THE PRACTITIONER

CNN Parts Ways with AP

In an interesting turn of events in the news industry, CNN, a Time Warner Inc. company, will stop using service and materials from the Associated Press to focus on developing and delivering its own news and information to CNN, CNN.com and CNN Radio, reported several news sources yesterday and today. As part of the change, [...]

3 Tips for Getting Your Story Placed

When I’m interviewing a candidate to work at the firm, I will often ask about their approach to developing relationships with the media. More times than not, unfortunately, I hear how they call the media when they have a news release or a topical pitch, and may ask about their pet or kid or the [...]

Developing a Social Media Plan: Research, Strategy and Tactics

Social media channels continue to expand in ability, reach and popularity. As a result, many executives find themselves overwhelmed by the options and uses of these channels, and have struggled to utilize them effectively. After all, it's tough to find the time to pull together a strategic social media plan for your company when the focus remains on the bottom line. But what happens when there is no strategy for getting social? We all have heard about social media blunders that were made with a simple click by one person, costing time, money and even customers.

Social Media: Breathing New Life Into The Press Release

Many PR experts believe the traditional press release is dead. Others believe that there will always be a place for traditional media. Face it, few tools are more old school than the information-laden, albeit newsworthy, press release. Others, like myself, prefer a hybrid approach of the traditional, social and digital. As it turns out, Todd Defren, the inventor of the social media release, agrees.

Where’s the Engagement? The First Annual Georgia Social Media Scorecard

Today we announced the findings of our first annual Georgia Social Media Engagement Scorecard and found that Georgia’s top 25 public and top 25 private companies just aren’t making the social media grade. Now, don’t get us wrong, there are some standouts such as Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola (witness Expedition206.com) representing the B2C crowd, [...]