From a Police Department PIO: 10 Tips for Crisis Communications

Dionne Waugh, formerly a reporter and now a public information officer for the Boulder, Colorado Police Department, has deep experience helping police departments communicate with the public during critical incidents.  That experience includes a mass shooting in 2021 when 10 people lost their lives. In a recent article by Wayne Parham written for Police Magazine, […]

Pitching Successfully in the ‘News-You-Can-Choose’ Media Environment

By Linda Descano and Ellen Mallernee for PRNews Today’s news media environment is a direct reflection of consumers’ preference for a choose-your-adventure style of news consumption. For the most part, consumers choose where, how and from whom they get news. This means they may wind up at very different places. The mix of news people […]

Crafting Effective Quotes for Media Releases

By Pauline A. Howes, PRNews Strong quotations can add value, credibility and depth to news releases. Commonly accepted guidelines for news releases include using the style, content and tone of news articles and feature stories. This makes a release more compatible with media outlets’ styles. Additionally, a news release or feature article posted on an […]

Why Leaders Need Communication Training and How to Do It

By Abigail Greenheck for PRNews Leaders must communicate effectively in all situations—whether with teams, other leaders, key stakeholders or media. However, not all leaders receive proper training and communicating might not come naturally. Part of the communicator’s job is helping leaders develop skills so they can convey authenticity, confidence and clarity. Communication training empowers leaders […]

New Partnership with Hennes Communications Allows Seminar Participants to Earn Credit Toward Ohio University Online Graduate Certificate

University Teams with Crisis Communications Expert Bruce Hennes in New Offering A new partnership between Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication and Hennes Communications will allow communication professionals the opportunity to earn one credit hour towards a 12-hour graduate certificate in crisis communication. Anyone attending certain seminars taught by Hennes Communications, a crisis communications firm based in Cleveland, […]

Claim Control Over Your Media Interview – Part 2

By Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications – Blame your mom and dad. From day #1, we’re all taught that it’s polite to answer questions when we’re asked. Answer your parents’ questions. Answer your teacher’s questions. Answer your boss. So, our knee-jerk reflex when we wind up doing an interview with a reporter? Dutifully answer the questions. […]

How the U.S. Men’s Soccer Captain, 23, Delivered a Pitch-Perfect Response

By Seth Arenstein for PRNEWS As PR pros know well, communicating isn’t difficult, until it is. Even the media-trained make mistakes, say things they regret, forget a key talking point, let a journalist’s question, or something else, distract them. Press conferences sometimes are especially difficult. Communicators urge executives that ignoring everything but the questioner is the best […]

Claim Control Over Your Media Interview – Part 1

By Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications Uh-oh. You’re plummeting down a rabbit hole. You agreed to give a reporter an interview. You know your topic inside and out. How tough can it be answering a few questions? But the reporter’s line of questioning is coming at you fast and starting to feel…uncomfortable. You stammer over an […]

Shifting Pitching Tactics Yields Positive Results for Communicators

By Nicole Schuman for PRNews A recent survey conducted by Propel, a PR management platform, revealed positive news for media relations pros. The Q4 2022 Propel Media Barometer found journalists are responding to pitches more often. Zach Cutler, Propel co-founder, CEO & chairman, and former PR agency owner, believes this uptick stems from changing PR strategies. “We’ve […]

Tips for Creating Powerful, Pithy and Publishable Soundbites

By Jonah Bryson for PRNews The 24-hour news cycle drowns countless stories that deserve attention. Stories cannot land press coverage without a tasty soundbite, as Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson describes them. Hence it is paramount to design, deliver and circulate soundbites strategically. Here are two that have stood the test of time: “The only thing we have to […]