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Chapter 6 Media Relations: Shaping the News

Chapter 6 Media Relations: Shaping the News. Connection to PR Symbiotic Relationship Uncontrolled Media Resources for Creating News Stories. PR-Media Connection in the U.S. 1900s journalists became public relations professionals. Move from newspaper to PR. Example is Ivy Lee.

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Chapter 6 Media Relations: Shaping the News

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  1. Chapter 6Media Relations: Shaping the News Connection to PR Symbiotic Relationship Uncontrolled Media Resources for Creating News Stories

  2. PR-Media Connection in the U.S. • 1900s journalists became public relations professionals. • Move from newspaper to PR. • Example is Ivy Lee.

  3. Media Connection Lingers • The Princeton Review describes public relations as follows: “A public relations specialist is an image shaper. Their job is to generate positive publicity for their client and enhance their reputation.”

  4. Dangers of the Media-PR Connection • PR is equated with publicity. • PR becomes known as spin: • Highlights positives through publicity • Tries to hide the negatives

  5. Media and PR in Perspective • Media are important public for PR. • Media relations is narrower than PR. • PR deals with a wider array of publics. • We should not confuse the part for the whole.

  6. Media Relation as Skill • Entry level practitioners must be versed in media relations: • Write news releases • Construct media lists

  7. Means to an Ends • Media relations helps to achieve larger organizational goals. • The positive media coverage is means to achieving other organizational goals. • Larger organizational goals can include: • Reputation building • Product launch and promotion • Creating interest in an issue (issues management)

  8. Symbiotic Relationships with Journalists • Symbiotic is when two organisms live in close association for a long period of time. • PR and journalists have over 100 years together.

  9. More on Symbiotic Relations • At least one of the organisms benefits from the relationship.

  10. Forms of Symbiotic Relationships • Commensalism: one side benefits but other is unharmed. • Parasitism: one side benefits and other is harmed. • Mutualism: both benefit from relationship. • So which is the PR-journalism relationship?

  11. Mutualism or Parasitism • News media are able to create stories at a lower cost , an information subsidy (benefit). • PR receives positive stories about the organization (benefit). • Critics see the relationship as parasitism: • PR is controlling news media for its own ends • PR is corrupting the news

  12. Dynamics of Media Relations • PR person has certain information to place in the news media. • PR person crafts message (e.g., news release) and sends it to the news outlet. • News media representatives decide whether or not to use the information. • If the information is used, news media representatives decide how to frame the information.

  13. Uncontrolled Media • News media controls if the information is used and how it will be used. • Effective media relations requires: • Catching the media’s attention • Shaping how the information is framed

  14. Frame • A frame is the information selected for the story and framing refers to the process of developing frames. • Organizations want frames that support their larger objectives. • Positive story about a new product • Favorable portrayal of new CEO

  15. Resources for Creating News Story News Values News Peg Celebrities

  16. News Values or Newsworthiness • Timeliness: must be recent. • Impact: does or can affect many people. • Audience interests: appeals to audience for that outlet—their values and types of stories. • Conflict/oddity: people are drawn to deviations from the norm, this includes conflict.

  17. News Values or Newsworthiness • Drama: a good story has the narrative form of conflict, problem, and denouement. • Human interest: the allure of ordinary people in unusual situations or with unusual experiences.

  18. News Peg • An event or issue that is already being covered by the media. • Practitioners can connect their information to the news peg.

  19. Celebrities • Well known people increases the news value. • Audiences are obsessed with celebrities. • Connecting a celebrity to publicity information increases the likelihood it will appear in the media.

  20. Beyond News Values • Must present publicity materials in the proper format. • Must understand how to target media outlets. • Must understand how to properly distribute publicity materials.

  21. Risks • Publicity materials are not used. • Publicity materials are not used as intended.

  22. Why Bother with Media Relations? • Publics do receive a lot of information from the media. • Media agenda tells people what is important. • How that information is framed has an effect on publics. • Shape reputations • Influence support for issues

  23. Filters in the Propaganda Model • Large corporations owning and operating the media for profit. • Dependency on advertisers for revenue. • Dependence on government and corporate sources. • Negative responses to media content. • Enemies/anti-communism (Herman and Chomsky, 1987).

  24. Reflection Points • Do all organizations and groups deserve the right to engage in publicity? • Do some groups or individuals have an advantage for shaping media content? • How do you feel about the propaganda model?

  25. Reflection Points • How has the use of video news releases (VNRs) hurt public relations? • Are the problems related to VNRs fair to PR? • What is the relevance of front groups to media relations? • What can transparency add to discussions about media relations?

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