Many members of the “elite” media are criticizing Jasper Schuringa, hero of the Northwest flight terrorism attempt, for requesting payment to conduct media interviews. Why is this so shocking? The media is a money-making business (or at least supposed to be). Why shouldn’t its subjects be entitled to monetary compensation as well? This rings particularly true for those who have been thrust into the media spotlight out of circumstance, not by choice—like Jasper.

I, for one, am not surprised by his request. The media will invade his life and make it much more difficult for this hero to regain some semblance of normalcy post-frenzy. PLUS, interviews are very time consuming. Like it or not, it’s the way of the world. He is doing a job and should be compensated accordingly.

Kudos to Jasper Schuringa – I am sure I am not the only one hoping you make millions of dollars.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Working day to day with the media is a humbling task. Reporters are very busy, overworked, always stressed, and notoriously impatient.  As PR professionals, we work hard to convince reporters to write stories about our clients’ issues or products– and it’s a tough job.

It will become even tougher with the recent announcement that the Dallas Morning News will now have journalists reporting to sales executives.

This will further blur the lines between advertising and media relations. As it stands now, I often get calls from clients excited about news opportunities. But oftentimes these “opportunities” are just representatives from cold-calling to offer editorial space for a fee, which is all fine and dandy, but it’s called advertising.

At my PR firm, we believe in good old-fashioned media relations.  We build relationships with the media, pitch journalists and place stories. It’s certainly not easy, but now with situations like the Dallas Morning News, it’s going to get harder.  That being said, we will keep pushing, and keep succeeding with the continued hope that this will help clients realize the vast undervalue of PR and PR agencies in general.

“The toughest thing about being successful is that you have to keep being successful,” said Irving Berlin.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

This weekend I read a very interesting survey of journalists.

Prior to the recession, traditional media had tremendous challenges. Now, with the onset of this economy, things are changing even faster, with mass layoffs and newspaper after newspaper folding. The survey spoke volumes and led me to ask how long it may be before blogs publicly (or privately) sell content to the highest bidder. In a world that — to date — has no established rules, do bloggers have the same ethical responsibilities as traditional journalists?

Anyone with mass traffic and early-mover SEO may eventually be able to do a lot with content. I have very much enjoyed Tina Brown’s new site, and wasn’t surprised to see last week’s announcement re: advertising, nor comments re: “sponsored content.”

For me, there’s a very clear link in terms of the survey item I led with in this post and the concept of sponsored content. The world has changed, and one wonders how traditional journalism schools will adapt in the years to come, as well as how the public relations industry will evolve.

Companies like NAPS have been servicing the PR agency world for years. For a fee, NAPS writes articles and incorporates them into newspapers and magazines. They guarantee hundreds of placements, and the articles they write are rarely labeled as advertising. As their website states, “The CDC and the AMA, for example, contribute timely health stories on food, safety for children, or cutting edge medical technology and techniques; experts write about home maintenance and decor; home economists at General Foods send recipes; and financial gurus at such companies as Primerica (a member of Citigroup) offer advice on investing and money management.” Will someone incorporate this concept for the internet world? Without mass publishing or distribution costs and with simple, smart SEO, it can be done a lot quicker, and a ton cheaper.

Food for thought.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Two random musings from a day in the life of the CEO of a PR firm:

1: This morning, I received a standard client request to call a reporter and vet an opportunity he was presented with.  The reporter answered his phone at the designated extension of his major business publication, and proceeded to ask a series of questions.  I found these questions to be quite unorthodox given the usual style and length of articles in this particular publication.  After 10 minutes of prodding and back and forth, I learned that this reporter was working on a book and using this publication’s resources and credibility to call sources for it.  

When I established that my client wouldn’t participate in the book, the reporter got very upset and spoke of editorial rules, none of which exist when dealing with a book writer.  Quite simply, remember to always investigate media opportunities; evil may be lurking, and journalists can’t always be trusted.  Don’t be naïve.

2:  Yesterday, I received a package in an expensive bag filled with a great new product – a consumer packaged good.  I received the gift I imagine as part of the target demographic of business owners, or entrepreneurs I imagine, and my estimate is the package cost $75 or so per piece.  I imagine I was gifted with the hope that I’d love the product and tell employees, clients, and friends about it – maybe even purchase it. 

And I did love the product.  But when I tried to reach out to the people who sent it to me, I found that they had sent the package without the card of a contact person.  So, after spending all that money to research who I was and then deliver me the package, they overlooked one of the most basic tasks: I didn’t even know who to thank. And it’s far from the first time it’s happened.  Don’t forget the basics.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Why is it that so few people, including professionals, and business owners understand media relations and the essence of how the media works?  Conceptually, it’s really not that hard, but every day I’m amazed by the basic questions I receive from smart business people.   Just today, someone with a very successful business asked me how much we pay news anchors to place clients on the air.  (Any PR or Marketing 101 class we tell you in this country, one can’t pay news anchors to book guests. At least not in the PR business.)

Public relations, particularily media relations, is a fairly easy to understand business: find a story angle, pitch it to the media and open the paper (or turn on the TV) and there’s your story.  Yet one of the reasons PR budgets are so low in comparison to advertising budgets is that so few understand PR.  If they did, you’d see many more businesses spending much more on all aspects of public relations in general.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR

Yesterday’s arrest of Kanye West at LAX was surprising to me primarily because it doesn’t happen more often.  West was arrested for suspicion of vandalism after confronting paparazzi media and allegedly smashing their  cameras.  The struggle between celebrities and the paparazzi is an issue that high profile people must deal with on a day-to-day basis, and it is extremely trying on both physical and emotional levels. It is incredible that today, even after the death of Princess Di, celebrities still have very little protective barriers between them and an intrusive swarm of prying media. Yes, people in the public-eye lose their right to complete privacy when they perform, appear in movies, or get rich by possessing rare athletic ability, but does that mean that there should be no boundaries whatsoever?  Should their children be endlessly subjected to flashing lights? Should they not be allowed to lead somewhat normal lives?

5W has worked with countless celebrities.  I vividly remember walking out of court with Lil’ Kim after she was sentenced in her perjury trial a few years ago. We were managing her crisis communications, and as we walked out the front door, we (Lil’ Kim, one security escort, two attorneys, two of her family friends and I) encountered at least 100 members of the media all jockeying for a shot or a comment.  It was a wall of reporters and photographers, flashbulbs blinking in her face. To say it was a mob scene is an understatement.  After the paparazzi got their pictures, they still wouldn’t move.  There was no choice but to push forward for the two blocks we were required to walk.  It was a very dangerous situation, and in LA, this happens every single day.

Managing the media for corporate clients is far different than managing celebrity-driven paparazzi media.  Every type of public relations, whether crisis-based or paparazzi, consumer or technology, requires different skills and a completely different set of “rules.” I don’t believe for a second that today’s incident between Kanye West and a swarm of paparazzi is an isolated occurrence, nor will it be the last time we read about a celebrity fighting for his privacy with paparazzi.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Reporters surrounded Lil Kim

I recently sat on an NYIABC panel discussion with some prominent bloggers and journalists, and I wanted to share some thoughts and feedback about the impact of online media.

• As this New York Times article points out, there are major restructurings occurring across the board in print journalism. The Tribune Company alone is eliminating 500 pages of news a week by axing many of its employees. On the panel, Jon Fine said he believes there will be a major metro newspaper this year that goes out of business. What does this mean for PR professionals? Journalists are busier than ever before, so now more than ever we need to provide them information that’s accurate, clear and brief (Hint: No 2-3 page press releases). Our materials need to be user-friendly, and we must increasingly build relationships, so writers want to take our calls and know we aren’t wasting their time.

• Print media clearly won’t die. It will decline, but those who talk about the death of print media outlets are simply out of touch. Print is epic – it outlasts the test of time. Reading a newspaper is something you can touch and feel, and there’s a real value to that.

• The relationship between bloggers and reporters is constantly evolving. Reporters are now using blogs to research stories or phenomena. As opposed to providing factual evidence, bloggers provide reporters with information on “sentiment.” According to the 2008 PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey, which polled an array of media professionals, 73% of respondents use blogs in their research, while only 19% of respondents never use blogs.

It’s always interesting to sit with my fellow PR professionals in a room and engage in a thoughtful discussion. I enjoyed it very much.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

There’s been a lot of debate recently about the difference between bloggers and reporters. I, for one, firmly don’t believe that bloggers and reporters are synonymous. Bloggers are biased. (Although, reporters are also. Let’s remember that while both FOX News & CNN claim to be unbiased, one needs only to watch a political report for all of 5 minutes to see that they both clearly “skew.” Right or wrong…)

This morning I read an article where the VP of student affairs at Duke University was quoted as saying, “It’s a world where someone with half a brain, a computer, and an Internet connection can be a publisher.”

Now, clearly this isn’t true for all bloggers, and there are many different types with different levels of objectivity. However, social media, Web 2.0 and today’s blogosphere plays by a whole different set of rules, and public relations professionals who want to be relevant need to be prepared and equipped to handle client communications in this era of new media.

As an aside, yesterday’s New York Times included an article about the pressures bloggers face from a 24/7 news cycle, but failed to mention that many reporters now face these same pressures. The news cycle in every outlet – from broadcast to print to online – has become global and continuous, with every outlet competing to break each story the moment it happens.

That’s one of the reasons consistent public relations and communication with the media has become so pivotal. I tell my employees that a good PR professional never shuts off – with an endless stream of changing news coverage, there are countless opportunities to create relevancy.

Ronn Torossian
5W PR