Linux-Media-Guide.pdf

Guide to Managing Media and Public Relations in

the Linux Community

Sheldon Rose

2004−01−08

Revision History

Revision 1.0

2003−12−02

Revised by: SR

Initial Release, reviewed by TM at LDP.

This guide provides useful information on how to generate positive public relations and news media coverage

for Linux.

and conditions set forth in the Open Publication License, v1.0 or later (the latest version is presently available

at http://www.opencontent.org/openpub/) . Distribution of the work or derivative of the work in any standard

(paper) book form is prohibited unless prior permission is obtained from the copyright holder.

Guide to Managing Media and Public Relations in the Linux Community

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction. .....................................................................................................................................1

1.1. Who Should Be Reading This Guide?. .............................................................................................1

1.2. What is Public Relations?. ................................................................................................................1

1.3. How Public Relations Differs from Advertising. .............................................................................2

1.4. What Public Relations Can Do. ........................................................................................................2

1.5. The Benefits of a Public and Media Relations Program. ..................................................................3

Chapter 2. Public and Media Relations Planning. ...........................................................................................4

2.1. What Do You Want to Accomplish?. ...............................................................................................4

2.2. Who Needs to Know About Your Organization?. ............................................................................4

2.3. What Do You Want to Say?. .............................................................................................................4

2.4. What Kind of Information is Newsworthy?. .....................................................................................5

Chapter 3. Contacting the News Media. ...........................................................................................................6

3.1. Creating a Media Contact Database. .................................................................................................6

3.2. Maintaining Your Database. .............................................................................................................7

3.3. Contacting the Editors ......................................................................................................................7

3.3.1. Letter of Introduction. .............................................................................................................7

3.3.2. Using the Phone. ......................................................................................................................8

3.4. Making the Pitch. ..............................................................................................................................9

3.4.1. Getting the Editor's Attention. ...............................................................................................10

3.5. Pitching for Different Media. ..........................................................................................................11

3.5.1. Print−based Media. ................................................................................................................11

3.5.2. Television and Radio. ............................................................................................................11

Chapter 4. Working with the Media. ..............................................................................................................13

4.1. Duties of an Editor. .........................................................................................................................13

4.1.1. Newspaper Editors. ...............................................................................................................13

4.1.2. Magazine Editors. ..................................................................................................................14

4.2. Targeting Other Medias. .................................................................................................................14

4.2.1. Television. .............................................................................................................................15

4.2.2. Radio. ....................................................................................................................................15

4.2.3. Talk Shows. ...........................................................................................................................15

4.3. "Selling" Your Story to the Media. .................................................................................................15

4.3.1. Who. ......................................................................................................................................16

4.3.2. What. .....................................................................................................................................16

4.3.3. Where. ...................................................................................................................................16

4.3.4. When. ....................................................................................................................................17

4.3.5. Why. ......................................................................................................................................17

4.3.6. How. ......................................................................................................................................18

4.4. Do's and Don'ts When Dealing with the News Media. ...................................................................18

4.4.1. Do's. .......................................................................................................................................18

4.4.2. Don'ts. ....................................................................................................................................19

4.5. Monitoring Media Coverage. ..........................................................................................................19

Chapter 5. News Releasesthe Major Communications Tool. .....................................................................20

5.1. Writing News Releases. ..................................................................................................................20

5.1.1. The Headline. ........................................................................................................................20

Guide to Managing Media and Public Relations in the Linux Community

Table of Contents

Chapter 5. News Releasesthe Major Communications Tool

5.1.2. The First Paragraph. ..............................................................................................................20

5.1.3. The Middle Paragraphs. ........................................................................................................21

5.1.4. Final Details. .........................................................................................................................21

5.2. What Makes a News Release Good (or Bad. .................................................................................22

5.3. Top Ten Tips for Writing Releases. ................................................................................................23

5.4. Distributing the News Release. .......................................................................................................24

Chapter 6. Other Public Relations Tools. .......................................................................................................25

6.1. Feature Articles. ..............................................................................................................................25

6.2. Bylined Articles. .............................................................................................................................26

6.3. Email Writing. ................................................................................................................................26

6.4. Miscellaneous Communications Tools. ..........................................................................................27

6.5. Don't Forget Emphasizing Core Messages. ....................................................................................27

Chapter 7. Working the Trade Show. .............................................................................................................28

7.1. Arranging Speaking Opportunities. ................................................................................................28

7.2. Getting Media Attention at Trade Shows. ......................................................................................28

7.3. Planning for a Trade Show. ............................................................................................................29

7.3.1. Before the Show. ...................................................................................................................29

7.3.2. During the Show. ...................................................................................................................31

7.3.3. After the Show.. .....................................................................................................................31

Chapter 8. Quick Tips for Maximizing Coverage. .........................................................................................32

8.1. How to Maximize Media Coverage. ...............................................................................................32

Appendix A. Monitoring Media Coverage. ....................................................................................................34

A.1. Media Monitor Services and Clipping Services. ...........................................................................34

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. Who Should Be Reading This Guide?

This document is intended for people who want to learn practical and cost−effective ways to raise the profile

of an organization or promote new programs.

This guide provides useful information on how to generate positive public relations and news media coverage

for Linux. By no means does the guide intend to teach all there is to know about public and media relations,

but it does support you in building and maintaining a healthy public image.

1.2. What is Public Relations?

You have news to shareinformation that would benefit the Linux community. You have some idea of the

people you want to reach with your news and views. Now the problem becomes: How to reach them in the

most effective way? The better the communications between you and your audience, the higher the profile of

your organization.

Generating publicity is not as complex as you might think. Most of the success of public relations centers on

knowing what to do and when. Implementing these initiatives can dramatically increase awareness of your

business.

Public relations (PR) is often confused with advertising, merchandising, promotion, or any of a dozen other

buzz words in the marketing communications vocabulary. (By the way, marketing communications is a broad

term that encompasses all of these disciplines.)

Public relations is about doing something newsworthy that you want to communicate, and then telling your

audience (or very likely, several audiences) what you have done.

One of the most common public relations vehicles is the brief "New Product" announcement you see in

magazines and trade publications. Often only a few lines or a paragraph in length, these announcements herald

the launch of future products or services. These short announcements are typically triggered by a new product

release, which may be accompanied by various forms of communications such as internal announcements to

the organization's employees and external news releases to the media, stockholders, user community, and

other groups. News releases trigger a chain of events that result in visibility.

There are some important terms that may help you understand public relations. News media refers to all the

places where people read or hear about news, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the

Internet.

A news release , sometimes referred to as a press release, is a printed or electronic document issued by

organizations who want to communicate news to editors, journalists, industry writers, or other media groups.

Journalists write about the story for publication (if it is considered newsworthy), while editors control whether

the story actually appears in a newspaper, magazine, website, or broadcast.

A news release contains important facts, quotes from key people, dates that the news happened (or will

happen), and contacts for additional information. The news release is concise and usually runs no longer than

two pages.

Chapter 1. Introduction

Guide to Managing Media and Public Relations in the Linux Community

Public relations, then, can be thought of as the process that delivers your news to the people you want to reach

through a broad, influential, and far−reaching news media community.

1.3. How Public Relations Differs from Advertising

International humorist Stephen Leacock defined advertising as: "the science of arresting the human

intelligence long enough to get money from it." But the textbook definition of advertising is: "a form of

persuasion that informs people about the goods and services they can purchase."

Advertising is very different from public relations. One key difference is that you always pay for the space

and time of an advertisement (or commercial, which is an insert appearing on radio, television, or the

Internet). By contrast, editorial coverage generated through public relations is not paid for by the organization

issuing the news release. The media will pick up and publish the story because they consider it newsworthy,

not as a paid advertisement.

Another crucial difference is that, in advertising, you have virtually full control over the message. Because

you are paying for advertising, the ad or commercial runs your exact text (called copy), provided the copy

complies with generally acceptable standards for advertising. In the case of public relations, the media outlet

you are targeting is under no obligation to run the story in any form. If a media outlet does decide to run the

story, an editor will generally rewrite the news release, or use pertinent information from the news release to

create the news. (For instance, your news release might be used as part of a larger story on players in your

industry or profession.) In addition, you have no control over when the release or news will run. All decisions

are made by the editor.

As you can see, public relations is a cost−effective way of getting your story out. Taking the trouble to write

effective news releases and to build a relationship with the relevant media will, in time, pay dividends in the

form of exposure and prestige. Best of all, public relations probably costs less than a single advertisement.

1.4. What Public Relations Can Do

Since public relations communicates your messages through the news media, all the power of the media is

brought to bear when the publicthose viewers, listeners, or readers you want to reachlearns about your

news.

Think of what this means: high interest level, credibility, implied objectivity, and possibly implied

endorsement by the journalist or publication reporting the information. There is also an urgency conveyed

when news is reported in the mediaand that news has the potential to reach a tremendously large audience.

With exposure comes awareness. An important goal of public relationsin any mediumis to make people

aware of what your organization is, what it offers, and what it does. Never underestimate the value of such

awareness. In flashier terms, it's called buzz.

Creating awareness for your organization is important for the development and utilization of its programs and

initiatives. You must inform the public and educational and training institutions about what you offer and how

you can meet their needs. Public relations is probably the most valuable tool in accomplishing this. A

well−implemented public relations initiative will help present your organization's offerings to their best

advantage.

Public and news media relations also positions you to enter new marketplaces and exposes new Linux

Chapter 1. Introduction

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