Text 4 Publicity

Publicity is one function of public relations that involves deliberately disseminating strategic messages through mass media outlets (such as newspaper, television, radio, or Internet), without payment to the media, to advance the particular interest of the publicity client. While publicity generally refers to information placed in the mass media, publicity can also involve placing information in a controlled medium such as an organizational publication or corporate report.

While publicity is a critical function of public relations, it is not synonymous with public relations.

This is a common misperception among those who do not fully understand the role or scope of public relations, because publicity is among the most visible parts of public relations. Publicity is focused on the information dissemination aspect and is not generally considered a management function. Publicity is geared toward coverage obtained and does not play a role in setting policy or providing counsel at a top organizational level. Generating publicity involves advancing the client’s interest through target-media coverage of strategic messages and events.

A good publicist has a comprehensive understanding of media outlets and appropriate content in those outlets and is able to carefully select the most appropriate outlets to obtain free coverage and be of interest to the client’s target audience. Much of the success or failure in obtaining publicity hinges on the ability to understand what the media gatekeeper deems newsworthy.

Publicity is not always favorable, however. In the time of a crisis, negative publicity is also generated. It is a public relations practitioner’s responsibility to provide the organization’s side of the story in a way that accurately and favorable represents the client. Some similarities between publicity and advertising do exist. For example, both use mass media as a channel to distribute messages. Format and context are different, however. Publicity appears in the mass media as a news or feature item or editorial content, and the source of the material is a public relations practitioner. One major advantage that publicity has over advertising is the added element of credibility because of the implicit third-party endorsement of the news medium. Information that has been deemed newsworthy by the media outlet is often perceived as more credible than a paid advertisement. Another advantage of publicity is the cost. There is no cost for the time or space in the mass medium; however, the publicist does incur some expenses for the time and energy associated with the publicity process. A major disadvantage of publicity, however, is the lack of control over the message and delivery of the material. An editor may choose to print the written material precisely as it was written in the news release, or it may be altered dramatically, to paint a negative picture or include competitors. The information goes to a metaphorical media gatekeeper who has the responsibility of making the decision to let the information pass through to the mass media channel or not to use the information at all. Therefore, the information appearing in the media is uncontrolled.

Some guidelines to increase the odds of effectively generating publicity include the following:

Timeliness—News value of the information hinges in large part on how current the information is and the degree to which it can be incorporated into other current news angles. It is also crucial for the publicist to keep abreast of journalists’ deadlines and lead times, so the information can be delivered at the most appropriate and useful time.

Newsworthiness—Material that is directly linked with a promotional event or sales element will not likely garner media attention. It is essential that the writer construct a logical link between an angle of interest to the gatekeeper and a favorable angle about the company or client.

Style—News editors prefer to receive information in journalistically approvable format. This often includes writing in AP style and inverted pyramid format. Materials that must be reorganized, rewritten, or edited are frequently disregarded in lieu of material that is already in the correct style.

Eliminating Errors—This includes spelling, grammar, and mechanics as well as facts, dates, figures, titles, and statistics. A public relations practitioner should always double check his or her copy before it is submitted to the journalist. Any errors will not only ruin chances of publication, but may also jeopardize future credibility.

Medium—Consider if the nature of the material is appropriate for a trade publication, or would it be better suited for an alternative-news weekly? Don’t forget to carefully research and consider which specialized news outlets would be considered credible for the ultimate target audience of the message. It’s also helpful to find out ahead of time how the journalist prefers to receive information (via facsimile, e-mail, phone call, or regular mail).

There are several common ways to measure publicity. Most organizations monitor common news outlets for publicity about the organization.

Questions:

1. What does publicity involve?

2. What is publicity focused on?

3. What is ``a good publicist``?

4. What do the success or failure in obtaining publicity depend on?

5. What are similarities between publicity and advertising?

6. What are the differences?

7. What are the advantages of publicity?

8. What are the disadvantages of publicity?

9. What is the responsibility of the gatekeeper?

10. What do the guidelines for increasing the odds of effectively generating publicity include?