Preparing for a newspaper or magazine interview

Preparation can be the key to success if you're going to be interviewed by a newspaper or magazine reporter. Considering time constraints and efficiency, you probably will be interviewed over the phone.

So to get ready, here are some suggestions.

Start out by gathering some background information on the reporter and the publication. By doing research on the types of stories that the reporter has written as well as his or her educational and professional background, you can get a perspective on the types of questions that the reporter might ask in the interview.

As in any type of interview, think of two or three messages or key points that you want to communicate. In the ideal situation, one of these key messages would be the headline or the news hook of the story. If you know what you want to get out of the interview, you will be able to stay focused and bring the interview back on track if you see it going off course.

Print (newspaper or magazine) interviews differ from television or radio ones in a couple of ways, according to media trainer Mary Milla:

• Newspaper quotes run about 10 to 25 words. To avoid getting misquoted, keep your answers to fewer than 75 words.
• Print reporters can conduct longer interviews and have more research time.
• If there's something that you don't know the answer to, you can say "I don't know," and get back to the reporter.

As in any interview, avoid "no comment," because it leaves a guilty impression. Remember that you're always on the record; if you don't want something in the story, don't say it.

Finally, if a reporter calls you and wants to interview you right away, it's OK to ask what his or her deadline is, what types of questions he or she has, and to tell him or her that you will call him or her back.

For a collection of more public relations tips, insights and reflections, buy the book "19 Tips for Successful Public Relations: Insights on Media Relations and Reputation Management" from amazon.com!

TV interview tips

Your public relations professional just scored a TV interview for you -- congratulations! Now what?

Let's take a look at how you can shine and represent your organization effectively.

First, get some background information on the reporter or the TV show. Look at some previous interviews -- is the reporter generally hard-hitting, or relatively neutral? It's good to have a feel for the reporter's personality.

Second, prepare by developing and practicing two or three key messages or major points. Know what you want to communicate -- think of this as the headline or news hook.

According to presentation and media trainer Mary Milla of What's Your Point?, TV interviews differ from radio or newspaper interviews in a couple of key ways:

• A broadcast soundbite runs nine to 15 seconds. In order to not get misquoted, Milla recommends limiting your answers to 75 words (about 30 seconds).
• TV interviews typically are short, and the reporters are generally not well-versed in the topic.

Finally, be energetic! In the interview, answer the reporter's questions with energy and enthusiasm. That helps you to come across as credible. (Just don't go overboard like Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch!)

Oh, and by the way, everything is on the record. Be careful with what you say; if you don't want something to be used, don't say it. And don't say "no comment" -- it just leaves the impression of guilt. Good luck!

What is a press release?

There are several tools and tactics that can be used to communicate an organization's news to the media. One of the most popular methods is the press release (also known as a news release). To provide a concrete example, below is a press release that I wrote and distributed when I worked for a company called West. Let's take a look at some of the key elements of a press release:

1. Company information: The company name, address, phone number and website URL let journalists know who is sending the information.
2. Media contact: Journalists need to know whom to contact for more information or to request an interview. Often the media contact is the person who wrote the press release, but it's more important for the contact to be someone whom journalists can get in touch with quickly if they would like to do a story.
3. Headline: Summarizes the essence of the story; Ann Wylie, a highly respected communications professional, recommends that the headline be eight words or fewer.
4. Subhead/deck: Provides an opportunity to expand a bit upon the headline while still providing a summary. Wylie recommends that the deck be 14 words or fewer.
5. Dateline: Includes information on the city and state the information is originating from as well as the date of release.
6. Body: This is the essence of the news release, and includes more details about the announcement, quotes from appropriate people, etc. When writing the body, try to think like a journalist. Consider what will be most interesting to a media outlet's audience (the news hook). Given that many media outlets are doing more with less, there's a distinct possibility that your press release could be used verbatim.
7. Boilerplate: Offers a summary of the organization issuing the press release, such as services offered, ticker symbol, key statistics, etc.
8. Close: Lets the journalist know that this is the end of the press release; typically "###" or "-30-". Also, in case the pages get separated, it's important to include "2 of 3" or the respective number of pages.

A related tactic used to announce information -- generally events -- to the media is called a media advisory. Below is an example from my days at Musicland Stores Corporation.

Let's take a look at the key elements of a media advisory:
1. Contact information: It's important for reporters to know whom to contact if they want more information or need credentials to cover an event.
2. Headline: Again, a pithy summary is best.
3. Facts: This is the essence of the media advisory, answering the core questions that reporters have about an event and why it is newsworthy.
4. Boilerplate: Offers a summary of the organization issuing the media advisory, such as services offered, ticker symbol, key statistics, etc.

In general, media advisories should be limited to one page to make it easier for reporters to capture the essence of an event -- the purpose of a media advisory is to get the reporter to attend the event in person.

For a collection of more public relations tips, insights and reflections, buy the book "19 Tips for Successful Public Relations: Insights on Media Relations and Reputation Management" from amazon.com!

The rush for the next hot product

Shoppers wait patiently in line at Best Buy on Black Friday. (Photo credit:  StarTribune)

In what came as a great surprise to me, shoppers have been getting into fights and stampedes are happening over a retro version of a classic Air Jordan model shoe. Who knew?

We've heard of riots on Black Friday, craziness over Cabbage Patch Kids in the early 1980s, and the frenzy over Turbo Man in "Jingle All the Way."

So, who benefits when a product causes such a stir? Retailers do, because sales go through the roof. Sellers on eBay do. The human race doesn't, though, because it's a race to the bottom of rude and mean behavior. Before partaking in the next frenzy for a product, try to take a dose of civility.

By the way, Toys "R" Us recently released a limited edition of Vintage Cabbage Patch Kids. No riot there -- such is the law of supply and demand.

Which technology initial public offerings will succeed?

Many people remember the dot-com bubble that took place from approximately 1995 to 2000. How could anyone forget the pets.com puppet?

Now another wave of Internet companies are going public. Let's take a look at how those that already have gone public have fared:

• Zynga, Inc. (ZNGA) -- The developer of social games such as FarmVille had its initial public offering (IPO) last week, and the stock fell 5% on its first day of trading.
• LinkedIn Corporation (LNKD) -- The "world's largest professional network" debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in May. On the first day of trading, the stock closed at $94.25; today it trades around $65.
• Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) -- This deal-of-the-day website has been publicly traded since early November. The stock ended the first day of trading at $26.11 and currently trades at around $22.
• Pandora Media, Inc. (P) -- The Internet radio company closed its first day of trading back in June at $17.42. Today it trades at just under $10.

Of course, the blockbuster expected IPO in 2012 will be Facebook. The Facebook IPO is expected to create at least a thousand millionaires and could value the company at as much as $100 billion.

From the looks of how the four "social stocks" referenced above have performed, hopefully investors are remembering the dot-com bubble and focusing on traditional metrics such as the P/E ratio.

Media advice for Kris Humphries

Kris Humphries, Kim Kardashian's ex, gave his first television interview since the split this week on "Good Morning America." Humphries looked shell-shocked; he gave a horrible interview. Here are some interview suggestions for Humphries from a fellow Minnesotan.

• Let the producer know before the interview what topics are not allowed. Apparently Humphries was expecting the entire interview to be about his new cookbook with his mom. Wrong! Most of the questions were about Kardashian, and apparently Humphries was furious about that. Humphries (or his publicist) should have let the producer know ahead of time that questions about Kardashian were off limits.
• Be engaged. Humphries looked like a deer in headlights. He should have paid closer attention to what the interviewer was asking. Humphries also would have delivered a better interview if he smiled or even had a half-smile.
• Know your key messages. In a media interview, it's important to practice answers to possible questions and how one would answer them. Key messages can be incorporated into the answers of just about any interview question.
• Practice. As they say, "practice makes perfect." One doesn't want to have rote responses, but it definitely does sound better after practicing rather than just being off the cuff.

I hope that Humphries gets some coaching before his next interview. There are plenty of opportunities for him to tell his side of the story.

How to find a public relations firm

So your organization has decided that it needs some visibility, and you have been given the task of finding a public relations firm. How do you go about finding a public relations agency? Here are some tips:

• Start with Google. By doing a quick Google search, you will be able to get an overview of public relations companies in your area. Use common search terms such as "public relations firms," "public relations companies," "public relations agencies," "agency public relations" and "companies public relations" to get a good snapshot.
• Ask for referrals. Perhaps you have friends that work for other companies who have used a public relations firm. Ask their opinion of practitioners that they have worked with, including the scope of the project, areas of expertise, cost and other questions that you might have.
• Consult the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). On the PRSA website, there is a "Find a Firm" tool. It provides the opportunity to find public relations firms by name, geographic region, industry or practice specialization, and whether or not the firm has accredited members.
• Visit a local blog. In Minnesota, we have the Minnesota Public Relations Blog, which includes a list of Minnesota PR agencies as well as some agency profiles.
• Read local business publications. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Twin Cities Business provides a list of the top 25 public relations firms, and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal offers its Book of Lists for sale.

After you identify some possible firms, give them a call to describe what you're looking for and, if it seems appropriate, meet with them in person about next steps.