THIS #JOURNCHAT SPONSORED BY: 

Chris Martin Public Relations represents a wide variety of health care institutions, from hospitals to health care associations. If you seek a PR consultant who can quickly understand your business and translate that into positive, results-oriented public relations strategies and programs, CMPR may be the right consultant for you. FOLLOW CHRIS ON TWITTER: @CMPR

A recap of JSA’s (#journchat service announcements)

• Every session I do a JSA (journchat service announcement) 4 HARO http://www.helpareporter.com by @skydiver
• JSA (journchat service announcement) If you haven’t checked out @pitchengine, do it. http://www.pitchengine.com
• JSA: Check out the MediaOnTwitter wiki:http://mediaontwitter.pbwiki.com #journchat
• JSA: Join the Facebook @journchat group http://tinyurl.com/65xqse(expand) #journchat

PR and Journ advice, tools and pointers

• JGoldsborough: @journchat Journalists AND PR need 2 know how 2 tell story, use available SM tools — video, blogs, podcasts, tweets, FBook, etc. #journchat
• tmonhollon: @journchat As a reader, I’m getting a bit burnt out on the recession. Please make it fresh and relevant if you have to cover it! #journchatOpinions
• savvypublicist: @journchat Make sure that expert has credibility you can prove, know what kinds of experts journo is interested. #journchat
• JeffCutler: @journchat how in the world can you have a category called journalist & PR? They are-IMO and in practice-mutually exclusive.
• Stuartcfoster: @journchat Just constantly find new sources, new people, and new ways to look at things. SM only aids this process. #journchat
• sonecessary: @journchat @bobbiec: As a journalist, I prefer PR types to pitch me directly. I’ll use distro sites as a last resort. #journchat
• collazoprojects: @journchat Re. ?6: Just pitch us directly–tell us about your product/service; offer to let us try it out; make sure pub/writer matches prod
• writeontime: @journchat Call us. Go to lunch together. Build a relationship. It may not lead to a story immediately, but as news happens, it will pay …
• sonecessary: @journchat @morganb: Same way good PR types do the job: Build personal relationships w/media. Why ppl pay for PR: THE CONTACTS. #journchat

Social media

• CMPR: @journchat PR is still about relationships with media and SM is one of the best ways to help us develop those relationships
• tmonhollon: @journchat Creativity and innovation are key for us right now. Making more out of less resources is a good thing! ROE for SM! #journchat
• pattyhuntington: @journchat re journos pitching SM to media bosses. some don’t get it. they think journos should be concentrating on their jobs #journchat
• JGoldsborough: @journchat Use SM 2 share info w/, between employees. Gives them better Sprint story 2 tell. Makes them better brand ambassadors. #journchat
• savvypublicist: @journchat First task is to figure out where stakeholder are on soc med, what they read, and go to THEM, be where they are. #journchat
• CreativeWisdom: RT: @journchat Non profits can use SM tools to engage volunteers, raise $, create an army of storytellers and build stronger communities.

About blogs, bloggers and blogging

• pattyhuntington: @journchat reaching out to journs/bloggers - twitter good. ditto launching your own blog. it’s telling your story in yr own words #journchat
• michaelbanovsky: @journchat With thousands of social media “experts” +bloggers to begin with, how do PR know who to pitch to? #journchat

Mainstream media

• LydiaBreakfast: @journchat journos should have ability to be versatile, learn quickly and be open to new media #journchat
• mgnewsman: @journchat Speaking for MSM, like you we are still trying to figure out SM. Most TV Newsrooms are launching FB and Twtr pages.
• writeontime: @journchat Many friends fearing job loss as journalists; papers looking for new revenue streams i.e. reprints, etc. #journchat
• JeffCutler: @journchat journs need knowledge of the tech being used to communicate today. But they don’t need to be eyeballs-deep in it
• DominickEvans: @journchat I believe the more you know about making your website work the better off you are as a journalist - like tech skills in coding
• loryn24: @journchat they need a knowledge of blogs and how they work…..and KNOW how to integrate social media into MSM #journchat
• travellove: @journchat Still have a job, but doing my best to network, network, network.Never know who you’re going to need a favor from when #journchat
• mgnewsman: @journchat MSMs biggest adjustmnt 2 SM is getting used 2 its smaller fractional basis Its a big shift going from broadcasting 2 narrow cast

This #journchat was sponsored by: theKbuzz is a Word of Mouth Marketing firm that creates and sustains buzz through innovative marketing concepts, communities, and conversations. Winners of the 2008 WOMMIE Award (shared with McDonald’s & their agency and HP & their agency), and the marketers behind Tweetsgiving, we believe that buzz can be achieved by taking great ideas, and starting conversations about those ideas. We make companies worthy of Word of Mouth– not just by starting a conversation about a brand, but by coming up with the reason consumers should be talking about a brand. If you are interested in social media pr, buzz marketing, word of mouth marketing or anything related, subscribe to our blog today, http://BuzzMarketingDaily.com or http://RSS4MS.com and we’ll donate $.50 to the MS Society, our personal charity of choice. We will give up to $2500 if we get 5,000 subscribers in the next 24 hours, plus matching funds, of course, if anyone wants to give. Stay up to date on the latest trends and help out a great cause!

PR and Journ advice, tools and pointers

• JiMpiSh I’m ALL ABOUT the bond. I may not be a journalist or blogger yet, but I connect with EVERYONE who reaches out to me!

• obilon: Bottom line: This chase to the FREE news is killing the news industry. There’s a solution but it hasn’t been found yet. #journchat

• Intheblack I delete anything that even appears to be distibuted to the masses - not personalized to me.

• gipson: transparency, a good pitch angle that fits my blog/readers. the power of suggestion goes a long way. #journchat

• jenleereeves: don’t give up - think about journalism in a different way. Newspaper is not just newspaper anymore. #journchat

• kwidrick: You know what? Just read! Be informed about news, politics, gossip, fashion … and when it comes time, you won’t have to search #journchat

• bakercom1: PR tip: Have a unique story? find an edgy reporter — the kind that leads the herd. If your story is really unique, we’ll bite. #journchat

• bakercom1 by the time you list “hot topics” they are no longer hot. Look for what is unique, just emerging, but not yet done. #journchat

• standupkid: If I may share one HARO tip for PR folk… Reporters get FLOODED with emails. Be specific. Don’t say “call.. I can help.” #journchat

• Thatcher: Note to pitchers: If you don’t follow through, we WILL remember both you and the brand you’re pitching. #journchat

• sydneyowen: I like the mix of PR & journos bc there is a lot I can learn from both. #journchat

• Intheblack: I will always approach journalists armed to be a source. #journchat

• 5ksandcabernets i think its a mistake for papers to get too hyperlocal…people wanna read the best stories, not neccessarily ones close to them

• kwidrick advice for anyone trying to find an “in” — try leaving comments on every blog/article w/contact info #journchat

• tomshea: One of my best practies for finding good bloggers - blogrolls. Don’t be afraid to “fall down the rabbit hole.” #journchat

• BizWriterKristi: read the pub u r pitching and see if there’s any industry news about it as well … 2 see if the focus has changed #journchat

• chuckwelch: hot topics: I’m always looking for news on alpha release tools. What will make my work better 6 months from now. #journchat

• aeropolowoman I delete anything that doesn’t tell me in 1st 10 words that it is new, different, better, best, timely, important

   

   

  Opinions

  • wiredprworks: theme emerging: you’re not a PR pitcher, you are a trusted source - bring value to the reporter and they will value you

  • bakercom1 I absolutely approve of Twitter pitches. I even Tweet my source needs so people know what to pitch me. #journchat

  • kwidrick: hot topics? for me, it’s ordinary people doing something extraordinary — someone/thing I’d want to hang out with or try #journchat

  • Meredithk1981: Re: press going free - maybe it’s just me, but nothing beats buying the Sunday paper, still. I still go out and buy it #journchat

  • jg_rat: One thing you suggest every PR pro read? 3 things: Their copy. The target media. The file size of their attachments. #journchat

  • jonlan: Technorati can help you find “hot” niche blogs #journchat And blogrolls tell you a blogger’s favs, too!

    Social media

    • ruthdfw but part of the purpose of #journchat was 2 see how the groups could work together. each group has prof orgs if need 2 chat.
    • mrsnatalie I showed #journchat to my old editor and he was like “why should I follow a bunch of PR people?”

    • gavinsblog a facebook group i was involved in got 3 tv slots, dozens of newspapers inches and page 1 leads on news outlets #journchat

    • gavinsblog: the BIG game changer will be everyone with cameras and all pervasive broadband internet rather than wifi hotspots #journchat

    • JGoldsborough: SM allows a comp like ours to say we’re changing how we treat customers & show it by engaging. Change their @Sprint story. #journchat

    • KristenEJ: I’ve gained the ablilty to publicize my mag, and my own blog posts, network with employers and connect with friends #journchat

    • prnewswire: Social Media has provided the ultimate method of listening to clients, colleagues, journalists, bloggers…the list goes on. #journchat

    • Intheblack: I reached out to a reporter/blogger last week on twitter - lead to a great interview and more importantly a great relationship. #journchat

    • wiredprworks: opps: blog=portfolio/writing platform, LinkedIn=reach out resource, Facebook=event connector, twitter=flex-all #journchat

    • gavinsblog  i dont understand the fear of youtube, so may orgs create own platforms.. just use youtube, the community is there! #journchat

    • gipson: it’s all about building a distribution network online where you share yours and others ideas. #journchat

    • ArizonaBrian: I’ve had the opportunity to utilize social media for my company. Priceless professional experience while having fun. #journchat

    • PressReleasePR: Get blog recommendations from people whose opinion you trust and use http://blogs.com/ as just one of many resources #journchat

    • gavinsblog brands are not as important… Politico built a brand in 18 months online #journchat

    • toddlucier Imagine a day when youtube and qik video are the sources for traditional journalism. #journchat

    • toddlucier: saw the london free press streaming on ustream press conference this week - moving to multimedia in another local News site too #journchat

    • frecklesthemom: all our radio reporters have cameras on their blackberries and take pictures we post to our website #journchat

       

    Mainstream media

    • standupkid Give me a good interview/story/quote… and I WANT to get you in the paper/on TV. Really. #journchat

    • PRtini: hyperlocal issue dovetails on earlier convo w @scheky & @fsutoby. Instead of just facts, hope local news focuses on *analysis.* #journchat

    • @PressReleasePR I actually see local papers adapting better to web output than many larger papers - less staff=more innovation #journchat

    • JillSTL: as one of my former employers used to say, we are not tv stations, papers, etc - we are information sources- across all platforms #journchat

    • DrMollieMarti: See “free” news sites adapting, too. Used to be easier to support sites w/ ad revenue. Competition for $$ greater each day. #journchat

    • jtlongandco: AP is still bible for most media. It explains why we can’t put everything in caps with lots of !!! after company name #journchat

    • karenhanson: I’ve noticed they’re using more submitted photos & stories, running press releases as is, using citizen journos. #journchat

    • bakercom1: I value PR people that give me news I don’t know. Something new, fresh & first. #journchat

    • standupkid: What I’ve done differently after #journchat is realized there’s a way to find sources beyond rolodexes and Google.. and faster!

       

Follow @pitchengine on Twitter!
_______________________________________________________________________________

The weekly #journchat recap is a high-level overview of the top tweets in a variety of categories. The moderator, @PRsarahevans, does her best to remain a neutral participant and provide tweets with differing points of view. The recap is purely compiled from participant tweets. You can view all tweets in full using Twitter Search (CAUTION: there are thousands of tweets!) Just in case you’re wondering what #journchat is all about, a quick reminder.

~TOP TWEETS~

PR and Journ advice, tools and pointers

• @DominickEvans I hate email pitches - too SPAMMY for me #journchat - unless ppl sign up for said email
• @collazoprojects Good example-writers often don’t understand how much work goes into editing, prepping, and formatting for publication. #journchat
• @krista_parry I think the strategy in social media needs to be fluid and ever evolving. Different than marketing/pr strategy #journchat
• @bakercom1“better stories” and strong original content is key to all media. PR pitches should keep this in mind. #journchat
• @mrsnatalie Since journchat I ENGAGE — call producers, assign editors, retweet more, just generally all around think about it! #journchat
• @wiredprworks: thinking about how to re-frame PR-credibility #journchat
• @intheblack: Focus on strategy - not jump right into tactics. #journchat
• @krista_parry: #journchat has reminded me that PR is about personal relationships, not anything else!
• @30lines That’s where most miss the boat. Most companies should be using SM to engage CURRENT customers. #journchat
• @tmonhollon Engaging with people (versus market research, talking at audiences, etc.) #journchat
• BJMendelson: #JOURNCHAT I need to get back to using press releases. I think they’re junk, but many of you suggest it is still important:-) #journchat
• @SternalPR: Being able to connect with people in all fields, anywhere in the country, for a story on the go is a total yes-yes. #journchat

Opinions

• @journchat trending theme - overuse of ppl who describe selves as ” expert ” ” maven ” ” guru “
• @LizzHarmon: I feel teaching our interns how to use soc med is our responsibility at our PR firm. #journchat
• @krisTK: Brilliant tip from @connectingwomen “keep a personal record of who I have interviewed in the past for future as well.” #journchat
• @seamuscondron lot of old media still in denial.They reject what they fear. I see this in mag publishing especially #journchat
• @krisTK: B/c of #journchat, I will rekindle relationships w reporters, editors, writers. Lunch, drinks, talks. Not just pitches
  
• @canarymegan: SM and all other PR and marketing Yes-Yes: Know your audience & know what your end goals are! #journchat
• @seamuscondron Companies once considered staples will implode from refusal to adapt their philosophy & biz models #journchat
• @evanspatrick: PR people have ruined the term “expert.” It means nothing now. #journchat

Social media

Mainstream media

TIP: Click on the screen shots for full view.

Type in your tweet as you would any tweet. The only difference is that you add in the hashtag of #journchat somewhere in your tweet. (It doesn’t have to be at the end, although that is most common.)

To track all of the people participating in the conversation, use a tool like Twitter Search. Type in the word “journchat” (you don’t need to type in the # if you want to see comments from the @Journchat moderator, too.) 

You’ll need to refresh the Twitter Search page frequently to stay current on the conversation. Each #journchat session averages around 2,000 tweets (or more).

If you would like to follow the conversation in other ways, check out TweetChat (which is what I use) or TweetGrid.  Both are great applications.

This a quick introduction to using hashtags, such as #journchat on Twitter. Jump in and be part of the ongoing conversation.

Questions for #journchat are submitted by participants in advance of the discussion or during the discussion. The @journchat moderator selects questions to be asked. Just a few of the questions asked last night: 

• How important are embargoes? Do you play by the rules? RE: Arrington embargo policy
• What are the list of questions PR people should ask themselves before sending their press releases?
• What trends or issues are important to reporters & bloggers RIGHT NOW?
• How do journalists feel about “eyewitness” vs. “citizen journalism”?
• What do you think needs to change in the PR industry as a whole?

10 best tweets of the night (IMHO = in my humble opinion)

1. SternalPR: If anything, Twitter forces PR people to shorten their pitch, so we can’t waste a reporter’s time.

2. ScottHepburn: Thanks to all who participated in #journchat. Somebody said it’s like a PR/journalism roundtable in speed-dating mode. Right on!

3. McMedia: Whether you are a journalist or PR you should use a variety of tools to build your foundation. The eggs in the basket theory.

4. scottgow: When Twitter stops *being* the news, ala Mumbai and Denver, and starts *transmitting* the news, THEN it will be mainstream

5. typeamom: It’s also the ability to find sources. If you can tweet and get the BEST source out there, that’s success.

6. etanowitz: using twitter/SM well as a reporter means making yr audience/followrs feel like they r a part of the story and they can shape it.

7. @TheRealDaveShaw Bottom line: the consumer is in control of which media - new or old - will succeed/build audience.

8. PRtini: @Dark_Faust Maybe not yet. But TV didn’t generate as much as print its first decade either. Now look at it.

9. frecklesthemom: journalists as a profession have a responsibility to readers, listeners and viewers AND to self. I take that seriously & most do.

10. mediaphyter: @PMGCreative Had someone today see me gripe about a guest post that fell through and then email one. It was gold. THAT is good PR

Advice, tools and pointers

· PieterBickford: #journchat Creative pitch from HR Block. Giving gift basket to LAST baby of 2008 b/c “it gets the tax benefit”. They localized to my market.

· BenLaMothe: Poynter Online: An example of a newspaper doing well without a… paper. http://tinyurl.com/5khwnu

· Madison14: I also like to do twitter searches for my company to see where we can improve, what others are saying, etc

· urbaneimagery: PDFS are a no (RE: sending attachments to reporters)

· BJMendelson: Same here. #journchat Twitter has changed the way I break news in my niche, and I no longer blog news because of it

· dimepr: re: ‘wire services’ — IMO a wire is the last part of any campaign. Pitch all your journos first, give them a chance to break it

· bnmeeks: #journchat low-hanging fruit now: trend stories and with econ in tank, there are off-beat trend stories to follow it’s a gold mine out there

· GinaRubel: Holiday pitching should continue through the new year - there are always 2nd day stories and follow ups to be done

· carriekerpen: I know I sound like a broken record every #journchat, but I still say its ideas. Have great idea: tweet it, blog it, pitch it, it will fly!

· bgrier: @BizWriterKristi Awesome! Best way to learn is to steal from the greats. And understand why they do what they do. UR on track

· mediaphyter: I don’t know if the length of the release matters. If the intro to the release isn’t engaging, I’ll never read it

· britl: Snow is only news when it’s the first major snowfall or a major storm. Otherwise it’s icy roads, collisions, etc

· magitam: agreed - trust is first and foremost all important, and if you break that trust, by lying, ever, you lose it forever

·

Opinions

· gletham: #journchat ghostblogging, ghostwriting, doesn’t matter, savvy pros that know the topic will see right through it and it comes over as fluff

· AngEngland: Yes. It absolutely has to be about the content. My living depends on good, findeable, valuable content.

· Harvatin: I welcome SM on CNN bc it trumps listening to the same people talk about the exact same things. I like viewers thrown into mix

· Dark_Faust: @BizWriterKristi Yep. We must blog to stay relevant. Editors/Pubs/PR must twitter and Facebook and the like to stay in the game

· LizzHarmon: @dimepr No, it’s not to cost of wire services it’s the waste and the fact that they’re not targeted enough.

· SheriMonk: Wire service is good, but a hardcore research story done local and grassroots is the bomb.

· bnmeeks: #journchat MSM moans about the “noise” level of citjournalism, truth is, only good ones last, no one writes for long if no one is reading

· BenLaMothe: I’d say that the definition of “newsworthy” has entered a gray area, so things get covered that shouldn’t, etc

· bnmeeks: #journchat readers can and will respect a reporter that provides all sides of story if they know on what side reporter falls. just honest

·

Social media

· DOROMarketing: I keep the FB and Tweet Life separate; tend to use FB for close friends. Family pics, etc. A lot more personal.

· LATimesNystrom: Expect a large-format @latimesphotos blog like http://boston.com/bigpicture For now check out http://photos.latimes.com #journchat

· Merredith: my friends - from readwriteweb.com to BW, techcrunch and WSJ - range in age from 24 to 60. SM isn’t about age

· juliebonnheath: I do use Twitter to learn of trends and new stories.

· JGoldsborough: That’s the beauty of Twitter. Someone can always provide a live, firsthand account and Twitter makes it easy.

· JGoldsborough: Don’t disagree. But what seen on Twitter recently, CNN iReport…ppl crave immediate news, access. SM provides it.

· @zappos Many struggle with Twitter because they’re trying to be interesting more than interested.

· seamuscondron: Bloggers do far better job reporting on impact of new media. NYT & WSJ come out with overly simplistic articles months later

· TheRealDaveShaw: Online, anyone can report anything. Some of the best news sources are bloggers. But like any consumable, let the buyer beware

· mediaphyter: My biggest Twitter pitch pet peeve is when someone emails me first and then follows up / bugs me via Twitter.

·

About blogs, bloggers and blogging

· Merredith: Many friends in the “traditional” media (BizWeek, WSJ, NYT) find themselves blogging, vlogging, etc. to stay relevant/keep jobs

· jdarrah: ‘as it happens’ blogs give face value, letting readers decide sides; mainstream media seek opposing conflict no matter how valid

· Dark_Faust: I was trying to make the point that there is no economic model to pay for blogging. Just isn’t, not now.

· juliebonnheath: Just saying that paid opps in ghost-blogging are there and will continue as long as blogging is effective.

· postcollegecook: re: typos-i retract my previous position. i just like that blogs are far less edited content-wise. gratuitous errors suck

· sra_nelson: There are bloggers that I’ll read faithfully as purveyors of information and great writing. I don’t seek news reporters that way.

· ckenton: Working as a columnist was great prep for blogging. What I miss as a blogger is a great editor.

· rexlocker: Most journs I know are too tired after work to blog/write

· InSeansOpinion: most journalists have a platform to write from whereas serious bloggers have to fight to be heard.

· krisTK: Knowing AP style & choosing not to use it 4 spec outlets are diff things. Using writer’s pref style shows respect IMHO

·

Mainstream media

· LizzHarmon: I think @jessicarivelli does good job. She’s a producer for the Tampa CBS affiliate. Gets stories from Twitter

· BenLaMothe: Did you hear about what happened at LA Times? Web revenue now equals newsroom payroll. http://is.gd/cGO4

· frecklesthemom: but an embargo can be irrating from a news perspective in my opinion. i like to report the news when we get it. wait and forget

· BizWriterKristi: i think in my newsroom, it’s the journos who are pushing the editors to use it … not sure if it’s working. Maybe. (RE: social media)

· Merredith: We need both trad and new media. But content is expensive & browsers strip content w/out paying for it. How to make it viable?

· CathyWebSavvyPR: That sounds less big publisher to little blogger. saying I’d like to pay, but can’t is better than I don’t pay at all

· @CathyWebSavvyPR newspapers need to get back to “knowing the face of their readers.” Only then do they have of chance of survival

· etanowitz: as a newspaper reporter, i love the freedom of blogging. my only threshold to cross to post is “is it interesting?”

· @urbaneimagery There is usually a big disconnect with rank & file reporters and top-level editors and publishers

· foleymo: Low-level journo are idealistic truth-tellers. Editors/publishers just care about their paychecks the shareholders’ dividends.

· foleymo: When I was a journo, we were told to “tone down” real estate headlines, because it was hurting ad sales. Serve readers or ad $ ?

· volcanicash: I’m also both a professional journalist and a blogger and agree they’re not at odds. There’s value in all comm tools.

· seamuscondron: Funny how some of these tweets portray bloggers as reckless gunslingers. There are hacks on both sides, and trailblazers

· typeamom: Maybe some finally get it. I was in newspapers 15 yrs, got sick of begging to do news that takes more than 10mins.

]]> http://journchat.info/2008/12/23/a-recap-from-journchat-fourth-session/feed/ http://journchat.info/2008/12/16/a-recap-from-journchat-third-session/ http://journchat.info/2008/12/16/a-recap-from-journchat-third-session/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:25:08 +0000 prsarahevans http://journchat.info/?p=49 #journchat rules

1) introduce yourself ;
2) stay on topic, a new question will b asked every 30 min. or so;
3) play nice!;
4) NEW FEATURE! Last 5 minutes will open up for pitches (one per person.)

Want to know who participated in last night’s #journchat? Check out comments here and follow these peeps: http://tinyurl.com/6kkk6n

PITCHING TIPS

1. miketempleton: @jezebelcapture If you’re really good you can pitch your release in 140 characters http://is.gd/bbXz

2. nduhoski A good phone pitch should be about 15 seconds in length, (about 140 characters) right? Everything has not changed.

3. allanschoenberg: Best pitch is timely, personal, unique. Bad pitch is spam with no understanding of the reporter

4. mediaphyter Best pitch, can’t pick one, but lately 90% of the pitches I’ve turned into stories have originated from Twitter

5. brianjameskirk: The best pitch is face-to-face. Show you’re excited. If you freelance, call the editor and tell ‘em you’re in the neighborhood.

6. SternalPR Always a wonderful way to work with fave journos: pitch something that doesn’t relate to me at all!!

7. PieterBickford: best pitch last week: an author who does “online” book signings. reserve a time - he’ll sign book via webcam and ship to you.

8. urbanreporter: I never like it when a PR type tells what’s relevant. Just give me a quick summary and send release.

9. justwemoms Best pitch: I have read your blog and I think you’d be interested in ____ because _____. And it’s relevant

10. wiredprworks: best pitch - asked a reporter “what does it take to get a story like [mentioned feature I liked] what are you looking for?”

11. michsineath: A bad pitch starts with a wrong name

12. ariherzog A bad pitch is probably written by the same people who crafted the corporate mission statement.

13. LizzHarmon: bad pitch — anachronyms specific to one industry

14. SternalPR: Try pitching a story that doesn’t benefit you AT ALL. You can hear the reporter actually fall out of his/her chair lol.

15. JudySL: I was pitched by a flight instruction company and offered a free flight lesson in a Cessna jet - I did that one!

16. jamiefloer: seriously PR pros - we have to find a hook to pitch well and @sfcedon I HATE “unique”

17. wiredprworks: bad pitch - not knowing the reporter’s name or their beat, no contact information, no online companion pieces

18. nduhoski: Bad Pitch = Not relevant, not researched, not timely, not personalized.

19. MaiaKG: bad pitch = when you fail to ID the takeaway/ask for readers

20. pitchengine: “This is my Search Engine Optimized Headline and I am Spamming it to you and 800 other journalists the same way”

21. etanowitz: it’s a lazy pitch because I know they just have google alerts for their competitors and just copy and paste an e-mail to me.

22. justwemoms: I hate it when people pitch ideas that aren’t consistent with our focus. One company wanted me to sell their computer products!

23. juliebonnheath: Bad pitch: Not researching enough about the company and market. You look stupid. Seriously.

24. JudySL: bad pitch = self serving, non-informative TRIPE…

25. jamiefloer: I think pitches with a generic opening are doomed

26. etanowitz i hate this pitch “hi, i saw you wrote about our competitor and thought you might want some info to write about us”

27. LizzHarmon: Bad pitch: using sales copy, lots of adjectives, and changing persons throughout release.

28. Harvatin: Bad headline, no point, no benefit to audience

GENERAL GOOD TIPS, COMMENTS, & ADVICE

1. DalydeGagne: New media is double edge sword - easy 4 us to be sucked into other ppl’s agendas, ie be disempowered.

2. beatonl: and if you’re relying on a press release to tell a story you are already full of fail

3. erincubert: everyone is a reporter now we need aggregators and editors to create meaningful contexts and narratives

4. dwplanit: the best PR people counsel for transparency and openness.

5. Harvatin: I know spin exists and there are profs that do it. I just wish people were more transparent for the sake of the field

6. ariherzog: Timely (from @chrisbrogan): journalist @AnitaBruzzese writes about what bloggers can learn from journalists - http://is.gd/bTpC

7. ariherzog: A bad pitch is anything in a stereotypical piece of junk mail. Generic language. Impersonal. Wrong salutation for gender.

8. karahleigh: I hate pitches from friends who think you should write about them just because they think they are special.

9. luckychica: That we are all still navigating the waters of SM.Talking it out helps us all get a better grip on changing landscape.

10. stoncray: I used to focus on reaching the masses thru media. Now I focus on reaching the media thru the masses.

11. gurnage: Twitter is like email was when it was new. it can be addicting and a lifeline outside the office. Now I check every hour or two. #journchat

12. kathywinter I try to find ways to see how content can be re-purposed (not rehashed) for different media platforms.

13. telluridenow: Yes, it hasn’t really had a choice. PR adapts to where the message will be recieved wherever that is

14. telluridenow: vlogging and webcasts because I believe that on demand is the next wave of broacasting and vid content

TWEETS ABOUT JOURNS/REPORTING

1. seamuscondron: Good reporting will ever die. I think we’re adding a whole new excitng layer.

2. cyberprvideo: Another good point. Blogs are editorials by their very nature. Not necessarily “reporting.”

3. SternalPR: Reporters uncover facts and (mostly) report fair and balanced. A lot of bloggers are really basing entries on an opinion.

4. ariherzog: Which is why quote-unquote news reporters who have blogs, and interact with commenters, are more authentic

5. carriekerpen: advertorials = most inauthentic form of advertising. Advertising that pretends not to be advertising = BADvertising.

6. aeropolowoman: Someone asked about what in e-mail gets my attention? No longer the 1st graph, it’s the 1st line. Move fast, gotta be grabbed.

7. #journchat everyone is a reporter now we need aggregators and editors to create meaningful contexts and narratives

8. SternalPR: The news reporter has always been, and will always be the conduit for the story.

9. BethMansfield: Agree PR pros shouldn’t leave out facts but a good reporter can catch that & make gr8 story. PR should=integrity.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

1. Harvatin: I learned that most journalists want introductions through email cyberprvideo: I’ve learned that the Pubs here are working to understand & educate clients about SM. Good times!

2. deegospel: I learned to read the entire ? before responding. lol

3. mscathybrowne: I learn every week how many people there are out there who love their professions

4. telluridenow: I learned that being on time for #journchat is detrimental to getting everything out of it

5. fsutoby: That there are many people with many different opinions, and all of them deserve to be heard!

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON TWITTER?

1. justwemoms: As a blogger, many of my readers follow me on Twitter. I spend at least an hour after DD is in bed. Readers like to connect.

2. frecklesthemom: i actually spend a lot of time on twitter when I am on…but I don’t get on everyday. I usually check in in the evenings only

3. lynnhayespr: I spend roughly a few hours on twitter between myself and my clients. I do it on the go from my palm mostly!

4. LizzHarmon: My time spent on Twitter varies by the day. I’m typically in and out a lot. On most nites and wknds.

5. juliebonnheath: @journchat I spend 3-6 hours a week on Twitter.

6. susanforshner: @journchat I tend to do random, five minute check ins, except for right now…

7. connectingwomen: Depending on the topic and my schedule, sometimes 5 min check-ins, sometimes 1 hour.

8. @MaiaKG Probably an hour for my personal account and a little more for the account we monitor for one of our clients.

9. SternalPR: Spend total of 2 hrs on Twitter each day. Wan that to grow, but it’s tough to balance work, life and Twitter.

TWEETS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

1. fsutoby: Great point, but clients need to be aware Social Media TAKES TIME to grow an audience! It’s rarely an overnight thing.

2. woodylewis: #journchat social media is a form of communication, not a piece of vaporware, so the comparison to dot-com bombs is not valid.

3. gurnage Soc media helps me realize we are all people behind the brands (corp or media) and we have many reasons to connect.

4. dan_nelson: My experience in dailies suggests that those that embrace new tech (SM, blogs, etc.) thrive. If not, they die.

5. urbaneimagery: @journchat B/C of social media, I have to factor in a learning curve for clients. They place lots of value in traditional media.

6. cyberprvideo: B/c I focus on SM, I find that I’ve seriously had to change pitching techniques

7. dan_nelson: SM has made Journalism more volatile and interesting, too.

8. carriekerpen: agree, most PR agencies just add bloggers to their list of people to pitch and then say they do “social media”

9.

PR

1. urbaneimagery: @ariherzog PR = “relating” to “publics.” Public definitive by the audience/stakeholder/consumer. Relating definitive by strategy #journchat

2. pitchengine: @fsutoby #journchat - not true - soon, PR will begin to be less about journalists and more about direct communication to consumers via sm

3. urbaneimagery: ex: An actor said, “All PRs lie. PRs and agents, theyre snakes, cant be trusted.” I was compelled to challenge him. Total myth!

4. vedo #journchat MYTH - PR people hide the truth. TRUTH - Sometimes by law we just can’t tell you everything…

EXAMPLE: Your Name, link to your twitter ID, CLASSIFY YOURSELF IN ALL CAPS (i.e. journalist, public relations, blogger, analyst, student, other, etc.), link to your website.

Sarah Evans, http://twitter.com/prsarahevans, PUBLIC RELATIONS, http://journchat.info

Don’t forget to join the #journchat Facebook group, too!

I’ve already seen a few trends with some of the other successful blogs:

1. Bloggers having a journalism background
2. Bloggers having guests to write
3. Bloggers having a PR/marketing background

With that being said and the newspaper and traditional media going down faster than you can tweet “fail whale,” will bloggers and journalists work together? Will journalists become the new a-listers in the blogger world?

Will existing bloggers reach out to laid off journalists to either train them on blogging or how to use social media tools for new career opportunities online?

What are you going to do change or market your blog to compete with the thousand of new blogs launching everyday?

All questions for #journchat

Chicago Tribune Bankruptcy means bloggers beware.
http://webfugitive.com/2008/12/08/chicago-tribune-bankruptcy-means-bloggers-beware/
Tinyurl of post above: http://idek.net/s9

Wayne Sutton
Community Content Manager
Social Media Strategist, Technology Evangelist
and Mobile Consultant

Wayne@Wayne-Sutton.com
www.Wayne-Sutton.com
im: waynesutton12
twitter.com/waynesutton
linkedin.com/in/waynesutton

The mission of #journchat is to keep an ongoing, open dialogue between journalists, bloggers and public relations professionals (for as long as we can).

The conversation takes place every Monday night from 7 to 10 p.m. CST via Twitter. All tweets should be tagged with #journchat. To follow the conversation, go to http://search.twitter.com or http://tweetgrid.com/ and type in #journchat. It’s a live streaming conversation.  (There is even a new UK version launching next week to accommodate those in a drastically different time zone.)

#journchat is a SAFE environment where all can freely post questions and answers. Constructive criticism and “brutal facts” are welcome! The quality of dialogue in each session is only as good as those who participate. (And, boy, we’ve already had great dialogue!)

Follow @journchat or @PRsarahevans for the low down on #journchat on Twitter!

Thank you for participating in what may just be a revolutionary idea for our industries!

Best,

Sarah Evans

p.s. Thank you to @miketempleton for creating the #journchat blog!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.