How to Become a News Junkie

We are supposed to live, breathe, eat, and sleep the news.  This can be tricky when you have a 9-5 workday, classes, or internships to balance and during your free time you probably don't want to crack open a newspaper or flip away from the Food Network.

The top reasons I've heard that people don't read the news are widespread:
"It's depressing."
"I don't have time."
"I don't see the point."

The fact is, as public relations professionals, we have to stay on top of the news.  We need to know what's going on in the world and how it could potentially affect our clients and ourselves.  That's the point.  We have to make time for the news, depressing or not.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.  So challenge yourself to read the newspaper each day for 21 days.  If you don't want to pay for a subscription you can always go online and browse around the hundreds of free articles on sites like www.philly.com.  Instead of spending endless minutes browsing Facebook and Twitter, spend it reading up on what's going on around you.

Being a news junkie certainly has its benefits:

• You'll have tons of current event conversation starters
• You'll gain knowledge and inspiration from stories you read
• You'll impress your coworkers, bosses, and clients with your news knowledge

How often do you read the news? Is it as crucial as everyone says? Tell us your thoughts!

More Bad PR for News Corp. Shows Lingering Effects of Unethical Behavior

Murdoch-owned News Corp. is making headlines again this week, further demonstrating that unethical behavior does not pay.

The mother of a terrorism victim filed a lawsuit yesterday accusing the News of the World of hacking her son’s phone after his death. The lawsuit is the first legal action filed by a relative or victim of the 7/7 London train bombings, according to the Huffington post, but it probably won’t be the last.

The lawsuit is the latest in a long series of very public attacks against News Corp. after British investigations uncovered a slew of phone hacking, bribery and ethical violations by News of the World journalists. Charges have been levied against the media conglomerate by shareholders, victims, police, parliament and (especially) other media outlets.

This is just another lesson about the lingering effects of unethical behavior. News of the World had a daily circulation of 2.7 million before closing its doors this past August. To put that in perspective, one in every 23 people in the UK read the News of the World each day. The most-read U.S. Newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, has a daily circulation of 2.1 million. This scandal has already cost the News Corp. millions of dollars.

James Murdoch, the executive of News Corp and son of Rupert Murdoch, will head back to British parliament to testify for a second time in the upcoming days as the future of the media conglomerate remains in jeopardy. News Corp.’s mistakes should be a clear lesson to both journalists and public relations professionals: there is no room for unethical behavior in our professions.

NEWS ALERT: Know Your News!

We hear it time and time again as young PR professionals... how it is our job to stay on top of the news and be aware of current events and trends. Yet, you'd be surprised how very few college students actually follow this advice and are unable to name a single headline from the today's news. Understandably, college students are spread thin with classes, internships, part-time jobs and student organizations that sparing 30 minutes of our days to read up on the news seems daunting and unnecessary. However, I can never express to fellow students enough how important it is to follow the news, to be aware of reporters and their beats and to be familiar with what each outlet generally covers.

So, for my fellow busy students, here are a few pieces of advice to work the news into your daily routine. Just like exercising, it takes some dedication and motivation, but once you have incorporated it into your daily routine you won't be able to go a day without it.

1. The world of media is quickly changing. It's no longer required to gather your news from a newspaper, or even by turning on the TV. Social media is revolutionizing the way news is distributed, delivering breaking news faster than ever. So while you are procrastinating on writing that ten page paper by scanning Twitter, take the time to click on a few of the headlines that pop up in your Twitter feed. Make sure you are following @nytimes, @phillyinquirer, @cnnbrk, or @abc. Follow your favorite news sources and make it a goal to click on at least 5 of those headlines and read the stories. It will only take you about 20 to 30 minutes, and its time you were going to spend putting off your homework anyways.

2. When you actually do get around to your homework, have the news on your TV playing in the background. We all need breaks from reading, writing and researching and often spend those breaks watching mind-numbing reality TV or surfing our Facebook newsfeed for the latest gossip. So instead, keep your favorite news channel streaming in the background and when you start gasping for air from the hours of homework that you are drowning in, take a 10-15 minute break and watch the news.

3. A large amount of us have smartphones now and although we have millions of apps to download, I know maybe a handful of students who have downloaded news apps to their phone, even though they are FREE. So, with all "broke college student" excuses aside, download one or two free news apps, such as The New York Times or The Huffington Post, and while you are riding the subway to your job/internship or waiting for class to start in the next ten minutes, pull up the app and read a story or two. Tell your boyfriend/girlfriend that you'll text them later, turn off your angry birds game for a few minutes, and invest 10-15 minutes into bettering yourself personally and professionally.

I encourage all of you to try making the news a part of your daily routine! It worries me when I speak to people that still have no idea what is going on in the world, within our own country, within our city and even within our own university. While you may be impressed with yourself for knowing Kate Middleton's dress designer the royal wedding, I promise you there are much more important things going on around you that you should invest the effort into being informed about.

What other pieces of advice can you offer for helping college students understand the importance of knowing the news and how to stay on top of it? Let us know!

Newspapers Take a Hint from Groupon

Who doesn't love a good deal? Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial enable users to find savings on everyday needs and luxury items alike. According to author Matthew Ingram of GigaOm, some newspapers will begin providing discounts for their readers by introducing sections modeled after Groupon and LivingSocial.

The New York Times is planning to introduce TimesLimited, a section of their newspaper featuring special discounts and offers on travel and lifestyle items. However, with sites like Groupon and LivingSocial already establishing brand recognition and successful campaigns, is it too late for the traditional media to jump on the bandwagon?

Ingram comments, “As more than one Groupon observer has noted, the service isn’t exactly rocket science. It involves sending people email offers and discounts from companies and service providers, then charging a fee for connecting them with customers.” Furthermore, the New York Times isn't the first to copy this idea.

Ingram states that Cox Media Group came up with a similar service called DealSwarm. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has “Steals” and Canada adopted the WagJag service for the Toronto Star.

So is it too late?

Although this maneuver may help save the declining readership of newspapers, it won't be an overnight fix. Ingram says, "The problem now is that Groupon and LivingSocial have become such behemoths in the email-marketing business that they can offer a size and scale newspapers can’t hope to compete with."

Ingram has a valid point. However, the newspaper sections will likely attract a different audience than the online sites, so it's important for the traditional media to market to their readership. If newspapers develop their niche market and personal brand, they should be able to find success in their coupon campaigns.

To read more about this topic or to see the full article, please click here.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Michele Reilley.

New York Times Digital Subscription

I received an email earlier this week from The New York Times sent to all readers. Thursday marked the day The New York Times introduced digital subscriptions. Readers and media professionals alike have been awaiting the day a major newspaper would introduce subscriptions for readers to access its online content.

The email says, "It's an important step that we hope you will see as an investment in The Times, one that will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality journalism to readers around the world on any platform."

There are two steps to the introduction of digital subscriptions. The Times launched its new model in Canada this past Thursday in order to "fine-tune" the experience. Digital subscriptions will be offered to the United States on March 28. Home delivery subscribers will continue to have free and complete access to online content. Typical readers will only have use of limited content.

In a move of great customer service, the email breaks down what this new model means for readers. It defines the terms of the subscription service, regarding how many articles can be read free of charge, as well as the function of digital subscriptions on smart phones and tablets.

The day has arrived that could potentially put a spark back into the newspaper industry. Are you a fan of major newspapers offering digital subscriptions? Do you think these print publications will lose readers? Share your thoughts with our readers.

Why Traditional Media Will Never Die

There has been a pronounced debate as to whether traditional media is threatened by internet-based communications, or whether it can stand its ground and endure in a digital world. Public relations practitioners have been challenged by the explosion of the internet and social media sites.

Traditional media continues to reach large audiences for public relations practitioners. Network television stations, like ABC, reach millions of viewers at a time during just one prime-time hour. It is unlikely to ever get that many visitors to a website on a given day, or even week. According to Editor & Publisher magazine, daily newspaper readership, although declining, maintains a circulation of about 55 million during the week and 58 million on Sunday. Consumer magazines total a monthly circulation of almost 300 million copies, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Radio is not going anywhere either, reaching 95 percent of the public every day of the week, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Established media are also filtered by the press and gatekeepers, who help interpret and sort the excessive amount of information we are constantly bombarded with for what is most important. This process involves a lot of fact checking and creates more trustworthy, familiar news, which some internet-based sources may not. In addition, traditional media have more influence with older populations, who are better reached through television and newspapers than websites, blogs and social networks. The opposite may be true for younger populations who have different news and media habits. For this reason, it is important to know how your audience gets their information.

With the popularity of social media sites and blogs and their increasing numbers, it is easy to get caught up in all the hype about them. While they may act as mass distribution channels for news, they are still merely one of many tools public relations practitioners should consider when communicating their messages.

A Journalist's Advice About Pitching

I recently came across an insightful video of New York Times technology columnist David Pogue talking about which pitches catch his attention and get turned into stories and which get deleted. Pogue recommends tailoring your pitches to each specific journalist rather than sending generic press releases and email blasts, which many journalists will not even read. Although it takes more effort to tailor your pitches to each journalist's beat and style of writing, you will be more successful at getting your story covered if you take the extra time to do so. Watch the video on MyRaganTV.com.

Philly's Newspaper Update

Philadelphia daily newspapers, the Inquirer and the Daily News are now in the hands of creditors. After some delay, an auction was scheduled for this past Tuesday, April 27th, but did not take place until a day later. The auction resulted in a winning bid of about $140 million from lenders, including Credit Suisse, Alden Global Capital, and Angelo, Gordon & Company. The newspapers were bought by Brian Tierney in 2006 for more than $560 million, but later faced bankruptcy in 2009 owing creditors more than $300 million. As profits declined and the debt gap increased, Tierney would eventually continue to fight for control along with local investors as one of the three parties (the third being a Candadian investment company, Stern Partners), in the bidding war which took place in midtown Manhattan.

After the battle of ownership ended, philly.com quoted Tierney who said, "It's been a heck of a fight. We didn't make it. I think I'll go home tonight and sleep like a baby, which means I'll wake up every hour crying."



Read more from philly.com here or this article by nytimes.com.

What do you think about this new ownership of our daily newspapers in Philadelphia? What sort of changes might you predict for the Inquirer, the Daily News and philly.com?

Auction Time

The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Daily News will be auctioned off to new owners today. There are three parties interested in the publications so far.

"Pending negotiations with the newspaper company's 4,000 unionized workers are already casting a long shadow over the auction, which will take place in the private offices of a law firm in Manhattan," the Inquirer reported. "All three of the investor groups bidding for the newspapers have put labor contingencies into their bidding proposals, the company's top financial adviser disclosed yesterday at an auction-eve hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court."

*Information taken from this article by Joe Strupp.

What do you think this means for Philadelphia media? I've never experienced something like this before in a big city, so I have no idea what to expect!