Following is a roundup of 10 interesting PR- and media-related stories found online last week:
'KONY 2012': What Worked and What Didn't Work: The "KONY 2012" video has obviously made an impression on the online world. Here's a look at why the video worked (celebrity endorsement, good message, strong calls-to-action, sense of urgency) and why it didn't work (lack of facts, unclear cause, wrong call-to-action, hazy money trail). "Before you go off and try to make the next KONY 2012 film, make sure you put as much effort into your cause as you do your video or you might end up in your birthday suit 'running back and forth on a street corner and yelling incoherently about the devil.'" (Spin Sucks)
How Editors Can Motivate Journalists: Daily news meetings should be "dynamic, brimming with original ideas and angles, inclusive and agenda-setting." Staff members should look forward to these meetings and attend with enthusiasm. Here are 10 tips for editors on how they can motivate their journalists, make sure they're alert and keep news meetings moving along. Among them are to instill confidence, make sure journalists look for stories in the news they consume and show them genuine appreciation. (Media Helping Media)
Trayvon Martin's Death Is a 'Killing' or 'Shooting,' Not a 'Murder': The death of Trayvon Martin has been called many things, including a "fatal shooting," "shooting" or "murder." While "murder" has been used in headlines, the word should be replaced to avoid the "judicial dimensions" involved. "Was it murder? Manslaughter? Self-defense? Those are thorny legal questions for prosecutors and ultimately a jury to decide," said Dan Abrams, legal analyst for ABC News. (Poynter)
Journalists Taking Money to Give Speeches to Wall Street: The issue of journalists being paid by Wall Street to give speeches is like determining the precise meaning of "off the record" -- everybody has different standards. On one end of the spectrum is The Wall Street Journal, which outright prohibits its journalists from accepting speaking fees. Then there's The New York Times, which has a more nuanced approach to speaking fees. Other publications, like the Financial Times, allow their journalists to accept such fees. To make things even murkier, there's the question of whether policies for full-time employees and freelancers should be different. The bottom line: "If you’re not proud to be giving a paid speech, and happy to be open about that fact, then it seems to me you shouldn’t be doing it. And that applies whether you’re self-employed or not." (Reuters)
The Top 100 PR Experts to Follow on Twitter in March: Here's a list of the top 100 public relations experts/organizations to follow on Twitter in March, according to Evan Carmichael, an entrepreneur who helps brands connect with entrepreneurs. The top five on the list are: @BPGlobalPR, @GirlPRPublicity, @GirlPRNYC, @MLB_PR and @AKRPR. (EvanCarmichael.com)
How to Create Useful Twitter Directories for Newsrooms: Since Twitter lists aren't embeddable or easily found, many news organizations put together their own staff directories guiding readers to staff members on social media. "But beyond being useful for the readers, it can actually provide incentive for those in the newsroom who aren’t actively using Twitter when they see a public-facing list and see their colleagues getting more followers from that list." When creating these directories, newsrooms should break up individuals into sections, only include Twitter handles for people who actually tweet well and regularly, and show more than just name and handles (e.g., avatars, descriptions and follower counts). For inspiration, take a look at what publications like MuckRack, Chicago Tribune and CNN are doing. (Mediabistro's 10,000 Words)
What Journalists Can Learn About Collaboration From the Art of Improv: "Did you hear the one about the journalist who used improv skills to do her job better?" This journalist offers some insights into how journalists can be better collaborators, using lessons she's learned from performing improve comedy since 2004: 1) Say "Yes, and…"; 2) learn how to listen and do it more often; and 3) don't be intimidated. (PBS MediaShift)
BuzzFeed's Andrew Kaczynski Does Serious Journalism: BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski, a 22-year-old college student, is mining the Internet and finding content that is stirring things up this election season. For example, Kaczynski dug up an op-ed Mitt Romney wrote back in July 2009, where Romney endorses the Massachusetts health care plan as a model for President Obama, which refutes one of the political candidate's campaign claims. Kaczynski's doing things that news organizations miss, to a certain extent. "They don’t have as much time to research things like this, it’s not high on their priority list," he said. (Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter)
How PR Pros Can Recharge Their Creativity: Creativity is a rare and unpredictable thing to come by. Some tips for PR professionals to keep their creativity juices flowing are to get out into the field, host a contest, meet people over food, watch TV and keep an idea book. "The way that I stay creative is by always looking for what’s new and fresh -- something that will pique my interest and make me think," says one PR pro. (PRBreakfastClub)
Uncommon Advice for Your First PR Interview: There are some obvious tips for people preparing for their first PR interview -- research the company, know the dress code, etc. But there are some tips that aren't as common, including: be conversational with the receptionist or administrative assistant, ask your own questions about the interviewer, and write a post for the company's blog. (Communications Conversations)
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