people in the U.S. are victims of foreclosures, bankruptcy and sadly - many are mentally ill.

OK - so why my rant on homeless people? Here in Indianapolis, we have a problem. You don't see it every where... but downtown, especially at night, there are a lot of folks who have nowhere to sleep, no shelter and no dinner. The worst part of this mess is the city is forcing them to get out from underneath the bridges that provide them with the only shelter available and is not providing them with any alternatives.

Every city has a dark side - a side tourists/visitors never see. By placing nice hotels close to attractions like museums, malls, monuments, sport & concert arenas and convention centers most visitors never have to see the "bad" part of town. But what about those of us who live in these bigger cities? We drive through rough areas sometimes. In fact, we probably drive out of our way to avoid them. I say it's time we stop driving around the problems plaguing society and make a change.

Write to your mayor today if you agree with me, and ask them what their plans are to provide the homeless with shelter and increase safety for citizens throughout the city - regardless of race, religion and income.

For those of you in Indianapolis, write to Mayor Greg Ballard here.

Yesterday I had an experience at the mall which made me think about the fact that many of the skills necessary to be a successful retail salesperson are similar to those necessary to be successful at Dittoe PR.

As I was walking, I was approached by a salesperson with a lotion sample. Although I politely told him I wasn't interested in sampling his product, he continued to insist that I take the sample, all-the-while getting closer to me and more in my face. I decided to appease him, in the hopes of getting him to leave me alone after that. That was my first mistake. Once I took the lotion sample, he began to show me another set of products for nail care. Talking at a mile-a-minute, the salesman (who clearly cared FAR more about nail care than I, a woman, did) tried to convince me to let him demonstrate a nail smoothing product on me - "Just two minutes of your time." Yeah, right. He proceeded to smooth the top of one of my thumbnails with some sort of nail buffing product. Then, when I said "That's nice, but I really don't need the product," he went into a tirade about how my fingernails are like a business card. "Do you want your business contacts to see you with bad nails?" he asked. As I strained to keep a smile on my face and remain pleasant I thought to myself how my business contacts shouldn't care what my nails look like - they should base their opinions of me on how smart, professional and hard-working I am - and whether I get the job done well. Honestly, I don't care enough or want to spend the money to get a manicure each month - and I'd rather keep my nails cut short so I can toss a football more easily.

At this point, I started to get really annoyed and began to try harder to get away from the salesman. I hate being rude though, so I was still having a difficult time walking away. His tactics then changed to attempts to negotiate with me. He tried offering me the nail kit for half price, then offering me two nail kits for the price of one. The reality of the situation was that I wouldn't spend $5 for a nail kit - it's just not something I need, want or would even use. FINALLY I realized I would just have to be short with the man - tell him I wasn't buying anything, bottom line - and walk away.

To me, a good retail salesperson needs to resemble a good PR professional. He or she should be helpful but not pushy. Knowledge of the product, the ability to communicate and being trustworthy (which includes conveying accurate product and pricing information, especially in a negotiation-type sale) are all critical qualities to have.

At Dittoe, we pride ourselves on always being professional and pitching the media appropriately. The relationships we form with journalists and producers are largely based on their trust that we're providing them with accurate, relevant information. I know there are plenty of PR professionals who pitch using mass email lists and who don't do the necessary research prior to contacting members of the media. Going the extra mile by making ourselves familiar with new media contacts, the topics they general cover, and how they prefer to be contacted is what sets the account executives at Dittoe apart from these other PR professionals in the industry.

I always try to think about how I would react to something if I were the journalist or producer, prior to contacting him or her. By putting myself in someone else's shoes for a minute, it helps me to better understand what they want so I can get the best results for Dittoe and our clients!

An expert is defined as a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority. Every day I pitch some journalist or blogger on speaking with a client, an expert in mobile technology, networking, social media, 3PL, etc… who can provide a perspective relevant to a story or unique enough to qualify as a story in and of itself.

I suppose I’m expert violist, field hockey player and dog trainer since I do possess special skill and knowledge in each field – but I don’t go around claiming to know everything about any of these skills. I consider myself to be an amateur at everything I am skilled at since I don’t quite have the tenure required to be taken seriously as an expert. 

The people I promote each day are referred to as experts because they know their business better than anyone else, bar none. In many cases, the experts I work with are founders of multiple organizations and all of them have taught me so much about their business and industry.

I’ve come to learn so much about the experts I work with and represent. So much that it’s difficult to present media contacts with all of the reasons why they need to speak with someone in the first place. I wish I could just label my clients as experts with stickers on their Web sites or foreheads, whichever they prefer, letting the world know that they are skilled at what they do, the best in fact.

Unfortunately, we all can’t walk around with signs letting the world know who we are – unless you’re into wearing a nametag for the rest of your life. That’s why PR is so important. As hard as it is to get the attention of the media, when I do it is a major adrenaline rush.

After reaching out to someone numerous times over a period of time and receiving no response, no inkling of interest – to get that one phone call or email asking for more information and to speak with the expert is the reason why I come into work every day. That call or email is how I earn my nametag: a Public Relations Account Executive.

This November we’re electing the next president of the United States. Whether you’re a democrat or a republican, this election is important. Now more than ever, the U.S. is in desperate need of some good international public relations.

Now I’m not volunteering my services to Senators Obama or McCain (however if they are interested in working with Dittoe PR all they need to do is call) but it is very clear we not only need a change in the Oval Office but also in the news. 

Back in October of 2003, PBS’s Online NewsHour posted a very interesting article which I recently ran across by accident. In it, the writer makes a point which is still relevant today:

“The United States must dramatically transform its public diplomacy system to overcome growing anti-American sentiments abroad, according to a report released Wednesday by an advisory group appointed by the Bush administration.”

Public diplomacy is really very similar to public relations but on a much higher level. After all, we are talking about the international public perception of the United States of America. It’s just a little bit bigger than most PR accounts.

Regardless of who you are pulling for in this year’s election, we must vote for the man we believe to be the best representation of the United States and all the good we can accomplish in the world. We don’t want the European Union glad to see him leave office and we certainly don’t want our president to be thought of as ignorant or stupid.

Unfortunately, President Bush’s administration has a cloud of disapproval hanging over it and at this point in time it remains to be seen if any positive things can ever be attributed to his terms in office. It seems every beneficial act he has been involved with is overshadowed by multiple examples of poor judgment or accusations of weak leadership.

Approval ratings are important in the U.S. and abroad. Not only do they indicate how well a government official is liked but that is directly related to the success of foreign diplomacy efforts and support in Congress.

Additionally, the study performed by the advisory group appointed by the Bush administration back in 2003 found “in this time of peril, public diplomacy is absurdly and dangerously underfunded.”

Funding alone will not make diplomacy efforts more successful (however it is needed very badly), thus I’m back to examining the candidates. Both are very different but have the same objective: to be President – to be the Spokesperson and CEO of the United States.

OK, so for my two cents: Regardless of whom we elect come November, as a nation we need to pay very close attention to our approval rating overseas. After all, our president represents us. We should be very concerned when countries don’t want to participate in diplomatic talks and even more concerned when our so-called allies leave our side whether in battle or on paper.

No matter who gets elected this year, I hope they know a thing or two about public relations – for their sake and ours.

It's not every day someone tells you what a fantastic job you're doing for them. Fortunately for me and the rest of the team at Dittoe PR, we hear it more than most people.

Part of me was jaded by corporate America. At 25 years old, I came to expect I would never receive a hardy handshake, pat on the back or even a complimentary email after performing above expectation. Continuously striving for perfection and approval in the eyes of my supervisors grew old and I soon became disenchanted with my role in the company. Not a good sign, right?

I regularly write about how lucky I am to work at Dittoe, how this is my dream job, how Dittoe is truly the best Indianapolis PR firm... What you may not realize is, I mean it.

Today I received the best compliment I have received to-date from a client. After sharing some good news with them I received a one-word email that will have me smiling for the rest of the week: "PHENOMENAL."

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia

Working at Dittoe has changed my life. No, I'm not going to get all sentimental on you but I am serious.  I thought I'd be doomed to a lifetime of working 9-5 at some job I hated. You know the feeling, waking up every morning wanting to call in sick, dragging yourself into the office and then spending your time counting down the seconds until quitting time.

Now I look forward to coming into work each day. I get excited thinking about the emails sitting in my inbox, messages in my voicemail and the ideas I came up with the night before to help bring more coverage to my clients.

Each day is another opportunity to ask, “What can I do now?" and provide the best service to my clients - the kind of service they've come to expect from Dittoe.

What's even more important is I want to work hard for my clients because they get excited when I'm successful and that excitement is what keeps me going. My hard work resulting in a "phenomenal" reaction is plenty reason for me to continue working my tail off here.

Please do me a favor today... when someone around you at work or even at home does something really well or impressive, tell them. It will make their day and encourage them to do it again.

If the saying is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then here is an 11,000 word essay on why Dittoe PR is great.

Lauren Sanders is our hard-working ring leader. Don't let the pen fool you...she don't write no fluff.















Megan Lawler is dedicated to her work. She doesn't let her stomach ulcers get in the way of her success.







Meghan Howard knows that the key to success is staying fueled.














That isn't the only trick that I have up my sleeve.










 Don't let innocent face fool you, Meg Charlebois is as sassy as they come.


Laura Kasenbrock makes PR look good!













 Here is our new intern, Katie Murray. We like to feed her as many diet cokes as possible and throw long research projects at her.












This is the other inter Chris Dietrick. He is the only guy in the office besides bosso. Don't feel bad for him though, he loves it.






The Dittoe Maffia.







Lawler is hardcore. She will cut you.







We are really pretty on Fridays.

Newbie. Novice. Greenie. Rookie. Call it what you will. If you’ve ever been new somewhere, and we all have, you know that it’s not easy. And it seems, to me anyway, that the older I get, the harder being The New Girl becomes. Maybe it’s because the older we are, the faster we feel we should acclimate to people and surroundings. Maybe the older I get, the more awkward I become. Yea, I’m going with Option B.

 

Anyway, a month ago, I started at Dittoe PR, and once again, I became The New Girl. If you aren’t familiar with Dittoe PR and what they do, the team specializes in media relations, and they’re damn good at it. In the months before I came, the Dittoe team had placed clients in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on Good Morning America. I’d only ever pitched local and regional media, so during my second week here, when I had to pitch New York and national media, I felt … nauseous.

 

But the thing about Dittoe is that the team here cares for one another and their clients, and we all want to see each other succeed. So, before I made my first call or sent my first email, I got a lesson in media relations that rivaled any I’d received in my collegiate (and post collegiate for that matter) experience. You see, Dittoe isn’t your run-of-the-mill PR agency; they are the best. And they know that pitching the media doesn’t mean pitching every media outlet. It’s about pitching the right outlets, giving them the right information, and developing mutually beneficial relationships. It’s what Dittoe does, and it’s what works.

 

Now in my second month here, I’m proud to say that I’m getting the hang of this whole thing. I’m no longer petrified of big name editors, and in fact, I’ve found myself even joking around with some. Best of all, I’m happy to say that I’m at a place that is fostering me into the best, most efficient PR person I can be (in record time). So, I think I’m over being The New Girl. Now, if I could only find the paperclips…

With so much devastation in the world this week - the earthquake in China, cyclone in Myanmar and tornadoes throughout the plains and southeast United States, you would think the "most popular" articles online today would be about rescue efforts and the relief the U.S. government is providing to these people in need, right?

Wrong.

What is today's most popular headline on Google News?  "Personalities: Idol's Archuletta, Vanessa Williams, Carrie Underwood" from the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Myanmar relief ranks second and U.S. presidential election is pulling up the rear at fourth most popular article.  Number three?  "Parents warned that pot increases depression risk in teens."  Hmm... groundbreaking.

What does this tell me?  More people would rather read about David Archuletta's overzealous stage dad than the thousands of people who are lost and may be dead in Chengdu.  Honestly, is it really any surprise most Americans can't show you where Afghanistan is on the world map?  We prefer to educate ourselves more on pop culture and celebrity gossip than on what really matters in this world. 

Choosing not to read or learn more about what's going on in other parts of the world doesn't make the "bad things" go away.  Choosing not to learn about each of the presidential hopefuls doesn't make for an educated vote come November. 

It's very disheartening as a public relations professional to see what makes the front page, online or in print, and actually gets read the most.  Especially when we work with so many innovative and diverse companies and individuals who are more newsworthy in our eyes than the dad of an American Idol contestant.  If anything, this "most popular" article only causes me to work harder to show journalists why my story idea will interest their readers.

Getting started with a new client always provokes a feeling of excitement, but it can also lead to some stress and anxiety. Familiarizing yourself with a client in an entirely different industry than what you’ve been exposed to in the past is always fun, interesting and a huge challenge. Nailing down a new client’s key messaging, target audience, correct verbiage, competitors, angles to pitch, etc., are all things that are developed and perfected over time.

While all of the steps to get to know a new client may seem overwhelming and incredibly time consuming, to everyone here at Dittoe, it’s just another day on the job. Spending the time to get quickly and thoroughly acquainted with a new client and their industry is just one of the great things we do at Dittoe Public Relations that sets us apart from the rest.

This week I had the pleasure of getting a new client in the field of geriatric care management—Indianapolis-based, My Health Care Manager. Dittoe PR is honored to be working with a company that is providing such a positive service for aging seniors and their families. I know from personal experience how difficult it can be as family members get older and face serious health and independence issues. I think we’ve all been there at one time or another.

With the number of Americans over age 65 expected to skyrocket from 35 million to 72 million by the year 2030, there is a HUGE need for geriatric care management services. My Health Care Manager helps adult caregivers sort through all the complexities of eldercare. Their recommendations and resources are tailored to the senior and their families’ particular situation and meant to achieve the best possible solution. 

Dittoe PR is proud to say that we’ve already lined up an interview for MHCM with one of the biggest news sources out there- the Wall Street Journal. It’s an exciting feeling to know that others can see the need and importance for this service, and the truth is, that need is only going to get bigger as time goes on. 

If you’re looking for unbiased professional guidance related to the health and independence of an aging loved one, please visit  www.myhealthcaremanager.com to find out how they can help.

10.       There is a one in five chance that it is Friday and someone may have brought in bagels for breakfast. 
 

9.         Bosso might get excited about something and kick around the empty water cooler jugs.

8.         Meghan Howard might wear something interesting.

7.         Taylor Strong might come back from the island of Yap in Micronesia.

6.         There might be an after lunch dance off.

5.         The Dittoe’s dog, Lily, might come in to visit and poop in Chris’s office.

4.         Jesus might call Chris and tell him to let us go home early for being such hard workers.

3.         Every editor that I pitch might return my email or call and decide to include my clients in their publications.

2.         Oprah might call to tell me that she wants to put all of my clients on her show.

1.         Oprah might call and ask me to be her best friend.

MSNBC posted a slide show / article from POPSCI.com today, "Duh! Science confirms the obvious."  Just when you thought scientists were busy trying to find the cure to cancer or discovering new ways to help save the Earth -- studies like this come out.

Check out some of the findings:

• Unathletic kids are less popular at school
• Teenagers drink to have fun
• Sleep and caffeine combat sleepiness
• Loneliness sucks

Really?  You're kidding!  To check out these studies, the findings and for a good laugh - visit MSNBC now.

I've always been really into politics.  The rhetoric, scandals, damage control, advertisements and promotion of politicians interest me more than most other major news in the world.

What interests me the most this time election year is the excitement of my generation... for the first time in my life, the 20 somethings are INTERESTED and we want a say in who is going to lead our country.  Voting is no longer something our parents do.  We do it, too -- and with the help of the Internet, the excitement is growing faster than ever before!

In a recent New York Times article, Brian Stelter wrote about how my generation is eager to share political views online.  With YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, wikis, chatrooms and even Ask Yahoo!, presidential candidates are interacting with young voters everywhere.  Not only is it convenient to get your news and share your thoughts online, but you reach millions of people.  Much to Senator Clinton's chagrin, that's how we all found out about what landing in Bosnia was really like.

News that doesn't receive a lot of coverage on 60 Minutes or CNN is all of the sudden getting millions of hits online.  What does this mean?  I can't speak for everyone in my generation -- but for me, I'm tired of commentary.  I love round table discussions, hearing multiple views from various professors, politicians and journalists.  However, I have no interest in a one-sided commentary about any candidate.  I'd rather watch a speech on my personal computer in my home office and make my own conclusions, without having to sit and listen to someone from one of the big networks throw in their two cents (which most of the time, aren't even worth that).

At any rate, I'm really looking forward to both the republican and democratic conventions.  I'm excited to learn who will be running against John McCain this fall.  I can't wait to watch debates between the two candidates and then get online to discuss how I thought it went. 

To get in on the conversation... check out and contribute content to these wiki websites: Wiki Democrats & Wiki GOP; and to get involved visit Rock the Vote.

Seeing your client on national TV – and knowing you worked to get them there – is a pretty neat feeling. I got to experience this last week when my client Bob Compton was on ABC’s Good Morning America talking about his documentary film Two Million Minutes.

It all started with Dittoe PR securing coverage for Bob in several national publications in the first few weeks of the month. USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, and TIME Magazine all covered Two Million Minutes – and discussed the implications of the issues raised by the film. We were already very excited to have such well-known media outlets spreading the word about the work Bob has been doing. Later in the day on which these stories all ran in print, we were contacted by Good Morning America, which is when the real excitement began.

Usually, securing such great coverage comes only after spending a great deal of time “behind the scenes” engaging members of the media in conversations about our clients. In PR, we have to mark our progress with “little victories” such as simply getting a writer to respond to an email pitch we send them or having someone ask us for more information on a topic. In this case, the print coverage we had already secured led TV stations to contact us about interviewing Bob.

I usually never watch TV in the morning before work – but last Wednesday morning, February 20^th, I turned on ABC as I was getting ready in the morning and watched for Bob’s segment to run. When I heard the anchor announce that “next up is Bob Compton, documentary filmmaker,” I rushed in front of the TV to see Bob and one of the students featured in Two Million Minutes broadcasted live across the nation.

Since the Good Morning America interview, we’ve received a flurry of interest from other media outlets – Bob has interviewed with FOX Business TV and NPR, and he’s scheduled to interview with Voice of America radio and C-SPAN next week. He has also screened portions of the film to Senators Obama and McCain, and he hopes to get in front of Senator Clinton as well.

With the amount of attention Two Million Minutes has received lately, it’s hard to predict the extent of media coverage we’ll be able to secure in the future. If it’s anything like what’s been generated in the past two weeks, it’s sure to be exciting!

My kind-hearted boss thought he would be nice to his staff and bring three colossal bags of mini candy bars to work. The rest of the staff thought that this was a very nice gesture, but for a person like me this is equal to giving a crack addict a bag a crack and a glass pipe.

 

Eight Twix bars later, I wake up from my sugar coma and tell my co-workers about my minor accomplishment. They were completely flabbergasted. They could not believe that I had managed to eat that many mini candy bars in such a short amount of time.

 

Really? This is not that big of a deal. Plenty of people can eat this many mini candy bars. After all, they are mini. These people are acting like I should be the next Kobayashi.

 

To prove my normalcy I looked at the serving size on one of the evil colossal bags of chocolate crack and read that a normal serving size is five candy bars. Ha! This means that I only ingested 1.6 times the normal serving.

 

Things are not always quite what they seem. This is a lesson that can be applied to all avenues of life, especially the world public relations. Journalists referred to as business reporters may seem like good contacts as you are pitching a new high tech client, but you may find out that they only really cover the coal mining business in eastern Kentucky. Suddenly, they do not fit the mold of a good contact anymore.

 

It takes a little bit of research, just like I had to research the caloric composition of my chocolate crack, to ensure that you are pitching the right people. Just because an editor’s name is Tracy Smith, you should never be so bold as to assume that Ms. is the correct prefix.

 

 

In this job, I am trying to spread the word about my clients and help them get exposure on a local, national and even international level. 

I am the little bird in reporters, writers, editors, producers and bloggers ears.  I'm informing them of something they don't know.  They might know about a technology, a company or an individual -- but the whole reason why I'm writing or calling them is to tell them something newsworthy.  It's up to them to decide if the story I'm telling is something they want to run with.  I'm just the messenger.

Spreading the word isn't as easy as it appears.  I try very hard to tell my clients' stories to the appropriate media contacts, but sometimes I, undoubtedly, reach the wrong person.  In the instances where I'm redirected, I'm extremely appreciative and apologetic.  By no means do I want to aggravate anyone in the media -- after all, it's my job to communicate with them every day.  Why would I ever intentionally jeopardize that relationship?

Ever heard the saying, "Don't hate the player, hate the game?"  I don't think I've said that since college, but it comes to mind today.  I am a player in the game of public relations.  I know it might sound corny, but it's true.  I work with CEOs, directors of marketing, company presidents and founders, lawyers and other PR professionals long before I ever involve the media, and once that communication begins there's no telling who I'm directed to.  To quote presidential hopeful, Senator Hillary Clinton, "It takes a village!"

Lately there seems to be a lot of buzz in various blogs and e-newsletters about PR professionals "spamming" editors and contacting media with incorrect information or inappropriate messages (i.e. Calling a journalist "Bob" when his name is "Rob" or pitching a sports writer on an entertainment story).  While I'm sure this happens frequently, I'd like to speak up for the PR pros who try their very hardest to avoid this stigma the media has placed on us.

Do I spam?  It seems this term gets thrown around quite a bit these days.  The definition of spam is the use of mailing lists to blanket groups or private e-mail boxes with unsolicited messages of a promotional nature. 

Do I use mailing lists?  No.  I also don't email to "lists" -- each contact gets a personalized email from me.  I do create media lists based off of research either I or someone else at Dittoe has recently done.  I also double check online to see if a reporter is still on a particular beat and if the contact has written something related to my story in the past.  I want to make sure I understand what he or she is looking for when it comes to content. 

Are my emails unsolicited?  This is what I struggle with.  Initially, no one asks to receive a pitch via email or telephone call from me.  So in that respect, my contact is unsolicited.  However, doesn't a journalist, blogger or producer who has provided an email address or phone number to the public automatically opt-in to be contacted?  Otherwise, how would they ever find out about new companies, products, services or rising business, sports, philanthropic and political figures?  After all, they can always "opt-out."

Our PR tactics at Dittoe are very simple but have proved to be extremely effective for our clients.  We don't want to anger anyone who could help us, and we definitely want to treat everyone with the same amount of respect we would want to receive.  If someone asks me to never email them again, I won't -- and I'll pass the word onto my colleagues as well.  

On behalf of all hardworking, honest public relations executives everywhere... I ask journalists and bloggers to hate the game, not the player.  Some of us are very genuine and don't deserve to be lumped into the category of "spammers" that we sometimes end up in.  PR people need journalists and journalists need us -- can't we all just get along?