Foundations

of Public Relations
Week 3: Media Relations #1
Overview, tactics, media landscape
Today

• Who are media?

• What is media relations?

• Media relations process

• Press Conference

• Q&A for the assessment 1

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1/4 Defining Media

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 The media – who are they

• They are news media / mass media.

• Traditional news media (mass media) include:
o Print media: newspaper, magazine…
o Radio
o TV
• New news media (mass media):
o Internet-based.
o Convergent: one content in many digital devices
o Reporters who are also bloggers/ Facebookers/ Youtubers

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CNN TV was launched in 1980.

CNN website was launched in

1995

CNN nowadays
The main one is attracting and retaining an AUDIENCE

-News editor focussed on

what’s going to be most
interesting to readers
How media report the news

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How media report the news

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How media becomes a pollical power

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 Activity 1

In pair – Discuss who are your favourite media? Local

Regional, & Global?
Why do you like them?
Can you detect any discussion trend from your favourite
media?
Can you detect any bias information from any article from
your favourite media? If yes, please give some example?

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2/4 Defining Media Relations

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 Media Relations: Definition

• Management of the relationship between the organisation

and (traditional) mass media.
o Organization = authorized spokesperson
o Mass media = editors and reporters/ journalists
• Desired outcome: (traditional) mass media used as
communication channels to the organisations’ publics.

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Traditional mass media

• TV, radio, newspapers, magazines

• Specialized audience: geography, psychographics, interests
o Local newspapers
o Young males
o Cats, servers

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 An indirect path to publics

Organisation Mass Publics

Message 1 Media Message 2

Key concepts:
• “earned media”
• “lack of control of message”: Message 1 = Message 2
• Traditional mass media as “gatekeepers”

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Traditional media relations

PR practitioners worked with journalists, reporters from

traditional mass media outlets (newspapers, radio,
televisions) to pitch a story by sending press releases via
post or emails, organising press conferences, media tours,
and/or arranging interviews.

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 Traditional tactics in media relations

Traditional
Press
Release

Press Conference

Media
Interview

Media Tour
 Media relations and Internet

• (Traditional) media outlets needs multimedia content for their websites, social
media pages…
• Many bloggers (citizen journalists) and news blogs beside traditional news
media
o The “influencers” as the new gatekeepers
o The emergence of the “social media managers”
• News outlets has involved more citizen journalists to report to the public beside
professional journalists. Eg: CNN’s iReport

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 New tactics and opportunities

• PR practitioners can communicate directly to publics and share their

press releases and relevant information on the organisation’s website:
Video, photos, press releases…
• Key concepts
o Owned media
o The online newsroom

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 COMMUNICATION FLATFORM

POSM at
Facebook Website Mobile App Cinema Line Instagram EDM
Zalo
2,500,000 2,800,000 1,000,000 Over 1.5m 2,300,000 80,000 1,000,000
reach 70,000 Fans
Fans visits/Month Downloads Subs Followers Emails
per month

Owned media - CGV

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Owned media – Donald Trump
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The online newsroom
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 KOL (Key Opinion Leaders)

• Social celebrities: Working in the showbiz industry, have huge number

of fans
• Macro KOLs: Experts or leaders in some particular fields, may trigger
the trends of the followers. Fan: 250.000 – 1M.
• Power middle KOLs: Specialists in some particular sectors: authors,
dancer, producer, yoga trainers, travel blogger, food reviewers, IT
product reviewers, photographers.... Fan would trust what they
comments or review
• Micro KOLs: Models, photographer, free lander, students leaders...
Have special relationship with the fan, can influence more than the field
that they are working.
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KOL (Key Opinion Leaders)

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Media relations and Internet
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 Benefits for the organisation

To reach a lot of target publics in short period of time

To gain 3rd party endorsement= high credibility

Organisation Mass Publics

- PR person Message Media
Message

Message
 Benefits for the media

Low-cost opportunity for “ready-made” stories

Overcome decreasing staffing

Organisation Mass Publics

- PR person Message Media
Message

Message
Benefits of Media Relations

• Media relations are particularly suitable for

o budget-challenged organizations
o Reputation enhancement
o Crisis response
o Product announcement

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Tools to evaluate Media for coverage

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21/3/19

Activity

New food delivery service plan to introduce this service in Vietnam

(Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang…). If you are their PR manager, can you
help them to
1) Identify the news media that you intend to approach to promote
your campaign? Justify your selections by using the tools (such as
Similarweb)
2) Any particular products (drinks, foods, brands) that you think
they can focus on to promote to the customers? (use Google
Trends to support your answer)

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3/4 Media Relations Process

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 Effective media relations

1. Research the media outlet

2. Think and write like a reporter
3. Respect deadlines
4. Build lasting relationships
5. Understand the power of internet and social media
6. Write a media policy
7. Understand media’s interests

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 1. Research the media outlet

• Read, watch, listen to the news outlet to determine if your

story fits the outlet’s focus.
• The news outlet’s website can provide past issues and
articles as a guide for editorial contents.
• Magazines often have editorial calendars to prepare content
in advance. Eg: http://www.forbesmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2017-
EditCalendar.pdf

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2. Think and write like a reporter

• Be factual, not promotional

• 7 News values (discuss next week)
1) Timeliness
2) Prominence
3) Proximity
4) Human Interest
5) Conflict
6) Significance
7) Newness
• Follow the journalistic style (discussed next week)
o Inverted pyramid/5W + 1H
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3. Respect deadlines

• PR staff should be accessible to journalists.

• If PR staff don’t know the answer that a journalist ask, find
out and come back as soon as possible.
• Journalists appreciate a PR staff’s respect for deadlines =>
Long lasting relationship
• Build your “favor bank”

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4. Build lasting relationships

• Know the report as a person: working lunch, coffee

• If the reporter makes an error, stay calm and ask if a
correction is possible.
• [Controversial!] Avoid corruption

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5. Understand the power of internet and social
media

• Multimedia news releases contain photos, video, podcast,

audio, hyperlinks…
• Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube…to
update your organisation’s information

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6. Write a media policy

• A written media policy should clarify:

1. Who receives media calls
2. Who the spokesperson is
3. Interview procedures
4. Written material for media
5. Standard media kit

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7. Know the media’s interest

üGlobal/Local angles
üExclusive
üMake their job easy
üConcise information
üTopics that fit with programming
üEntertainment medium

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21/3/19
RMIT University Vietnam
Tools to use

• Special programs
• Sponsorships
• Collaboration for CSR activities
• Networking collaborations
• Press Conferences
• Entertainment / Media Trips
• Email/ Online Newsrooms
• Social media platforms

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4/4 Press Conference

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Identify the conference goal

• to get publicity about your efforts and problems;

• to get widespread media coverage for some event/activities
that you have
• to send a message to a decision maker about what you
want;
• to get more people involved in your organization;
• to show the strength of your group
• To handle crisis or clarify rumours

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What you need to do for the press conference

1. What you want to announce

2. Venue for the conference
3. The media and target publics
4. People who involve in the conference
5. Agenda for the conference
6. Scripts for the conference
7. Controlled and Uncontrolled Q&A
8. Press Kits
9. Health Safety & Security
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The venue for the conference

• The conference centre, hotel ballrooms can be considered

• Professional equipments and facilities for meeting
• Professional equipments and facilities for reporters
• Health safety and Security

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 Target media & target publics

Know which publics you want them to know

• Geographic, demographic, interest ...
Know whom to contact for media
• Don’t go to the top first. Contact the reporter first
• If you have doubts about the integrity of the media, consider an
alternate media outlet.
• Reach the public through channels other than the media.

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 People involved in the conference

• Spokesperson
• The show team (if require)
• The authority
• The coordinators
• The Gatekeeper
• KOLs
• The entertainers

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 Agenda for the conference

• Time/Date - Venue
• Attendance list
• Seat allocation
• Sections before, during, and after the conference
o Timing for each section
o Who involved (external, internal)
o Who in charge
o Contact person (name, phone number)
o Equipment checklist
• Time/Date - Venue

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 Know what you can say

• Ability—Do you have the right information?

• Competency—Are you qualified to discuss the topic?
• Authority—Who has jurisdiction over the issue?
• Security—Is the information classified?
• Accuracy—Have you verified the information?
• Propriety—Does it display sensitivity and dignity?
• Policy—Is it permitted to release this information?

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 Know what you can say

• Read from your ‘well-prepared’ script

• “Speak with one voice.”
• Frame the message in a positive way.
• It may include a call to action.
• Focus on your audience.
• Frame the Q&A scope

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 Know what you can say

Q&A Section
• Frame the Q&A scope
• Limit the questions
• Controlled questions or Uncontrolled questions
• Be careful with the traps

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Know what you can say

• Anticipate questions which may be asked

• Try to find answers to those questions
• Try to build your key message into your
answers
• Take account of ‘personal presentation’ issues

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Working with the media

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 Final checklist: Press Kit

• News release
o One page with attached factsheet (can clear quicker)
o Think of them as press updates, and prime media when to
expect them
o Should answer 5Ws and H for the time it covers
• Fact sheets
• Text of the statement
• Visual/Electronic materials such as photos, USB drive
• Contacts
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 Preparing for press conference and interviews

Korean Centre for Cultural Exchange, in co-ordination with the Ho Chi

Minh Pop Association, has successfully arranged for BTS, a famous
Korean band, to perform live in concert at Thong Nhat stadium. This is
the first time BTS have come to Vietnam and they will sing non-stop for
three hours. Some of songs will be performed with local pop stars.
A well-known local beverage brand, THP, is sponsoring this event.
100 free tickets will be given out to students at local universities. Only 5
for RMIT University
BTS has a huge fan base and their safety need to be well guarded.
However, there remain concerns about security and the quality of the
organization of the concert.
A press conference is held to announce the event. 55
Copyright © 2017 RMIT University Vietnam