Apparently news quizzes are difficult. I wasn’t really aware of this until last academic year when I began giving weekly current events quizzes in my introductory public relations course. Some students did quite well on the quizzes and even said they looked forward to them. Other students struggled with the quizzes. I had heard other faculty … [Read more...]
What Constitutes Breaking News?
A Supreme Court decision, a plane crash in the Alps, Saudi Arabia military action in Yemen, and deadly tornadoes in my state. All of those items seem like pretty big news to me, and I received breaking news alerts today about all of them, some from more than one news source. But check out this screenshot I took earlier today. One of … [Read more...]
How to Pitch Stories to Journalists
Public relations practitioners have more methods than ever to deliver messages to their publics. Websites, blogs and an array of social media make it easier for PR pros to communicate directly with their chosen audiences. While these tools are helpful in your communication toolbox, they are additions, not replacements. This means PR pros still … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Writing about Media
Media are supposed to report the news, not be the news. But every once in a while you find yourself writing about them anyway. When you do, a question is likely to arise about whether media is singular or plural. In other words, for example, do you write "media is" or "media are" when you're writing about media? The answer is pretty simple, … [Read more...]
Quotable: Arianna Huffington on Social Media
"Social media are a means, not an end," Arianna Huffington. I recently finished reading Arianna Huffington's book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder. I loved the book and all of Huffington's wisdom on why it's important to build a life that's more than just rushing from one … [Read more...]
Helping Journalists Think Digital First
I hear the same questions from editors and media advisers: How do we get our staff to think digital first?" It's an excellent question. The short answer is that thinking digital first is all about breaking habits. Traditional print journalists have enjoyed the luxury of allowing a lot of news to unfold before they've had to report anything to the … [Read more...]
My Journalism Panties
"I consider my ethics to be my journalism underpants." It's the opening line from an informative column of sorts written by Bob Williams, former reporter for The Raleigh News & Observer. Needless to say, it got my attention. The great thing is that the rest of the column is just as interesting. I use it as a handout in my News Writing … [Read more...]