Michelle Li

Many good, concrete tips here. My favorite, for news consumers: "DON’T use AI chatbots or AI summaries as replacements for searching for original information on independent websites; DO use social media services that don’t suppress hyperlinks." #strongjournalismstrengthensdemocracy

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NPR and PBS should be on their own. The Public Broadcasting Act, the LBJ era media ecosystem is long gone. They take 8% from Corporation of Public Broadcasting, 10% from colleges, 8% from state and local budgets. PBS takes 15% from the feds, 13% from states, 3% local governments, 8 % colleges- that's 39% before folks and rich foundations. What they provide is balanced in some places, like Amanpour and Firing Line, and bias in most other places. NPR is a mouthpiece for the MSM , and the current long list of advocacy from Roe v Wade to pro - Palestine coverage. The design during the great society was needed, now in our vast array of media sources, the federal government does not need to fund any of it. C- Span can carry the record keeping load , with their truly unbiased , long form coverage. If you want NPR and PBS ( nee American BBC) you can pay for it.

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Advice on press releases ? - I received an inquiry about how to write your first press release. I said the following. Some of you are PR pros. Good advice/bad advice?: — Hi (recipient), While I was not taught anything about press releases in my journalism classes, I receive tons of press releases being a member of the media. Here are my tips: - In the title of the email, if brick and mortar, place your business’s city location in the title - For length, shoot for no longer than 400 words. - If you’re looking to have your press release just run straight thru vs. attracting a journalist to write the story, also include a longer press release below the main copy of the email. Never use PDF. It’s an extra step to extract the PDF to create a raw text to use it/ or the recipient has to retype the material to use it. Attach photos as attachments vs. embedding in the document. Add a personal flavor into your email, tell them a little little bit about yourself/why you started the business in a couple of sentences. —— Additional Be sure to include all ways to reach you by phone and email. Be sure to be ready to take interviews or schedule quickly. We’re not waiting for you. Be sure to put the recipient’s name in the greeting of the email. Be sure to study who you are sending to. The crime reporter doesn’t want a pitch about Easter egg hunts. ….What would you add?

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Prepare now! The end (of Election Season) is nigh! Well, just under nine weeks nigh...Today starts eight weeks of Election Prep and Presentation: tips and strategies from anchors, PR folks, producers and social experts. Today: My top 7 news summaries for you to subscribe to daily. And while the national news is important, find your sources for local politics NOW. They're even more important.

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📺The lightning speed at which we see the media landscaping changing is making the jobs of both journalists and public relations pros challenging on the best days. Public relations experts are being forced to rethink earned media strategies. The common response from media organizations to many pitches is "we are short staffed." 📰So, how can you help tell your story? I think the key is understanding how "your story" is really "their (media) story." It's imperative for public relations folks to understand the demands on today's media professionals. It's important to understand what their daily editorial needs and pressure are (and they do change daily.) If you can anticipate this, you can craft a winning strategy. 📻"Newsjacking" may be the new buzz word, but it's really a tried and true practice that requires daily discipline. 1. Tie your messages to stories that are at the top of the news cycle. Don't assume the media will make the connection. 2. Deliver your message with real value (if you try to fake it, you will lose credibility and cost yourself future appearances.) 3. Make yourself available when the media is willing to interview you (You only get on the media merry-go-round on their schedule.) "Newsjacking" creates a real-time, mutually beneficial relationship between the media and your message. Here is an example from Florida Poison Information Center tying their poison prevention message to a CDC warning about online pharmacies. https://lnkd.in/edPGpRwC

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Want to get reporters' attention at the next health tech conference? Check out the results of Innsena's survey of healthcare reporters, which digs into our journalist friends' preferences on which conferences they attend, how they spend their time on site, and how to get their attention during these notoriously chaotic shows. Bottom line: Be helpful, not self-promotional View the news release here: https://lnkd.in/dwywMp5p Check out our sweet infographic, with some more context stats: https://lnkd.in/dh-_TYDv

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📣 Navigating Public Statements with Diverse Member Opinions 📣 In this week's Association Insights, I tackle a complex challenge: making public statements when not all members agree. Here’s how to approach this delicate task effectively: 👉 Establish a Clear Decision-Making Framework: Set transparent rules about the levels of consensus needed for different types of public statements. 👉 Align with Predominant Member Interests: Understand and represent the majority while maintaining open dialogue to manage expectations and relationships. 👉 Find Common Ground: Emphasize shared values and goals to craft a balanced statement that respects diverse viewpoints but upholds industry priorities. 👉 Communicate Transparently: Always explain the decision-making process and reasoning behind public statements to all members to foster trust and understanding. Handling disagreement requires a strategic and inclusive approach to effectively represent your association's interests and maintain unity. 💬 How do you manage differing opinions in your organization? Share your strategies below! #PublicRelations #AssociationManagement #Leadership #CommunicationStrategy #AssociationInsights #OnWrdUpWrd

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2004... podcasting is associated with a new way people are distributing and listening to audio content online.  2024... It's whatever the "consumer" says it is, even if it's just talking heads with captions on an exclusive video platform. I like 2004's better. #podcasting

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Not getting responses from journalists? Try pitching stories about these topics: 💡 Lessons learned from failure 💡 Industry viewpoints that are surprising or controversial 💡 Data only you can provide Do that and journalists will start to care about what you have to say.

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Worth reading from NiemanLab: Readers prefer to click on a clear, simple headline — like this one By David Markowitz, Hillary Shulman and Todd Rogers In an era when people trust news less than ever, how can journalists break through and attract the attention of average people to provide information about their communities, the nation and the world? By not complicating things. Our research, published in Science Advances, shows that simple headlines significantly increase article engagement and clicks compared with headlines that use complex language. In our research, typical news readers preferred simple headlines over complex ones. But importantly, we found that those who actually write headlines — journalists themselves — did not. We first used data from The Washington Post and Upworthy to see how language features, such as word length and how common a word is, changed how many people clicked on an article’s headline. These datasets included over 31,000 randomized experiments — also known as A/B tests — that compared two or more headline versions of the same underlying article to determine which one generated the most clicks. Headlines with more common words — simple words like “job” instead of “occupation” — shorter headlines, and those communicated in a narrative style, with more pronouns compared with prepositions, received more clicks. For example, The Washington Post headline, “Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah. Here’s why they shouldn’t say too much” outperformed the alternative headline, “Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Don’t bet on it.” This example illustrates how sometimes a more straightforward headline can generate more interest. In follow-up laboratory experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple rather than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand. When journalists participated in the same experiments, they didn’t show any preference for simple headlines over complex ones. Put differently: Those who write the news appear to be less responsive to simple writing than regular audiences. Generations of communication consultants have advised that communicators follow the rather crass acronym KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. We suggest a modified version applied for journalists. Since KISJ isn’t all that simple, we propose: Keep It Simple, Staffers. Simplicity increases the number of people who click on a news story headline and improves reader recall of the material in the article. Most importantly, simplicity boosts reader engagement, such as how much attention they pay to the information.

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As I start thinking about long-term communications planning, this article from Sean Gibbons and Tristan Mohabir is energizing and motivating. It's time (frankly, it has been for a while) to move away from broadcast models and towards targeted community building. I'm looking forward to more from this series of articles from The Communications Network! https://lnkd.in/eVgS6raH

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https://lnkd.in/grKaBdzb Tune in to today's episode of "Let's Just Talk" with your host, Kathryn Raaker, for insightful discussions with two exceptional guests! Our first guest is Dan Perkins, Author, Radio and TV Personality, and regular expert on the show. Dan is passionate about discussing political, health, and wellness issues. A few years ago, Dan wrote a book for children ages 9-12 called Why Can’t Grammy Remember Me, which helps them understand Dementia and Alzheimer's. As people live longer, more families face the challenge of explaining these complex issues to young ones. Dan will also dive into the growing concern around Young Onset Dementia, a condition he has been researching extensively. This topic is increasingly important for families and communities! Our second guest is Sam Anthony, Owner, Writer, and Citizen Journalist at [yournews]. Sam’s platform is revolutionizing the way we receive local news, offering real stories from real people in every zip code across the U.S. He’ll share the journey behind the creation of Your News and explain how it's transforming the news landscape by providing trusted, hyper-local news coverage. Don’t miss these engaging and thought-provoking discussions! #LetsJustTalk #KathrynRaaker #DanPerkins #WhyCantGrammyRememberMe #DementiaAwareness #YoungOnsetDementia #SamAnthony #YourNews #CitizenJournalism #LocalNews #TrustedNews #HealthAndWellness #AlzheimersAwareness

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This upcoming webinar from The Association of Health Care Journalists promises to be informative and helpful for anyone looking to learn more about health care costs

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Next time you worry, or some nervous-Nellie says they believe, that advertising on local news is a reputational risk, please refer them to this huge new study by one of the world’s top advertising agencies and Canada’s media. Your product or service stands a better chance of being remembered, engaged with, finding a bigger audience and enhancing your reputation by being associated with a quality product like verified journalism… than almost any other show/printed content. And now there is solid data to prove it!

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#BehindTheScenes of @local4news News Open. For affiliate news opens, you usually have to use a sound that is attention-grabbing, authoritative, with a sense of urgency. PS... #Detroit What up, doe? #VOLife #voiceover #voiceactor #vo #voicetalent #inthebooth #onthemic #promo #promos #promovoice #wdiv #local4news #affiliate

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Yesterday, blackbear communications hosted our first Swarm Session, and witnessing my clients connect brought me immense joy. Every year, I spend Q4 reflecting on what my team's guiding word for the upcoming year will be. This year's word was "Emerge," and emerge we did! Last night, I was filled with excitement as I saw members of my little hive *connect,* and it was truly beautiful. While I can't say for certain if "connection" will be our word for 2025, the concept is vital to the culture we are fostering within the writing and publishing industry. Swarm Sessions are designated, open Zoom hours where members can connect, share, and learn from one another. These sessions feature guest appearances from industry professionals—including literary agents, publishers, genre-specific editors, formatters, authors, and influencers—and provide excellent networking opportunities within the writing community. For the remainder of 2024, Swarm Sessions will be open to the public. Beginning in 2025, these sessions will be exclusively available to Hive Collective members, although special events may still welcome the public. Swarm Sessions celebrate the spirit of connection, sharing, and learning as a community. We are stepping away from a culture of gatekeeping and scarcity thinking regarding success. Instead, we are nurturing, uplifting, and amplifying each other’s voices. If you're interested in joining a Swarm Session, you don’t have to be a client or pay anything at this time. Simply fill out this interest form and I'll send you an invitation --> https://lnkd.in/g9D4WEaF If you're interested in being one of the industry professionals sharing your wisdom at our sessions, we're looking for agents, editors, publishers, writers, and more. Please connect with me here --> https://lnkd.in/gjrBGvza

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