Mass Media
- Choice of media determined
by
- objective of message,
- the target audience,
- the message,
- timeliness
- budget.
- Public information
system
- System includes:
- government leaders and information officers;
- political parties and workers and staff;
- political pressure groups, staff
- press: reporters, editors
(gatekeepers).
- System includes:
- Agenda-setting
- Press tells us what to think about.
- Effective PR:
- For effective communication in
media:
- Specific messages
- To reach specific publics
- To achieve specific
objectives.
- For effective communication in
media:
- Controlled messages
- Institutional advertisements
- Image ads
- Issue ads
- Advocacy ads
- Uncontrolled
messages
- Publicity--News that appears in the time or space reserved for copy or programming.
- Objective: to make something or someone known.
- The content and absorption
affects public opinion--not the amount.
- Know which media to
use:
- Newspapers--medium of sustained interest;
- Wires
- Magazines--specialized;
- Radio--specialized; PSA's
- Television&emdash;specialized
with cable;
- PSA's
- Video news releases.
- News
- Adversarial; Gatekeepers
- News values
- Impact;
- Timeliness;
- Proximity;
- Conflict;
- Novelty;
- Prominence.
- Newsworthiness
- Relevance
- Usefulness
- Interest
- News Releases
- Who, what, when, where, why & how.
- Inverted pyramid or first 5 paragraphs.
- Compelling lead.
- Tailored for media
- Broadcast: more conversational, visual
- Throwaway first line.
- News releases
- Typed, double-spaced, wide margins.
- I.D.: Source name, address, phone number
- Contact name & number for more info.
- Release date.
- Style: AP style; direct sentences.
- Content: Accurate, truthful, complete; facts support lead.