Chapter 6. Interactive Newsrooms: How to Attract the Media

In the PR person's perfect world, you want to have constant interaction with your media contacts. Stay connected to them at all times by telephone and e-mail, and for contacts you know intimately, use instant messaging (IM). When you do, journalists reach out to you constantly for information about your brand(s), industry research, expert quotes, executive interviews, and company statements. Yes, the media will always rely on you for human intelligence and one-on-one interaction. However, you can (and should) also provide an interactive newsroom that can prove to be a main source of credible information, especially when journalists research story ideas at all hours or use your media center to obtain breaking news. The newsroom is also a great way to maintain control of brand communication and is much better for the journalist to receive information straight from the brand, rather than another source (especially during times of crisis or uncertainty). You can't be there all the time. So, it's your responsibility to make sure your brand's newsroom is 24/7/365, updated daily and interactive with the tools for today's overworked and "always on deadline" journalist.

You've Got the Basics Covered

Hopefully, by now you have the basics of the Web newsroom down pat. Most journalists expect to see certain simple, required elements. You should have included in your newsroom the following key elements or features:

• Contact information for your company's PR person/editorial contact— Don't make a journalist search for this information. The PR contact information should be front and center on the first page of the newsroom, along with any specific directions on how the journalist should navigate this area of your site. Many newsrooms place the PR contact information as an option on the navigation bar. Other brands choose to have PR contact information appear on every page, in a prominent position. Additionally, journalists also see the contact information on each and every news release archived in the newsroom. It might seem redundant, but it's okay to be repetitive with the contact information. You don't want to take the chance that your busy journalist, in his or her mad rush for information, doesn't see the PR person's information upon first entering the newsroom.
• Basic facts about the company— Basic facts can be presented in the form of a company fact sheet or a company overview. The fact sheet is a snapshot of the company's executive team, its performance, products and services, and current situation. The fact sheet, of course, needs to be updated to reflect the company's most recent position in the marketplace. The company overview or "backgrounder" gives the journalist an idea of the history of the company and how it came together. This write-up usually includes the company's mission/vision and strategic direction. Editors look for the basic facts to get a feel for the company's background and then will search for more detailed information if there is an archived news release section in your newsroom.
• A company's perspective on its industry or current events— Discovering the company's spin is as easy as accessing company industry presentations or speeches by executives, or by reviewing past publicity that's prominently displayed in the newsroom. This proves especially helpful to the journalist to see what other publications are writing or have written in the past about the brand.
• Access to financial information, if available— Of course, if you're a private company, you won't post your financial performance. However, you might include in a fact sheet an approximate number representing your sales and revenues for a particular time period, or your aspirations for growth over the next several years. As a public company you are required to post your financials, which are open to journalists, analysts, and the public in the investor relations section of your site.
• Easy downloadable images for stories— Images and logos (if your company permits their usage; some don't) are great to offer to journalists who want to download them for their articles. Today, most newsrooms offer low resolution (72 dpi) for Web usage and high-resolution (300 dpi) digital files for quick download into print publications. Images enhance a story, but you need to have them clearly labeled with captions to describe the event or the individuals in the photo. The availability of logos is a sure way to get more brand exposure. If you take the time to organize your image library (whether it's by event or a time period), you will see the journalist's appreciation when your photos appear in an editorial. There will always be instances when a publication wants its own photographer to take photos. In these cases, the PR pro will be called upon to arrange the photo opportunity.

Newsrooms Serving a Wide Range of Needs

Today, the basic newsroom elements will only get you so far, especially when you need to communicate updated information in an instant. Newsrooms in a Web 2.0 world range from the basics to the more sophisticated media centers with searchable databases, video presentations, and podcasts. Then, there are the most advanced interactive Cyber newsrooms with blogs, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, and social media news releases. These more complex online newsrooms are also customizable and fully integrated to not only house your news and information, but also to distribute your news announcements (in the form of releases, media alerts, and newsletters) and monitor the progress of your communication.

With so much to offer in terms of advanced newsroom features, the question still remains—what do the journalists really want to find in a newsroom? It's safe to say that it depends on the journalist and his or her technology acceptance. In writing this book, some journalists declined the offer to be interviewed. When it comes to Web and PR 2.0, one journalist who writes for a publication in the high-tech broadcast industry shared her technological level of expertise: "...Truthfully, I don't use RSS technology. I do use the Web when I'm researching my articles for assignment, but it's mostly Google and other search engines." She passed on participating in an interview saying, "Maybe I'm not the best candidate for this interview." Is there anything wrong with the journalist moving at her own pace? No, absolutely not. It's only a problem when the brand moves at a slow technological pace and the journalists are ready for more interactive new media application. You need to be ready. There will always be journalists who are tech savvy and look for advanced newsroom features.

TEKgroup International, Inc. (www.tekgroup.com), developers of online newsroom software, conducts an annual survey to take the pulse of what journalists expect from an online newsroom. A comparison of the surveys conducted in 2005 and 2006 reveals that the online newsroom is a valuable tool for the journalist and the communicator. However, details of the 2006 survey disclose that editors are expecting different functions and features in newsrooms; some relied upon much more than others. Ibrey Woodall is the director of marketing at TEKgroup International. In an article she wrote for the Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Tactics magazine, she refers to the 2006 online newsroom survey and states:^[1]

"Primary features desired by journalists (85 percent) include the ability to request that only news related to their particular beat be delivered. The preferred method is via e-mail with a link back to the online newsroom (99 percent). The same method is preferred for pitched stories (97 percent). One journalist states, 'Targeted weekly e-mail newsletters are always the best way to catch my attention.' Other means of notification include wireless devices (13 percent) and Really Simple Syndication, or RSS (18 percent)."

Interview with an Expert

Ibrey Woodall is an expert in building online newsrooms. As Director of Marketing at TEKgroup International, she oversees the Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations functions for the company. Woodall possesses almost 25 years of combined experience in the publishing, marketing/PR, and Internet arena, and provides her insight into today's newsroom requirement and also discusses the details of her company's annual survey.

Q: How have newsrooms changed over the past few years?

A: They've become a standard, as does most technology that actually serves a specific purpose and is beneficial to its users. Remember when cell phones were big and bulky and used only by a few? Initially, public relations professionals were intimidated by software. Their jobs were pretty hectic already; they didn't have time to learn how to code Web sites. With the advent of the online newsroom, a tool was provided to communicators that enabled them to do their jobs more productively.

It [online newsrooms] also enabled the journalists to do their jobs more productively. One of the many complaints we hear from journalists is that they can't get the information they need when they need it. Early on, there was hesitation from public relations professionals who believed that journalists would not use the online newsroom and definitely would not register to access some of the password-protected areas. TEKgroup's annual survey of journalists shows that 86 percent of those surveyed are willing to register. That's an increase of 3 percent from 2006. The key is to secure only specific sections that work for both your company and the journalists who cover your company's needs. We find that the industry password protects the access of high-resolution photographs and PR contacts, especially if cell phone numbers are posted.

Q: What does a journalist look for in today's newsroom?

A: First of all, they expect a company to have an online newsroom. All journalists who were surveyed felt, to some degree, the online newsroom was important. If your company doesn't have one, 94 percent of journalists surveyed expect you to have one in the future. Multiple elements exist that a journalist wants to access from a company's online newsroom. The top five would be PR contacts, news releases, searchable news release archives, product information, and photographs.

Q: How does TEKgroup international help its customers to build a newsroom that supports today's communications needs?

A: At TEKgroup International, Inc., we pride ourselves on being one of the first online newsroom software providers. Because of this, we've been very active in our research, as you see with the annual Online Newsroom Survey. We are also very active in educating the industry. We've partnered with the Public Relations Society of America, and we consistently provide updated material in the form of articles in industry trade publications and presentations at industry trade conferences.

There are two customers here that we have to support. One customer, the journalist, is after all, the end user. They have to get what they need quickly and easily. The online newsroom has to be designed and developed for that. Our research keeps tabs on what the journalists need. We relay that to the public relations professional.

The other customer, the public relations professional, needs to be able to focus on content, not code. The online newsroom software provides this capability. They are able to deliver the type of news and related assets that an individual journalist desires.

Q: What are some of the more interactive newsroom functions?

A: The entire newsroom is interactive because it's available 24 hours a day, fitting all deadlines. It's also interactive—the communicator is able to maintain it because it is a Web content management system, similar to any word processing editor. All posting, editing, and distributions are done by the PR professional. The PR pro no longer has to wait for the IT person to return from lunch to post a news release for them; they can get instant gratification. They post it and then view it. This immediacy is extremely important when dealing with crisis communications.

One of the more interactive and powerful functions within the newsroom is the capability to distribute your own e-mail alerts to registered journalists. This not only provides convenience and a return on investment, but it brings intelligence to the table. That intelligence is in the form of reports that identify which journalist actually returned to the newsroom via the e-mail alert and what other elements within the newsroom they accessed. This is a great report to submit to executives.

Q: Discuss one of your best case studies (newsroom makeovers).

A: Well, I'm partial to all our online newsrooms because we do establish relationships with our clients. The process of creating an online newsroom is very team oriented.

An interesting use of the online newsroom software came with the creation of the Carlson Hotels Worldwide newsroom located at http://www.carlsonmedia.tekgroup.com/. This is a good example of a common situation where too few communicators have to manage media relations for too many entities. The online newsroom software enabled them to manage the parent company site, as well as properties such as Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites, Regent International Hotels, and Park Inn—all from one single online administrative tool.

The online newsroom software is also a very efficient and financially responsible way to manage this particular situation. If each property decided to create its own individual newsroom, the cost would have affected the budget more, and there might not have been as consistent a message delivered throughout the properties.

Q: How do you think newsrooms will change in the next 5 to 10 years?

A: Online newsrooms will continue to evolve to meet the needs of both the journalist and the corporate communicator. Recent changes have included the integration of wire services, third-party media contacts, and media measurement. The key is to know and understand the particular purpose of your online newsroom and how it best fits your target audience. The newsroom is primarily the initial point of interaction between the communicator and the journalist, and that's why it is so useful in posting media elements. It's also extremely useful in the integration of media monitoring. From the newsroom, you send out an e-mail alert, you see which journalists accessed the subject matter, you monitor his or her publication for coverage, and you then analyze the type of coverage—whether it was negative, neutral, or positive.

You Can Manage the Newsroom Yourself

Taking into consideration Woodall's thoughts on building a Web interactive newsroom, you shouldn't be surprised at how much more hands-on you can be in a Web 2.0 world. Woodall mentioned the ability for the PR person to use a content management program to post updated information. Who would have thought 10 years ago that PR professionals would have their hands in Web programming? Learning to manage content makes you much more valuable to your brand. In my experience, whether a service provider customizes and installs your software or you purchase Web Edit Pro (developed by Interspire), content management tools are excellent and easy to use. Prices of "off the shelf" products range from high-end to lower cost tools. Then, there are also the open-source content management tools, such as Joomla! (www.joomla.com). These resources are free software options created by Web developers who continually build and make extensions and modifications to these tools for public use.

I recommend that you experiment and learn how to manage your own newsroom content. Now, there's always going to be resistance to new technology. As a matter of fact, I've met PR practitioners who are the most experienced (with respect to years in the business) but who accept technology at a slower pace. These pros were particularly reluctant to use the Web 2.0 content management tools. I remember one extremely talented colleague saying, "Take the money out of my paycheck, and get a programmer to manage the client's newsroom." This particular example is fairly drastic and even though my colleague was adamant about not trying new technological resources, he still received his paycheck in its entirety. Will proficiency with a content management tool be essential someday? It certainly wouldn't surprise me.

If your brand has the resources to use software that enables you to experiment with your newsroom content, what are you waiting for? Don't worry about your technological expertise. You don't have to be a 2.0 guru. The content management tool training process might seem a little intimidating at first, but you will improve with practice. There's always that initial fear of the unknown. Perhaps you think that you will erase a portion of your brand's newsroom, or that you might take down your brand's entire Web site. The occurrence of either situation is highly unlikely. The beauty of this type of tool is that you can work in a dormant area (one that is not live). You can always make a copy of a page to view, edit, and even look at source code (if you're that advanced). Then, once you are sure your new posts (this could include news releases, images, presentations, updated fact sheets, FAQ's, recent publicity, and the like) are linked correctly, or the information you upload is in the proper position, you can turn your page live in your newsroom. Being in control of one more part of the communications process is extremely gratifying. So, for those of you who want to have your hands in everything, the ability to manage your newsroom content is the best way to proceed forward in a Web 2.0 world.

The Leaders of Online Newsrooms

As Woodall indicated, newsrooms take all shapes and forms, but they all serve a definite purpose. Regardless of the size or interactivity, at all times the online newsroom is a primary point of interaction; providing essential information for today's busy journalist. So many exceptional newsrooms exist. A few of the interactive media centers and why they deserve recognition follow. Although all three examples cover different industries and have varying features and levels of functionality, they are representative of good, solid interactive newsrooms.

Online Newsroom Leader #1

Accenture (http://newsroom.accenture.com) is "a global management consulting, technology services outsourcing company."^[2] As a global leader, the Accenture newsroom is set up to serve the needs of editors who have many different areas of interest. The site is complex yet amazingly organized with interactive tools for the media. This well-branded newsroom environment has a tremendous amount of features and functions.

Why is Accenture "Online Newsroom Leader #1? Of course, above and beyond the basic elements are the newsroom's best features, which include

• A tab on the newsroom's navigation bar to all media contacts globally. Contacts are arranged by capability/growth platform (such as, Business Consulting, Finance and Performance Management, Strategy, Human Performance, Outsourcing/BPO, and the like) and by industry (from airline and electronics to government and utilities).
• Archived news releases by date, with each news release providing the journalist with outside resources, such as links to related content including additional statements by executives, video testimonies, and editorial coverage and blogs on different topics.
• E-press kits are available to editors who need information on specific events or company initiatives. These e-press kits are "a press kit within a press kit" that include targeted news releases, images, statements, and related content.
• An advanced search tool enables the journalist to search by date and in his language of choice. A simple check box area provides journalists the opportunity to narrow their search to news releases, executive bios, press kits, photos, or events.
• The ability to sign up for media alerts and media requests enables the journalist special features within the newsroom, including the ability to select e-mail notifications to receive targeted news and use the Briefcase function, which is the journalist's own area for personal storage of information (called personal folders). The journalist must sign into this area by entering his/her media information and credentials (a great way for you to mine data about journalist contacts).
• Personal folders in the newsroom provide journalists with a password-protected area to store information they've researched and want to archive on Accenture's site for future use. As they find more information, they can add it to their personal folder or briefcase.
• Journalists can sign up to receive an RSS feed in the Accenture newsroom. The feed contains updated content from financial reporting to new contracts. The information is easily downloaded automatically into the journalist's computer and viewed via Internet Explorer.

Online Newsroom Leader #2

Ford Motor Company (http://media.ford.com), "a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company."^[3] Ford has numerous car makes and models and as a result has set up a comprehensive newsroom that serves the needs of journalists who need to research and write about the many different automotive brands. This online newsroom leader clearly goes above and beyond the five basic elements with the following advanced features:

• The newsroom is broken into Corporate and Consumer sections. The Corporate section includes news and information on everything from Ford's affiliates and human resources to retailers and special events. The Consumer section includes news and information on customer satisfaction, e-commerce, marketing, safety, and service, just to name a few.
• Each Ford Motor Company brand (Ford, Lincoln Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin) has its own online media center with the ability for the journalist to access on each car brand news, facilities, photos, videos, and PR contacts.
• The Executive Bio section goes beyond the normal company's presentation of the executive team. Ford Motor Company's People's section provides journalists with the means to find not only the executive's bio but also news releases, speeches, and remarks/statements made by the individual executive.
• An advanced search feature in the newsroom lets the journalist jump to a specific news section or to a particular media kit, car model, or country of interest.
• The Facilities section is a comprehensive area on the site that enables the journalist to access information on the Ford Motor Company assembly plants all around the world. The facilities are broken down according to brand and then region. Links lead the journalist to a review of plant information, employment, and production history.
• News releases all include special icons built into the release that enable the journalists with a simple click to add the announcement to their briefcase, view related articles, and send the content to a wireless device.

Online Newsroom Leader #3

America Online, better known as AOL (http://press.AOL.com), is considered the leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the United States. It also operates a Web network with 112 million monthly unique visitors.^[4] The company's newsroom is clearly a leader in interactive features. Upon entering the newsroom, the journalist is able to view the company's latest news as well as the "most viewed" headlines in the month. The advanced features on this site include

• A Top News area has all AOL's recent news items, which can be accessed through the AOL News and Broadcast Center. From there, journalists enter into the password-protected Broadcast Room. AOL is partnered with The NewsMarket to provide the media with video delivered digitally (and in some cases on videotape).
• Other interactive and extremely informative areas in the Broadcast Room include multimedia press packs, a video and audio library, and a stills (still shots) and document library. Independent producers and journalists are allowed to order materials from this area of the AOL site.
• The Get Info area in the newsroom provides journalists with all their necessary media contacts. Also in this section, they can sign up for e-mail announcements and RSS feeds. The RSS feeds include a choice of Corporate Feeds, Consumer Technologies, Digital Entertainment, Digital Lifestyles, and Safety and Security.
• The What's Hot area has newsletter archives, a link to "Buzz on AOL," which provides links to recent editorial coverage, and Beta links in AOL Beta Central that gives journalists "a sneak peak of prereleases of AOL, AIM, and affiliate software and services."^[5]
• Our Brands and Product Areas is the section comprised of hundreds of product blogs. Each blog, regardless of the topic (from AOL Journals to an AOL Picture blog) has tags (metadata or in simpler terms, keywords) that lead the journalist to additional blog entries on a particular topic of interest. The journalist can also take the time to blog about the entry or add it to del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us.com), a popular tagging tool that categorizes favorite blogs, articles, reviews, and the like.

Accenture, Ford Motor Company, and AOL are excellent examples of how you can enhance the journalist's newsroom experience. Although a journalist might not expect or require fancy features and functions, making additional interactive communications resources will provide them with the best and most comprehensive information for their stories. Of special note are the newsrooms that ask the journalist to add content to either a personal folder or briefcase. When the journalist opts to use this area of a brand's newsroom, it's a very easy way to track what content is being stored by your favorite journalists. You're able to tell the content that interests them and what you can possibly expect in terms of coverage.

Newsrooms are growing in interest, and more companies are realizing their value. Brands are no longer just building their newsrooms and leaving them stagnant. You can almost expect that the newsrooms of the future will surely move toward an interactive "standard," whether that means having executive blogs, social media news releases (with links to outside resources or interactive functions), podcasts, video, and so on, which is yet to be determined. Someday, you might find that incorporating an interactive standard has a direct correlation to more and better coverage. As you build your interactive 2.0 newsrooms, keep the following key points in mind:

• Aside from your contact with the media, your brand's newsroom will be a main source of credible information as journalists research story ideas or use your media center for breaking news.
• Before you even think about enhancing your newsroom to include 2.0 interactive features and functions, make sure you completely understand the basics. The newsroom basics include PR contact information, a company's basic facts or current snap shot, a perspective on industry events, updated financial information, and high-resolution images for downloads.
• Trends reveal that journalists definitely require the basic elements in a newsroom. However, an increasing number of brands are gearing up to include interactive functions for the more technologically savvy journalist.
• Whether you use a service provider to build your newsroom or you do-it-yourself with off-the-shelf software, remember that a content management tool will help you to keep newsroom information updated. Fresh content will have journalists returning to your newsroom, and including a briefcase function will enable them to store information in their personal folders.
• The online newsroom leaders are forging the way for smaller brands to see how the most advanced newsrooms operate. If your brand is smaller or even mid-sized, you might want to build your newsroom in phases. Cover the basics in Phase I and then add content features such as RSS, podcasts, and video to your media center in Phase II. In Phase III, similar to what AOL has done, you can use blogs with tags, del.icio.us, and technorati searches to check out all the chatter on a topic in the blogosphere.
• If you find over time there is a correlation between interactive information in your newsroom and the amount of coverage you receive by the news media and conversations among your customers, you will further enhance your newsroom's 2.0 offerings.

Endnotes

1. Woodall, Ibrey, "Journalists Relay What is Expected from an Online Newsroom—Meaningful Trends Revealed in 2006 Survey," PRSA Tactics, July 2006.

2. Accenture Corporate Web site, Company Overview, March 2007.

3. Ford Motor Company Web site, About Us, Company Overview, March 2007.

4. AOL Web site, Company Information, April 2007.

5. AOL Web site, AOL Beta Central, http://beta.aol.com, April 2007.