Media Relations

I have to say that I enjoyed reading chapter 6, Media Relations. I have not had any classes that discussed media and the use of it to promote a business. As discussed in the chapter, I believe there is a fine line between good media and negative news. Trying to get the attention of the media when a company is thriving and doing things right is difficult, but the various techniques presented in the book are great ways to build a better relationship that can open the door to attracting the right press to get news out to the public. Good relationships with the media can also circumvent the impact of negative news about an organization. Conducting research, responding to media calls, preparing for interviews and gauging success are all methods of ensuring good media contacts and provide a way to measure the success or failure of a media event. I also felt the Adolph Coors Company example was a perfect way to show how a company can take negative news and the potential disastrous consequences of a media event and turn it around to change their public image. Overall, I felt the chapter was interesting and provided good examples and techniques to use when setting up a media relations department.

Real life examples of corporate press and the impact of media relations abound. Enron, WorldCom and Tyco certainly brought corporate scandal to the forefront.
Publicly traded companies must now work even harder to overcome the negative impact of these far reaching catastrophes. The latest fall of Wall Street and the failure of the large corporations and banks also made frontline news. These are just a few of the negative media that become lodged in the memory of the general public. Some successful media campaigns have saved corporations. McDonalds overcame the negative impact of the documentary “Supersize Me” with a large media and marketing campaign highlighting the addition of healthy menu alternatives. Rather than allow the bad news to destroy them, McDonalds took a proactive approach and turned their public image around. Locally, JWF Industries has allowed their good media relationships to market for them. The local media often showcase the good deeds and the success of the company. JWF uses the media to project a good corporate image and it seems to work. The company has received a number of new, large (multi-million dollar) contracts that will carry the company into the next decade.

This link http://www.usaid.gov/stories/vietnam/ss_vt_busmedia.html, showcases how media and business relationships can be improved. USAID sponsored a conference in Vietnam to help and improve the often contentious relationship between the press and business in Vietnam. It discusses the importance of the role of the media in helping to grow the economy.

I also found the link to Pfizer’s media contact page interesting. The company provided a simple, fill in contact page for journalists to send messages to the company with ease. This link provides a simple tool to improve media relations: http://www.pfizer.com/contact/mail_media.jsp.

Go to http://www.online-pr.com/Holding/Corporate_Media_Relations_FINAL.PDF to read about 5 questions a company should consider before deciding whether or not to talk to the business press. It provides an in-depth guide for CEOs and media relations professionals to follow whenever a press event is suggested.