Press PR Catrin Taylor Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum

Press & PR Catrin Taylor, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales

Today’s session • • What is news? Media & contacts Is the press release dead? Selling in PR & Social Media Tips Please ask questions…

What’s ‘new’s? A dog biting a man is NOT news A man biting a dog IS news

What is news? • • • Largest Smallest Unusual/quirky object Good photograph Rare object found Object relating to a topical issue Human interest story/profile National days/weeks Exhibitions and events

Some examples £ 100, 000 from players of People’s Postcode Lottery

Some examples Unseasonal wild flowers Winter 2012

Media • Print - Local weekly papers (Tivyside Advertiser, Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald) - Local daily papers (Wrexham Leader, South Wales Argus) - Wales national papers (Western Mail, Daily Post) - UK national (Guardian, Times) - Magazines (Golwg, Buzz Magazine, Cardiff Life) - Specialist publications (Museums Journal, Art Newspaper)

Media • Broadcast - Radio (BBC Radio Wales, Real Radio, Heart FM) - Television (Heno, BBC Wales Today, Newyddion) • Online - BBC Online, Wales Online, ITV, Culture 24 • Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Flickr

How to make contacts? • Read, listen and watch • Network • Research online • Work in partnership

Is the press release dead? PRESS RELEASE • A summary of facts about an event, exhibition, programme or issue on which you want media attention • It must contain news

How to write a press release • Inverted pyramid style • First paragraph is "lead" and contains the most important information • Subsequent paragraphs expand on information and give more detail

A good press release • Who, what, when, where, why, and how • Who is the subject of the story? • What is the story about? • When is, or was, the event? • Where is, or was, it happening? • Why is the information important?

Selling in • Journalists receive hundreds of press releases a day • Your journalist contact has to sell your story to the editor • Journalists can switch off after the first paragraph • Work to the journalist’s deadline always ask when their deadline is

Selling in • Preparation is key • Know the publications/outlets you’re calling • Be enthusiastic • End by asking ‘Is this of interest? • Any examples?

PR & Social Media • • - Website – update regularly Social Media Blogs Twitter Vimeo Flickr Facebook

This is news • There’s no point selling in a story if the journalist’s going to ask ‘so what? ’ • Something that’s relevant to the current news cycle • Is it a story that you’d want to read?

Making an impact • 55% judge you on how you say things • 38% judge you by what you look like • 7% judge you by what you say

Any questions?