Multimedia Storytelling
According to NewsUniversity’s online course instructor, Jane Stevens, there are “5 Steps to Multimedia Reporting”.
Take a look at the course here: 5 Steps to Multimedia Reporting
The course explains how multimedia stories are built by guiding us through a case study about the dancing rocks of the Racetrack Playa. The 5 steps include:
- Choosing a story
- Making a storyboard
- Reporting with multimedia
- Editing for the web
- Producing the story
As a novice writer, I’ve really never written for multimedia- unless Facebook or WordPress count! One important tip I learned from this online course is that when choosing a story, it’s very important to write about something that you are interested in. If that’s not the case, then the story will be boring to everyone that reads it, just like it is boring for the writer. Having never put together a storyboard before, I found it to be a very interesting and a little surprising that the approach to brainstorming ideas for media placement is so broad. As for producing a multimedia story, there are many differences compared to the traditional approach, one of the most important being that the content needs to be extremely organized and easy to read.
In all, the case study of the dancing rocks was a great example of a creative and fascinating multimedia story. In order to learn more, I feel like the next step for me would be to attempt my own example of a multimedia story. One concern for me would be not being internet savvy enough to produce an extensive and impressive story with all the glamour and glitter of the example. But, the best way to learn is try, right? This NewsUniversity course has been one of the more helpful and interesting that we’ve taken this semester. I have really enjoyed it! To take a look at the case study of the moving rocks of the Racetrack Playa, click here: The Dancing Rocks of Death Valley.
The Power of the Pod Cast
The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a podcast as, “a program (as of music of voice) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet”. Podcasts can be found all over the internet; today, they are very common and readily available for listeners. Anyone can listen to a podcats, and they can be found on most any topic, based on the listeners interest. There are sports, news, comedy, and cooking podcasts, just to name a few. Podcasts are an easy and cost-effective way to obtain new information or entertainment.
Personally, I’ve subscribed to a few free podcasts- but I don’t have much experience. In the past, I listened to poetry podcasts and a few music and movie podcasts just for entertainment. Most recently, I have listened to several podcasts from The Creative Career. This unique website offers many podcast interviews hosted by Allie Osmar. The podcasts are aimed to offer information to college students who are making the transition from college to the public relations work place. And there is a plethora of information! Here are a couple of the podcasts I found most interesting:
More Tips for Networking Events – an Interview with Author, Sandy Jones-Kaminski.
Can listening to podcasts be beneficial to public relations students? Absolutely! With the abundance of social media and internet dependency that is present today, podcasts are just another outlet for reaching large groups of people easily. You can find a podcast on just about anything that you want to listen to. There are so many to choose from! According to instat.com it is estimated that more than 270 million people will own portable entertainment devices. With all of these iPods and MP3′s out there, it makes sense why there are so many podcasts. Podcasts are an easy and convenient way to provide entertainment and information to millions of people.
Chapter 10
This information is found in PUBLIC RELATION WRITING AND MEDIA TECHNIQUES, 6th edition, by Dennis L.
Chapter 10: Distributing News to the Media
There are many different vehicles to distribute information to the media. Including email, online news rooms, placement firms, mail and faxing, social media, and news letters. Finding the right medium is important in order to effectively reach an audience.
- Media databases provide information like names of publications and broadcast stations, mailing addresses, contact information and the name of key editors and reporters. Today many media databases are made convenient through the internet.
- Editorial calendars operate through trade publications and business periodicals. Many of these are sent in advance and provide information to editors and gatekeepers.
- Tip sheets are weekly news letters that report recent changes in both media databases and editorial calendars. Keeping up to date with this information increases the likelihood of media placement.
Todays primary distribution channels include:
- Online newsrooms
- Electronic wire services
- Feature placement firms
- Photo placement firms
- Fax
- CD-ROMS
To maximize online distribution, PR professionals focus on the key words in headlines, enhancing URL’S, anchoring text and embedded words, adding multimedia content, and tagging social media.
Chapter 9
This information is found in PUBLIC RELATION WRITING AND MEDIA TECHNIQUES, 6th edition, by Dennis L.
Chapter 9: Writing for Radio and Television
Radio and television reach millions of people everyday. These vehicles of information can reach audiences effectively if used correctly.
While radio may not be as glamorous at television and the internet, it is a cost-effective way to reach large numbers of people in various age, ethnic and income groups. There are about 13,500 different radio stations in the U.S. PR professionals can reach these listeners through:
- Radio news releases are used to inform the public of upcoming events, announcements, etc. Radio news releases are written and sent to stations for reading on the air or recording. When sending a Radio news release to a station, it’s important to use the correct format, and consider the timing of the release.
- Audio news releases are pre-recorded sound bites that are sent to stations to be played over the air for listeners. The format is different from the RNR but equally important.
- Public service announcements are unpaid announcements to promote programs of government or nonprofit agencies or to serve public interest. PSA’s often use statistics to inform audiences.
- Radio media tours are essentially a round-the-country one on one interviews from a central location. Telephone interviews are pre-brooked with hosts and recorded for later use. RMT’s are primarily used because of their low-cost and convenience.
Television offers the combination of movements, sound and visualization to entertain viewers. The NAB estimates that television news programs reach over thirty million people a day. There are abundant opportunities for the placement of public relations materials at the local and national level. In order for a news story to be placed on television the PR professional must follow many requirements. Like radio, television uses a similar format called video news releases as well as PSA’s. Other placement opportunities include:
- Talk shows
- Magazine shows
- Documentary videos
Chapter 8
This information is found in PUBLIC RELATION WRITING AND MEDIA TECHNIQUES, 6th edition, by Dennis L.
Chater 8: Selecting Publicity Photos and Graphics
Publicity photos are an important addition to news releases and feature stories because they add interest, variety and often explain things better than words alone.
Components of a good photo include:
- technical quality
- subject matter
- composition
- action
- scale
- camera angle
- lighting and timing
When working with photographers, it’s important to be sure to find an appropriate photographer, agree to a fair contract, plan a photo session in advance, edit appropriately, and always keep ethics in mind.
When distributing photos and artwork, there are four different formats that offer a variety of options depending on what an editor is looking for. Remember, the editor is who you’re selling to!
Chapter 7
This information is found in PUBLIC RELATION WRITING AND MEDIA TECHNIQUES, 6th edition, by Dennis L.
Chapter 7: Creating News Features and Op-Ed
A feature story provides background information, generates human interest and creates an understanding in comparison to a news release which only discloses basic information about situation and events.
Feature stories must:
- provide more information to the consumer
- give background and context about organizations
- provide behind-the-scenes perspective
- give a dimension to situations and events
- and generate publicity for standard products and services
There are several types of feature stories…
- Case study- frequently used in product publicity and often tell how individual customers have benefitted from a company’s product or service.
- Application story- similar to a case study, distinctive in that an application story focuses on how consumers can use a product or a service in new and innovative ways.
- Research study- uses polls and surveys to provide information about a product or service to readers.
- Backgrounder- provides some kind of history or evolvement of a product or service
- Personality profile- used to relate with readers. These features usually “sell” the idea of a profile, make the executive available, provide background information and even arrange photo shoots
- Historical Piece- focuses on anniversaries, major changes, centennials or other events.
Parts of a feature include the headline, the lead, the body, the summary and photos or graphics. Features can be placed in newspapers, magazines and internal publications.
One Week of Twitter
Follow me on 
:
http://twitter.com/crowleymaggie
I will admit, when I began tweeting in January for a different PR class, I was not enthusiastic. At all! Now, however, my opinion has changed. I am warming up to Twitter! After learning how to use Twitter a little more , and actually having people to follow me, and people who are interesting to follow, Twitter is more fun, more useful, and more effective.
As of today, I am following 94 Twitter profiles– the better news is that 43 people are following me! To me, this is really exciting because until recently I had about 3 followers. In the beginning it was difficult to get involved with Twitter because I felt like it was pointless to be tweeting to no one. In fact, I was reluctant about tweeting at all. Initially, I didn’t like the idea of letting everyone on the internet in on all the details of my day. Who cares what I ate for breakfast, or even how I did on a test? I think I’m finally getting the hang of Twitter though because now I realize that I was right to begin with. Not many people, unless my mom has just joined Twitter, care about those things. So, tweeting must take some thought and consideration. Posting links, sharing important news, and educated opinions are all things that are appropriate for Twitter. Letting people know my intimate life details like what I am watching on TV or relationship trivia are not what people really want to read. So learning how to use Twitter has been crucial to my tweeting experience.
One aspect of Twitter that I would help me become even more involved is being able to tweet on the go. I don’t have wireless capabilities on my phone, so I have to remember to make a point to tweet when I’m on my laptop or at work. Tweeting for a mobile phone or device would increase the amount of times I tweet and my involvement. It would be cool to be able to post pictures of funny or interesting things that I experience in a day. I think that while I will continue to tweet (even though the Week of Twitter is over), I would be tweeting even more if I could do it on the go. It just makes it that much easier.
Overall, Twitter was an engaging and enlightening experience. I have enjoyed learning about social media and I know it will be useful in the future.
To: Ashely
I love your display! It’s very cute, and very you. I am very passionate about the Special Olympics, I am flattered that you remember one of the speeches from Ms. Groovers class! I use many opputunities like that to explain the organization and it’s benefits. I have read through many of your posts and they are great! I really enjoyed this one. I agree with you– I began tweeting in January for a class and was totally turned off. I didn’t like it at all! Now, however, is a different story. I actually enjoy it. I know that very few people benefit from my tweets, but hey, I like to get out there are let everyone know what I’m doing! It’s a fun tool to spread to word.
Two of My Favorite Things…
As much as I LOVE the World Cup, it just got better!! The Special Olympics organization has announced teaming with the Coca-Cola Co. and FIFA to present the first ever Unity Cup. Special Olympics athletes will play alongside soccer legends and other celebrities in friendly competition. The games will be held in Cape Town, South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Games!
The Unity Cup will be hosted in Green Point Stadium which is one of the several World Cup facilities. The game will be played on the same field as the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup game and only hours before! Some participants will include South African president Jacob Zuma, former South African national team captain Lucas Radebe, South Africa’s former national women’s team captain Desiree Ellis, and Clarence Seedorf of A.C. Milan.
The Unity Cup is being held in support of the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. This is the first soccer game of its kind and is a celebration of the progress of recognition and well-being of the athletes and population with these disabilities. The Special Olympics is so proud to have a world audience for these athletes and so am I!
I am so proud and excited for this game. While I’ve been watching the World Cup feverishly so far (bracket in mind), I cannot wait for the opportunity to watch this inaugural event. Please join me in watching and let me know what you think!
Chapter 6
This information is found in PUBLIC RELATION WRITING AND MEDIA TECHNIQUES, 6th edition, by Dennis L. Wilcox
Chapter 6- Preparing Fact Sheets, Advisories, Media Kits, and Pitches
Here are several key terms that are important found in this chapter:
- Fact sheets- one page background sheets about an event , a product, or an organization.
- Media kit (press kit)- kit containing materials like news releases, fact sheets and photos.
- Media advisories (media alert)- used to let assignment editors know about a newsworthy event or interview opportunity that could be helpful for photo or video coverage.
- Pitch effective memos and e-mails that are meant to persuade reporters and editors to cover a product, service or event.
In order to pitch a story effectively, it is important to:
- Research the publication that is being sought. Pitches are not meant to be “one size fits all”, pitches must be customized individually to an organizations.
- Prepare the pitch appropriately according to who and where it’s going.
- Keep it short! “The first rule of a pitch is brevity” (page 156).
- Use succinct sharp wording for effective sentences.
- Have an enticing lead to attract editors and ‘gatekeepers’.
- Follow up! It is always important to follow up after sending pitches to media outlet editors. Whether by phone, email or mail, an effective follow up can make or break chances of a successful pitch.
