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People in PR (public relations) look after the company's reputation: they make true news known to journalists and the public and, when something goes wrong, respond quickly and honestly. You don't buy articles: you give journalists news that interests their readers.
For a journalist, news is a fact that's new, true and interesting to their readers: it touches the local area, people, numbers. Opinions, self-praise and small internal changes aren't news.
For exampleA bakery that opens a second shop and hires 4 people is news for the city paper; "our bread is the best" isn't.
It's the text you send to journalists. The first lines (the lead) say straight away who, what, where and when, with verifiable data. The rest adds details, a quote from someone in charge and the contacts.
For example"From 3 March, Panificio Grano Vivo opens its second shop at Via Roma 12 in Padua and hires 4 people."
You send it to a few journalists who follow that topic, on a working day, with real photos and a contact. If they don't reply you make one polite follow-up at most. Bought address lists and gifts in exchange for articles aren't used.
For exampleThe bakery writes to Padua's local news and business journalists, not to every newspaper in Italy.
When something goes wrong you reply early, publicly, acknowledging the problem; you explain what happened and what you're doing to fix it. You don't delete criticism and you never publish customers' personal data.
For example"Today our oven broke down and some deliveries will arrive tomorrow: we apologise, everyone who ordered will get a voucher."
Put yourself in the shoes of a local paper reader: does this fact concern their area, jobs, the community? Is it new and verifiable? If it's an opinion, an internal matter or an ordinary post, it isn't news.
For exampleA bakery: "we changed the colour of our bags" interests no paper; "we donate leftover bread to a neighbourhood soup kitchen" does.
A local journalist gets dozens of press releases a day. Which of these interest them?
Why it matters. News is something new, true and interesting to readers: jobs, the local area, numbers, people. PR picks news through the journalist's eyes, not the company's.
Choose the opening a journalist could use as it is: facts first, checkable numbers, no superlatives, no emotion in place of information, no long preamble.
For example"The best bread in the world revolutionises the city" doesn't say what happened; "From 3 March ... opens in Via Roma" does.
The first lines of a press release are the most important. Which opening do you choose?
Why it matters. The journalist decides in a few seconds. That's why the release puts the news at the start (who, what, where, when, why), uses verifiable facts and a newspaper tone, not an advertising one.
For each choice think about the journalist: they get dozens of emails a day. They need news on their topic, at the time they work, with material ready to use. Insisting too much or sending to everyone sends the email to the bin.
For exampleThe bakery sends the release on Tuesday morning with 3 photos of the shop and the number of the person who answers questions.
Choose how to send the press release to journalists.
Why it matters. PR is about relationships: a few of the right journalists, contacted at the right time, with useful materials. And you can't buy an article: if it's paid for it's advertising, and must be disclosed as such.
There can be more than one right answer. Choose the actions that acknowledge the problem, inform people and make it right. Discard the ones that hide, shift the blame or expose customers' data.
For exampleReplying "It's not our fault" to an angry customer makes things worse; explaining and offering a remedy calms things down.
600 orders are late and the angry post is spreading. What do you do? Choose all the right things, and only those.
Why it matters. In a crisis time, honesty and solutions count: acknowledge the problem, explain, make it right. Customer data stays private even when they're wrong.
Marta has written to you: Good news and a bad Friday. You'll solve it in 4 parts, in about 20 minutes.
Here you'll find the request and a card with the numbers. Use them to answer: that's where the right answers are.
The parts one below the other. You don't need to write anything: choose in the tables, among the proposals and in the menus. Watch out for traps!
Checks turn green when something is right, and I tell you what to fix. Each hint you open costs 5 points.
Your work stays saved in this browser. At the end click Submit and compare to see your points and the solution.