Key Concepts in Public Relations and Crisis Management

Listicle

An article presented in a list format

Clickbait

Sensationalized internet content designed mainly to entice users to click through to another site

Reasons to write well in public relations

To build and maintain relationships, to influence and persuade, to strategize and achieve goals, to manage an organization's reputation, to manage your own professional impression

Corporate reputation

Reputation management happens through controllable media (PR/Ads) and uncontrollable media (social media and news). Writing for SEO is also key to managing reputation

Importance of storytelling in public relations

Storytelling builds connection, engages audiences emotionally, and helps organizations communicate purpose. It's essential for cultivating relationships and representing organizations effectively

Ann Wylie's suggestions for public relations writers

Avoid corporate 'At XX, we...' writing because it's patronizing, formulaic, and off-target; use more 'you' than 'we'; focus on what's in it for the reader; use human interest to engage audiences

Feature story

A feature story explores an angle of an event, person, organization, or place beyond straight facts

Types of feature stories

How to, Personal Profiles, First person accounts, opinion/editorials, humor/satire, historical writing, round-up stories, photo essays, product/service stories, trend articles

Common aspects of feature stories

Human Interest: Personal/emotional appeal; Timelessness: Relevant long after being written

Direct lead

Straightforward summary of the most important info (WWWWWH)

Inverted pyramid

Newswriting style where the most important info is at the top followed by details

VNR

Video News Release: A news story prepared by a PR team to be broadcast on TV

SMR

Social Media Release: A news release designed for digital and social sharing

Fact Sheet

Short (1-2 page) document that presents factual information about an organization, product, event or issue in list or outline form

Backgrounder

Provides in-depth info to complement a news release, usually longer and narrative-style

Media Kit

A collection of materials (fact sheets, bio, photos, backgrounders, etc) prepared for reporters to provide context for a news story or event

Importance of bios in public relations

Bios humanize organizations by profiling leaders or key figures. They help media and publics understand who's behind an organization and build credibility and trust

Blogs

Short for weblogs, informal, conversational online articles maintained by individuals or organizations, often offering insights, updates, or opinions. They help shape public voice, build thought leadership and drive engagement

Swallows' 10 tips for successful corporate blogging

Be honest and transparent, make it a dialogue, write for your audience, post frequently, make it easy to read, use catchy headlines, invite comments, promote your blog, monitor and respond, measure effectiveness

Microblogging

Short, frequent posts, like tweets on Twitter/X. It's used for real-time engagement, announcements, and updates

SEO

Search Engine Optimization: The practice of writing and structuring web content so it ranks higher in search engines

Meta Tags

Snippets of text embedded in code that describe a webpage's content for search engines

SEO

The practice of writing and structuring web content so it ranks higher in search engines.

Meta Tags

Snippets of text embedded in code that describe a webpage's content for search engines. Important for discoverability.

Anchor Text

Clickable text in a hyperlink.

Backlinks

Links from other sites that direct to your site - important for SEO.

Natural Links

Earned (not paid or requested) backlinks that occur when others find your content valuable enough to reference.

In-demand communications

The expectation that information should be available anytime, anywhere, and on any device, especially mobile.

Selective Attention

Process of filtering out irrelevant stimuli and focusing on what is personally important - makes it harder for PR messages to break through the noise unless they are relevant, timely, and engaging.

Public Relations Professional Mastery

Tailor messages to platform and audience, create mobile-first content, master timing, tone and visual appeal, be quick and responsive, use analytics to inform content strategy.

Mobile Phones and Social Media

Ubiquitous (everyone has one), always-on, optimized for apps, use for texting, sharing, browsing, and streaming.

Geolocation

Use of GPS or other location-tracking to identify someone's location and tailor content, offers, or services based on where they are.

Social Listening

Monitoring digital conversations to understand what people are saying about a brand or issue.

Visual Listening

Tracking images, emojis, logos, and visual content across social media to understand sentiment or brand presence.

Newsjacking

Injecting your brand's angle into a breaking news story to gain attention and relevance.

Multimedia

Mix of text, audio, video, images, animation, and interactivity to tell a story or share information across platforms.

Infographics

Visual representations of data, stats, or ideas that are easy to read and designed to be shared on social or web platforms.

Caption Goal

Provide context to an image or video, prompt engagement (likes, shares, comments, clicks), be concise but informative - captions often carry key messages.

Public Domain

Creative works not protected by copyright, allowing anyone to use, distribute, or adapt them freely without permission or cost.

Match Content to Channels

Tailoring your message to fit the expectations, tone, and format of the specific platform; what works on TikTok may not work on LinkedIn, and vice versa.

Mobile Key Dimensions

Personal: phones are individualized; Local: phones provide location-specific data; Social: mobile is the center of social sharing; Ubiquitous: always with the user, always connected.

Snackable Content

Short, visual, easily digestible, and shareable; perfect for fast scrolling on mobile and short attention spans.

Avidar's Study Smartphone Use

Stay informed (news, alerts), stay connected (texting, apps, social media), access entertainment (videos, music, games), conduct transactions (shopping, banking).

IoT

Internet of Things.

Internet of Things

network of devices that are connected to the internet and can share data with each other- expanding how PR content can be delivered and experienced

Intellectual Property

Any product of the human mind protected by law from unauthorized use by others. It includes writing, inventions, logos, images, and designs.

Defamation

false words/accusations that hurts someone's reputation

Slander

spoken false words

Libel

written or recorded defamation

Sunshine laws

laws that require transparency and access to government-held information

Insider trading

buying or selling stocks based on non-public material information

Appropriation

using someone's name, image, or likeness without permission often for commercial purposes

Privacy

The right to be let alone, or to control access to personal information

Clear and present danger doctrine

The limitation of free speech when it presents a real threat of causing substantive evils (yelling bomb on a plane)

Defenses for libel

Truth, Lack of malice or negligence: especially if you're a public figure, Opinion: can't be proven as true or false

Actual malice

When a statement is made with knowledge that it's false or with reckless disregard for the truth, especially relevant in libel cases involving public figures

Copyright

claim to intellectual property rights over original works

Trademark

words, phrases, symbols or designs distinguishing goods/services

Patent

protection for inventions; prevents others from using/selling them without permission

Plagiarism

Presenting someone else's words or ideas as your own without attribution

Fair use

Determined by Purpose, Nature of the original work, Amount used, Effect on the original's market value

Deep links

Hyperlinks that bypass a website's homepage and link directly to interior content

Framing

Embedding content from another site within your own site, possibly misleading about the source

FOIA

Government has to make their records available to the public

Duties of the FDA

regulates food, drugs, and health-related communication

Duties of the FTC

oversees consumer protection and fair marketing practices

Duties of the SEC

Regulates financial disclosures to ensure fair trading and prevent fraud

Crisis stages

Early/Potential: limited awareness, Emerging: growing public concern, Current/crisis: full public attention and pressure, Dormant: long-term consequences and limited control

Issue management

The proactive monitoring and strategic handling of issues before they escalate into crises: identifying trends, prioritizing issues, analyzing impact and preparing communications

Types of crises

Victims Crises- org is seen as a victim, Accident Crises: unintentional but with some blame, Preventable Crises: Due to mismanagement or unethical behavior, carrying the highest blame

Seven-step process for proactive issues management

Monitoring, Identification, Prioritization, Analysis, Strategic Planning, Implementation, Evaluation (mirrors PRIE model)

Tell it all and tell it fast

Transparency and speed are key during a crisis, it's based on sealing thunder strategy- releasing bad news before others do to maintain control of the narrative and reduce damage