Brett Banter

There were two event anniversaries of note this week. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 1941 and the fatal shooting of John Lennon on Dec. 8 1980. One changed the course of American history. One gets more memorialized than the other. Take a guess which one gets more comment from the average person? Yes, it is Lennon.

This is not an indictment on society, but really a tale of the media. Pearl Harbor was the surprise attack that sent America off to World War II. It was a singular moment, but one that led to much more memories for the average American. Pearl Harbor was the start of an era. It happened, but Americans soon were more consumed with four years of more fighting. Pearl Harbor was the shock, but more disarming news was on the way.

Lennon's death was a singular event, but it is seen as the end of an era. For a generation of music fans, it finally put an end to any hope the Beatles would reunite in their original line-up. There was no aftermath unless you count reissues of Lennon's outtakes over the years. It was a frozen moment for many.

The final difference is time and scope. Many Americans can remember Lennon's death. It was announced during a Monday Night Football broadcast. They saw the media coverage. It is remembered because people can remember it still. Sadly, not a lot of people are around to remember Pearl Harbor.

Remember those stories that American automakers were dead? Well, it turns out that at least Ford is doing well. Very well. Extremely well. In fact, $2.6 billion worth of well. The company is rolling, but the question will the general public even notice?

The question is serious. General opinion sometimes often outweighs reality. And when opinion becomes fantasy, well things can get dicey. The media likes to jump on trends. Something is growing? Wow, it must be the big new thing. And the old thing is dead. And if it isn't dead, the media will declare it dead. It doesn't matter if the new thing has barely any of the sales volume that the old thing had. Example? Look at how critics treat television and movies. A television show such as Gossip Girl is considered a hit, while a movie that draws 10 times the amount of viewers of the show in one weekend can be a flop.

That is why companies need to practice and keep up their media relations. That is why they need to call Brett. We won't let you become the old thing.

Kyle Parker will play another season of Clemson Tiger football -- ending months of speculation as to whether the talented signal caller would be back at Death Valley or trying to make his way through the minor-league valleys of the Colorado Rockies.

How did we hear about it? Through friends on Facebook posting how happy they were. No links. No news trucks. Just word of mouth as it spread like wildfire amongst Clemson fans. Welcome to the ever-changing world of breaking news coverage. The old days of waiting for a newspaper to drop a story off on the porch step are gone, but not quite obsolete. Newspapers, magazines, television stations and radio still serve an amazing purpose in the world of news gathering. But social media has found a platform...delivering news fast and quickly. Not always accurately, but always quickly. This changes how we see and seek media. As a media relations firm, Brett is constantly finding ways to fine tune the media message.

It's the fast world of euphoria now.

One of the things that tends to irritate me about modern culture and the way the media represents it is the phrase "cult classic." This gets bandied about a lot by the media and the would-be media. It seems any cheesy movie ever done now has some kind of following. For example, Troll 2, which apparently is the subject of a documentary and enough conventions that the New York Times took notice. And I am loathe to admit it, the story on Troll 2 was the first thing I read this morning on the Times' homepage. So I am guilty as well.

Why does this happen? Have we become such a segmented society that anytime we find someone with a kindred spirit that we flock together immediately. When I was a reporter, I was always skeptical when someone told me their sport/event/ endeavor was growing or on the rebound. Was it really, or did it just seem that way because the Internet allows them to connect more easily?

At Brett, Inc., we are lucky to be acquainted with and follow on Twitter Jason Spencer, a political and general assignment reporter for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Like other select journalists, Spencer has wisely embraced social media as an important aspect of his job and spends a solid chunk of his time blogging and conversing with his followers and fellow media on Twitter.

Anyone who loves a crispy, classic McDonald's Filet-o-Fish may have been just as horrified as many other Americans were to read in a September issue of the New York Times that hoki, the somewhat generic fish used in that fried McD's goodness, are dangerously near depletion. Hoki farmers in New Zealand, who harvest hoki fish in mass quantities to keep up with demand, were of course none too happy with the story.

So what did the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council do on behalf of its hoki farmers? They bought Google Adwords that people who might be fishing for more online information about the story might search for, such as new york times and hoki. And those Google ads that, as a result, online searchers saw pop up? They were, of course, blatantly critical of the New York Times piece.

The reporter, too, found himself caught up in the ensuing stir - his name was one of the Google AdWords purchased. If someone Googled "William Broad", they would see ads pop up denouncing his New York Times hoki story.

We won't re-hash the entire story written by Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab, but this one is a must-read. See more.

Undeniably, reporters and PR people have to work together. In a sublime world, public relations staff and reporters would offer one another easy, fluid transfer of information, but let's get real. Reporters seek facts and instant access to experts that will validate their stories, while PR folks usually have a solid idea of precisely how they think a story should be told. And rightfully so, as their job is to craft a positive image for the person or entity for whom they work. While the need for information can at times create a bit of a love-hate relationship, quality public relations people will ultimately establish and maintain good media relationships.

Politicians walk a precarious wire. As public figures, every move they make in public and private becomes subject to scrutinization by constituents and the media at large.

Letters to the editor have been around practically since the dawn of the newspaper itself, and over time have endured as a powerful way to leverage one's power of persuasion. Do you have an opinion on a particular matter? Want to weigh in on a heavily-talked about issue in your community? All it takes is putting pen to the paper - or in today's day and age, fingers to the keyboard - and at no cost you can literally put your opinion in front of the eyes of hundreds, if not thousands of people and influential leaders. As an added bonus, politicians and policymakers frequently look to the editorial pages of newspapers to gauge constituent opinions and perspectives.

1. Pick your issue and choose your media outlet. If it's a community issue, your local newspaper is best. You can usually find information how to submit a letter on the editorial page. Lists of global newspapers are also available at Ref Desk.


2. Be timely! Sending your letter while the issue is hot is a must if you want any chance to get published.


3. When you respond to a story, a column or another reader's letter to the editor, be polite even if you disagree with them. Letters to the editor are not the place to launch personal attacks or be rude. On the same note, if you are responding to a particular story, column or letter, make sure to note the headline and date of publication.


4. Compose your letter in short, well-written sentences that get to the point quickly. Make your letter no longer than one or two paragraphs.


5. Avoid banality; don't use any hackneyed or already overused phrases.


6. Proofread your letter! Better yet, have someone else proofread it.


7. Make sure to include your name, phone number and email. The media outlet will almost always want to verify that you wrote the letter before they will publish it.

Ultimately, if your letter does not get published, keep writing, especially when the issue has particular importance to you. Read other letters to the editor on a frequent basis as this can help you when crafting your own. And once you do get published? Congratulations on casting your net far and wide. With just a little time spent, your opinion can influence and be the accompaniment for many as they sip their coffee and read the morning news.

When you've made the decision to hire an outside firm to do public relations for you, how do you know which firm to choose? Hiring a PR company to represent you can be a mind-boggling task and not the easiest of decisions to make.

Beyond the obvious such as established media relationships, many different public relations firms have specialized niches which can help guide you towards the agency that is right for you. You can also approach your selection like an interview. Sitting down with a handful of top prospective firms and asking them questions will offer better insight into what they can do for you as well as provide a more complete grasp on what your relationship with them may entail. Media Bistro's PRNewser blog recently published a post with five solid and insightful questions you can ask potential PR firms that will help you probe deeper into agency capabilities in order to determine if they will fit your needs.

You may be surprised at the varying degrees of answers you will get to these questions across the board from various public relations agencies. If they are unable to discuss the biggest obstacles your organization might face, they obviously haven't done their research ahead of time. If they know nothing about your competitors, they in turn may not know much about your industry.

According to PRNewser's post, the single most important question you can ask is "What excites you about doing PR for my company?" If the agency at bat comes up blank on this one, that should give you a full indication how much excitement they will put forth when it comes to actually working for your team.

Read the full PRNewser post here.