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Effective Media Relations

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Effective Media Relations

How to Get Results

Kogan Page,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

To succeed at PR, learn the history and personality of particular media outlets so you can give them what they want.

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • For Beginners

Recommendation

This book provides a basic introduction to working with the print and broadcast media in the United Kingdom. It starts with an overview of modern press history, including major developments in Germany and France. While this section of the book is interesting and informative, its relationship with the rest of the content is somewhat unclear. The book’s hands-on value emerges when the narrative moves onto practical questions, discussing how to deal with print reporters, hold press conferences, issue press releases and prepare for TV and radio interviews. First-timers will appreciate the helpful checklists in this section. getAbstract recommends this elementary media relations book to new staffers who are working with the media, particularly in the U.K., and to those who are intrigued by media history.

Summary

The Origins of the Modern Newspaper

Modern readers often assume the western press has always been independent, but this was not the case. During the 1800s, newspapers in the United Kingdom relied on government edicts for most of their content. Independent investigations and criticism were rare, and the government used libel laws to suppress negative stories.

Nevertheless, newspapers began to grow during this era. The cost of starting a paper was low, and publishers needed to reach a relatively small number of readers to make a profit. The Industrial Revolution changed all that. Start-up costs and the break-even circulation target increased. To bring in enough revenue to pay these fixed costs, publishers increased their reliance on advertising. They changed their editorial focus because advertisers sought readers with enough income to buy their products. Newspapers began to reach out to middle- and upper-class audiences, who tended to be politically conservative.

Electronic Media

Radio broadcasting in the U.K. started in 1922, with the launch of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The BBC began television broadcasts in 1936, and commercial TV started...

About the Authors

Michael Bland is a corporate communication consultant and journalist. Alison Theaker worked in public relations and now teaches PR as a senior lecturer at Marjon College, Plymouth, England. David Wragg, formerly a writer for British newspapers, is a consultant and the author of 30 books, including six on public relations.

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