New Roles For the Old News Release

 

Long gone are the days of your PR firm or your own organization simply sending out a press release to the local TV and print media, sitting back, and thinking that the job of promoting product, service, or individual has been completed.

That's because the news media are no longer the sole audience of the news release; and understanding this new truth is vital to keeping this communications tool fresh.

Stephen Abbott of Abbott Media Group is skilled in using tried and true tools and techniques such as the news release, but putting them to work in new ways.

AMG understands that news releases today can play several functions in the promotions process,. Releases sent to the media aren't necessarily to ensure immediate coverage. In fact, it's unrealistic to assume that everything sent will be published.

In Abbott's political campaigns, frequent releases have served the purpose of showing that a campaign is active, has hired staff, is raising money, is engaging with voters, and is seriously contesting the race. 

From these roles, it becomes clear that releases from political campaigns have several audiences. 

It's not just local news media, which may or may not be covering local politics, but also political leaders, local business leaders, elected officials, and of course, voters, especially those who are engaged in the process early on. 

Sometimes several releases, specifically targeted to these Publics, make more sense than a single, standard release.

Releases written for business can play a similar role by simply reminding local news media and others that the business is active in the community and open for business.

Releases sent to internal Publics - sush as repeat, regular clients - also have a reassuring effect, and can communicate best practices within a business organization, as well as communicating new policies and procedures to everyone, not just to a select few.

Effective internal Communications  like this can also build a sense of rapport and togetherness within organizations,  reduce gossip and misunderstandings, as well as lower employee turnover.

They can also be employed to convey the new or long-held mission and vision of a group or company. 

These reminders, written in news-worthy, fresh ways, help solidify the reputation of the group or company within a community, and help clarify the purposes towards which they're striving. They can also clear up misconceptions that could damage reputations or cloud the purpose of a company in the public's perception in the long term.

News releases, of course, continue to fill the traditional role of introducing new products and services to current and future clients and customers. 

They still must primarily be sharing something NEW, and be News Worthy in order to be considered for print and digital distribution. 

But they also can demonstrate to clients that a business has the expertise in the field in which they operate, and that they are capable of bringing the latest technology and techniques to bear on their behalf.

Frequent news releases posted on a company or campaign website are an easy way to provide fresh content for visitors. Web content that is frequently changing and updated ranks higher in searches, and encourages future traffic to the site.

Finally, news releases can play a vital role in conveying to relevant Publics within the community that a business is engaging actively with it, playing a positive role by giving back through charitable giving and social involvement. 

This has the effect of building positive feelings towards the business, enhancing its reputation and making future business transactions with them more likely.

AMG and Stephen Abbott understand how to fully employ all the aspects of news releases, and use them to the fullest effect on behalf of clients. 

Contact AMG today for more information. 772-261-1173.

"Newsweek" May Be Dead In The USA, But Its International Edition Keeps Political Coverage Alive [Abbott Media Group]

It's not commonly known that magazines in the US have European or international editions, often with totally different material.

While Americans get "news" magazines that are busy pandering to one side of the political spectrum, or pop culture slop about fads or TV and movie entertainers, the Europeans at least get some coverage of actual personalities and issues that are changing their political lives.

Take, for example, Newsweek, which has in recent years become a shadow of its former self, which is to say, a magazine more obsessed with attacking the political Right than reporting "news."

In their October 26th International Edition, they featured a story on Austria's young Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. While not entirely "fair" (and arguably inaccurate, at least in the description we could find, below) the eight-page cover story at least introduced readers to this fascinating political leader:

"In May 2017, when Sebastian Kurz took control of the center-right Austrian People’s Party (OVP), he remade it in his image. Lest the world underestimate the significance of this, the thirty two year-old rebranded the OVP as the Sebastian Kurz List–New People’s Party. Seven months later the conservative populist became Austria’s youngest-ever chancellor, in addition to the world’s first millennial head of state and, according to some analysts, the future of Europe. 

Like other right-wing populists ascending to power in the European Union, the ambitious Kurz has pushed a hard-line immigration agenda in response to economic stagnation and the Syrian refugee crisis. But his youthful persona and political happenstance have elevated his status and his ideas far beyond Austria’s borders."

While the truth is out about Kurz's full conversion to the "right wing" (some on the actual right wing in Europe say he's starting to cave in to European bureaucrats on a few issues, including mass migration into Europe) kudos to Newsweek's International edition for at least covering a political leader of significance. Austria's public broadcaster, ORF, took note of the coverage, as well (In German. Use Google Translate to read in English.)

Now, if only most Americans knew who he was. Or who Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron are, for that matter.

Don't the media elites think we can handle such meaty discussions about politics? Do they not think we DESERVE to have those discussion.

Abbott Media Group does.

To get a broader picture, be sure to read World Politics News daily. And please support Abbott Media Group's latest venture, the Abbott News Service.

Abbott Media Group can be found online at www.abbottmediagroup.com.

Abbott Media Group Launches Funding Campaign For Abbott News Service

NEWS RELEASE
Abbott Media Group
www.abbottmediagroup.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, Abbott Media Group is launching a campaign seeking seed funding for Abbott News Service, the next stage in the evolution of news coverage of global politics and social trends.

THE PITCH:

The Abbott News Service will finally expose Americans to unbiased coverage of international politics, elections and global social trends, using multiple online media platforms.

When fully funded and operational, The Abbott News Service (TANS) will feature original reporting and photography and concise news stories of under 250 words. We’ll seek exclusive, local reporting and interviews with influencers.

Using its website, social media platforms and a mobile app, TANS will disseminate original news content in ways that are innovative, interesting and engaging.

BACKGROUND:

The Abbott News Service is the next step in the evolution of the World Politics News blog (worldpoliticsnews.blogspot.com) which Abbott Media Group owner Stephen A. Abbott has edited nearly every day since 2012.

Our mass media is failing us. It's failing to give us the news we deserve about the political events and social trends that, in a Globally interconnected world, could soon reach our shores and drastically impact our lives – both in positive and negative ways.

We need a revolution in Mass Media to ensure that we’re aware and alert to these trends, before they reach America’s shores. The Abbott News Service is the start of this revolution.

We're building the Abbott News Service to take on Big Media and fill the huge gap they’re leaving in international news coverage. We'll bring Americans the news they’re missing, and will insist on news that's accurate, unbiased and unfiltered.

This will not be “advocacy journalism,” since it will not serve as a mask for partisanship disguised as journalism, from the Left or the Right. The only thing TANS will advocate is the expansion of Americans’ knowledge of politics and social trends around the world.

THE DRIVING FORCE:

The Abbott News Service will be overseen on a daily basis by World Politics News Editor-In-Chief and Founder Stephen A. Abbott, a veteran journalist, blogger and communications consultant from Central Florida.

TANS will seek to contract with American and native citizen journalists both overseas and in the US to report on international politics and social trends, paying them by the story. TANS will consider extending internship opportunities to qualified journalism students.

The Abbott News Service will eventually seek to license stories produced by its reporters to outside media organizations, functioning, in part, as a traditional wire service.

FUNDING:
Abbott Media Group is seeking $20,000 in initial/seed funding, using a GoFundMe account and other fundraising methods. For more information and to support the Abbott News Service, go to https://www.gofundme.com/abbott-news-service 

ABOUT:
Abbott Media Group was founded in 2008, the successor to Stephen Abbott Communications (2003-2008.) It relaunched in 2015, with a focus on online media, reputation management, social media management, and ePublishing. They can be found online at www.abbottmediagroup.com, on twitter at @abbottmedia and on facebook at facebook.com/abbottmediagroup.

Founder and owner Stephen A. Abbott graduated with a BA in Communication Arts with a concentration in Public Relations from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida.

###

4 Ways To Fix Our Broken Network Newscasts [Abbott Media Group]

Network news - news programs shown on the original Big Three networks and other, newer, upstarts - is broken. Below are four examples, and what I believe they need to do to fix their news programs to better serve the American people:

More International Focus - A "world news" program that focuses solely on domestic news is not worthy of the name, and international celebrities getting into trouble or the latest plane crash overseas doesn't count as "news." Americans who are insular and insulated from the news of the world are suddenly surprised by trends both friendly and ferocious when they hit without warning. When that happens, that's a failure of the "world news" programs we watch. Network newscasts must rededicate themselves to covering the entire world.

More International Politics - Political trends are also vital to our full and complete awareness as voters and as citizens. It may not, at first glance, seem important that a new anti-American party is rising in the polls in a nation traditionally friendly to the USA, or that a certain governor was elected in a prefecture in Japan. But if that nation turns hostile, or if that governor is more hostile to Americans remaining in a military base there than his predecessor, then that indeed is a problem that will have regional and international repercussions. Network newscasts should commit to covering international politics, because it's relevant.

The Weather Is NOT "news" - It's snowy in the winter in the Northern half of the United States. It's a fact. It's not, however, news. It's exciting to show cars skidding off the road, rivers frozen and, in other climes, wet summers, minor hurricanes and tornadoes. But aside from in-depth analyses of how slowly the aid got there after the storm, or how we are adapting to changing weather patterns, it's not "news," and besides, that coverage is being done already on local TV. Network newscasts should stop wasting time covering routine and expected weather, and blowing storms out of all proportion.

Fewer YouTube Videos - What's truly shocking about today's American nightly "newscast" is the inclusion of actual YouTube videos. ABC News includes these (and the "look at the unique playing on a ___ team" videos) in its "Index" segment near the end of the program. It literally shows YouTube videos of animals doing funny things, near-miss car accidents and other hilarity, which we can see with better justification on shows like "America's Funniest Videos" or its cable show equivalents. The YouTubization (tm) of Network news must end. 

"If it bleeds, it leads" was the old saying about the nightly news and the local paper. National Network newscasts shouldn't fear though. There is plenty of blood in the political turmoil around the world to drench their viewers' hearts. There are also demonstrations, corruption, trade deals, hard-fought elections, coups and uprisings, and much of it with very real and sometimes immediate consequences for American voters and consumers.

That's one of the reasons why I founded "World Politics News," a news aggregation service that points American readers to the news they're missing on the nightly network newscasts.

American news organizations owe it to us to bring us the world, and to show us accurately and fairly what's happening THERE before it happens HERE. And if they begin to do this again, the nightly "World News" programs will once again be true to their names.

Stephen Abbott
Abbott Media Group
www.abbottmediagroup.com

4 Ways To "Fix" Our Broken Network Newscasts [Abbott Media Group]

Network news - news programs shown on the original Big Three networks and other, newer, upstarts - is broken. Below are four examples, and what I believe they need to do to fix their news programs to better serve the American people:

More International Focus - A "world news" program that focuses solely on domestic news is not worthy of the name. And international celebrities getting into trouble or the latest plane crash overseas doesn't count as "news." Americans who are insular and insulated from the news of the world are suddenly surprised by trends both friendly and ferocious when they hit without warning. When that happens, that's a failure of the "world news" programs we watch. Network newscasts must rededicate themselves to covering the entire world.

More International Politics - Political trends are also vital to our full and complete awareness as voters and as citizens. It may not, at first glance, seem important that a new anti-American party is rising in the polls in a nation traditionally friendly to the USA, or that a certain governor was elected in a prefecture in Japan. But if that nation  turns hostile, or if that governor is more hostile to Americans remaining in a military base there than his predecessor, then that indeed is a problem that will have regional and international repercussions. Network newscasts should commit to covering international politics, because it's relevant.

The Weather Is NOT "news" - It's snowy in the winter in the Northern half of the United States. It's a fact. It's not, however, news. It's exciting to show cars skidding off the road, rivers frozen and, in other climes, wet summers, minor hurricanes and tornadoes. But aside from an in-depth analyses of how slowly the aid got there after the storm, or how we are adapting to changing weather patterns, it's not "news." Network newscasts should stop wasting time covering routine and expected weather, and blowing storms out of all proportion.

Fewer YouTube Videos - What's truly shocking about today's American nightly "newscast" is the inclusion of actual YouTube videos. ABC News includes these (and the aforementioned "kids play on teams" videos) in its "Index" segment near the end of the program. It literally shows YouTube videos of animals doing funny things, near-miss car accidents and other hilarity, which we can see with better justification on shows like "America's Funniest Videos" or its cable show equivalents. The YouTubization (tm) of Network news must end. 

"If it bleeds, it leads" was the old saying about the nightly news and the local paper. National Network newscasts shouldn't fear though. There is plenty of blood in the political turmoil around the world to quench their viewers' hearts. Demonstrations, corruption, trade deals, hard-fought elections, coups and uprisings, and much of it with consequences for American voters and consumers.

That's one of the reasons why I founded "World Politics News," a news aggregation service that points American readers to the news they're missing on the nightly network newscasts.

American news organizations owe it to us to bring us the world, and to show us accurately and fairly what's happening THERE before it happens HERE. And if they begin to do this again, the nightly "World News" programs will once again be true to their names.

Stephen Abbott
Abbott Media Group
www.abbottmediagroup.com

"Earned Media" And Why You Should Seek It [Abbott Media Group]

I was discussing earned media with a local business owner today and thought I'd share what I shared with him.

Businesses tend to know about paid advertising. They buy an ad, people see it, and then they come and do business with them. But that is a greatly simplified explanation, and doesn't tell the full story about what advertising is, what it can do, what it often CANNOT do, and what can help supplement its shortcomings.

Ads are paid for, by their very nature. Even if those who see them don't consciously think it, they know it's been paid for, and that the buyer (you) has an agenda: that you want them to see it and feel good about your business or the product being advertised.

Unsurprisingly, this tends to undercut the message you're trying to convey. Sure, your product might be good, but the fact that you paid to tell them this fact actually decreases its effectiveness.

Earned media can help solve this problem. Exposure for your brand, business or products can be "earned" from newspapers, magazines and online media sources without the costs associated with paying for an ad.

This is usually accomplished through news releases - documents prepared by public relations professionals who understand how to write about news-worthy items that will attract the attention of the media, and be placed where readers see them usually without changes. Sometimes, the news release sparks the interest of  reporters to do a more in-depth story about your business, product or cause.

And while paid media - advertising - is blatantly paid for, earned media carries with it the credibility of being freely chosen by the owner of the media source. Again, almost subconsciously, the fact that the paper or magazine is doing a "news story" on your product or business is seen as far more credible than if you had paid for it.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Paid media makes sense when you want 100% control of your message - and a PR pro can make sure that your advertising is consistent with all your other messages. But seeking earned media makes sense when you have something new, unique, and interesting that sets you apart from competitors or other similar businesses, and want greater credibility by getting news coverage to promote them.

Contact Abbott Media Group if we can help create compelling messages!

By Stephen Abbott, Principal of Abbott Public Relations, a division of Abbott Media Group, which creates written messages which inspire, inform, educate and engage, in mass media, publishing and public relations. On twitter and Facebook.

Is Print #Media Dead? (Not Another Obituary) [Abbott Media Group]

Is print media dead? I just read yet another post online saying just that. It's not difficult to draw that conclusion, given the decades-long slide into oblivion by many major and minor players in the field of print journalism.

Print publications large and small have long struggled with rapidly diminishing ad revenue, fewer eyeballs, and stiff competition from online media sources.

Public Relations consultants for business and political clients have more and more utilized and relied upon online media and social media to the detriment of print publications.

In politics, especially, print media has shot itself in the foot by failing to consistently offer balanced and responsible journalism. Given the slash and burn nature of the economics of the newsroom, it's not surprising that coverage has suffered. But there's literally no reason why this must necessarily result in shoddy, unbalanced coverage of political candidates or mere "horse race" and process stories.

In business, too, pay-to-play (stories for payment) have become the norm in many cash-starved papers. I recently went to the press release submission page of a prominent Florida newspaper, only to find that it offered publication for a "subscription." Whatever that is it's not journalism. It sure isn't "earned media."

So print media, if it's not dead, exactly, may be on life support. There's actually no solution to this problem except a complete re-dedication to journalistic excellence in the print media profession.

Papers, however cash-strapped they may be, must recommit to sending out reporters to actually cover the business community, political leaders, elections, and the people and places that are committing hard news within the readership area. Fluffy feel-good stories and police blotter stories have their place, but over-reliance on these tends to cheapen journalism.

I have seen political candidates who either have gotten perfunctory coverage, or none at all, because the newspaper had a favorite candidate or party, and decided on its own to filter out all candidates who did not meet their standards or biases of its editors. If they believed this would prompt ad sales, this has actually had the opposite effect, in many cases.

Many political campaigns, for example, have simply ignored the dead tree media and have focused almost entirely on new, online media, especially social media, which is becoming increasingly popular among voters as a source of both news and political information.

Businesses and the consultants representing them are also less enamored with the negative changes in print media, and are turning to alternate ways of reaching out to present and future clients and customers. And of course, ad revenues spiral ever more downward as a result.

And instead of "pay to play," which is ethically revolting as well as defeating the idea of earned media, news releases that are sent on behalf of candidates and businesses (and are actually timely and news-worthy) should actually prompt news stories that are balanced and fair.

Does Print have a future? Sure. But it can only have one if it re-dedicates itself to the fundamentals of journalism, including fairness, balance, and equality of access by all parties involved in an issue.

Why "Winging It" Is A Bad Approach For Candidates [Abbott Media Group]

Political newcomers will make mistakes, and perhaps it's a bit unfair to judge someone like Donald Trump to harshly when it comes to his many gaffes and errors when speaking.

After all, his supporters often say, Ronald Reagan also made gaffes during his 1980 campaign. Jokes were made about his misstatements, and his advisors said it was okay for him to make the occasional mistake when speaking because, after all, he wasn’t a professional politician. "Let Reagan be Reagan," was their frequent statement.

And that’s fine. Everyone is going to say something incorrect on the campaign trail. Barack Obama famously said he had been to almost all of the 57 states, after all. George W. Bush had made his share of verbal faux pas, and so has anyone who spends seven days a week on the road campaigning for president.

In the end, however, words do, in fact, matter. And actually speaking the right words is critical for a candidate if they want to effectively convey their beliefs, principles, hopes and aspirations to voters.

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word,” opined Mark Twain, “is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

And saying something that is inconsistent, shocking, or simply incorrect can be devastating to a candidate’s credibility.

That's why the words Donald Trump uses really do matter; and they matter in any political campaign.

They matter to those who don’t support him almost as much as to those who are inclined to do so. In fact, in the final analysis – and on Election Day in November, if he’s the Republican nominee – the words Trump has used in this election year will either convince people to either acquiesce to his candidacy and support him, even if they didn’t in the primaries, to stay home, or to vote for the Democrat or another candidate not a member of the two Major Parties.

Of course if too many voters make any of these choices other than supporting the Republican nominee, it could easily have devastating consequences for House and Senate candidates and other statewide candidates on the ballot.  And party officials are fearing just that.

In my professional career as a campaign consultant or as a manager for a political candidate, I’ve stressed repeatedly how important messaging is to a campaign’s success. 

Candidates, especially wealthy ones and first-time ones, tend to believe that whatever falls from their lips is golden. I take pains to make it clear to them that this is not the case.

In fact, based on my experience with them, many first-time candidates seem to believe they don’t need to use a script or to answer the same way each time they’re asked about a particular issue.

They believe "winging it" will help them come off as more authentic and even "folksy."

And while being universally known with near 100% name recognition, as Trump enjoys, may allow a bit of a "pass" and a cushion for errors and even a bit of deliberate low-browism, two examples from The Donald’s campaign thus far will illustrate why this is the wrong tactic, even for him.

Donald Trump’s campaign announcement speech, as written, was brilliant, to the point, and conveyed a message and a candidate that was strong and focused.

His audience at the Trump Tower in New York, and the television audience who watched it on TV and hundreds of times thereafter online never heard this speech.

Instead, he took the bones of this written speech – written perhaps by an aide but clearly expressing Trump’s own views – and ad libed. Profusely. What was written as a 20-minute speech lasted well over an hour.

This is the origin of his famous/infamous “they’re rapists” comments, along with numerous iterations of his brags noting that he’s “very rich.” These set off alarm bells, though to be fair, they also attracted many disillusioned voters who were seeking just that kind of “politically incorrect” and bold language.

Fair enough. But the problem with this is that the result of this speech was almost universal condemnation and a silent fear that, as the primaries progressed, more “straight talk” would bring harm to the Republican brand. Which of course it has, possibly irreparably.

(Note here that Ronald Reagan's announcement speech was dignified, uplifting and greatly beneficial to both his image and, ultimately, to that of the Republican Party.)

That brings us to the second example.

The March 30 interview with Chris Matthews – a liberal progressive, with whom a seasoned conservative politician would take great care answering questions – demonstrated why off-the-cuff policy-making is also a bad idea.

His seemingly off-handed remark that women who get abortions would be “punished” was not only a rash and dangerous statement, it shocked pro-life campaigners who, for decades, have said just the opposite, and have fought the stereotypes of the Left that being pro-life is somehow “anti-woman.”

Not to mention his seemingly off-the-cuff remarks that NATO should be all-but disbanded and that Japan and South Korea should be armed with nuclear weapons. Pacifist Japan, along with South Korea, reacted strongly and angrily to these comments and those suggesting they’re not paying America enough for their defense (they pay over half of all expenses for having our troops there.)

But whether you agree with Trump’s policies or not, the impression, if not the reality, was that he was making them up on the spot. He recanted the abortion position later that day – perhaps at the demand of his shocked and appalled aides – leading one to believe he did in fact make them up.

The bottom line is that any candidate, be they running for president or city council, must be clear, articulate and consistent when they speak.

Policies spoken to one group that don’t match up when said to another suggests clear pandering, and subconsciously, that the speaker is inconsistent and, by extension, untrustworthy.

And it’s worth noting that presidents must always measure their words, and express their policies, in a very cautious and mature manner. There’s a reason why presidents have spokesmen in the White House press room calmly and cautiously answering reporter’s questions each day.

It may be frustrating to reporters looking for a “gotcha” moment, but in truth, any rash or poorly thought-out statement by a president or his spokesman could send stock markets reeling and, as we’ve seen with our Asian allies, diplomatic incidents occurring. 


(And back to Reagan; he never appeared to anyone to be making up his philosophy or principles as he went along, despite occasional missteps on the campaign trail.)

Candidates should therefore view what Donald Trump is doing as a textbook case illustrating how NOT to handle political speech. To take the opposite lesson would make my job infinitely harder, not to mention the destruction and damage that could be done to individual campaigns – and to political discourse in the United States, generally.

Stephen Abbott is a public relations consultant and political messaging specialist, and the principal of Abbott Media Group, specializing in helping political candidates, business leaders, groups and start-ups craft effective messages. More at abbottmediagroup.com.