Billy Mitchell

You're probably already taking in a lot of information on how to cover this year's elections. These guides are aimed at helping you talk through that information with your news organization, and strategize or decide on how you'll navigate different scenarios long before they arise and leave you thinking, "I wish we'd talked about how we'd actually handle this." Our first two guides help you consider your coverage of misinformation and polling, and we've got more in the works! Let us know if there are other topics you'd like to see addressed.

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Axios: "The Sixth" aims to bring about a sense of catharsis, especially for locals.” For my fellow DC friends who don't want to relive that day... I can tell you that this documentary was done so well. And in the end, gives hope and rededication to why we all do what we do here in the nation's capital. I strongly encourage you to watch. https://lnkd.in/ga3YAiHT #THESIXTHmovie

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If you're not someone who works in government communications, keep scrolling. If you DO work in government comms...amazing news: Vyond for Government--an all-in-one video creation platform built specifically for the needs of (and many regulations required by) government agencies is officially a thing. We're on track to be "In Process" for FedRAMP approval soon, and with the VA as our partner, we're gearing up to change how federal agencies communicate. See how this news could affect you: https://vynd.ly/3xoHOtz #VyondForGov #Innovation #PublicSector

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When the American Journalism Project launched five years ago, our mandate was to create the conditions for community-led nonprofit news organizations to sustainably provide the journalism our democracy requires. Today, I’m pleased to share our 2024 Impact Report, a look at the progress we’ve made since our inception. In the five years since our launch, we’ve raised $175 million from national and local philanthropy, and built a portfolio of 44 nonprofit local news organizations —  diverse in size, scope, reach and leadership. Some highlights from the report: -In the last year alone, our portfolio of 44 grantee organizations generated $86 million in revenue — a 36% increase over their 2022 revenue. -Year over year, the organizations in our portfolio are seeing a 58% median growth. -And this growth is leading to more journalism – last year, our portfolio of grantees employed 568 editorial and newsroom staff – an 18% increase over 2022. Organizations are growing, diversifying their revenue, adding journalists, and strengthening their communities. I’m proud of the progress the portfolio has made, and remain clear-eyed about the future. This report sheds light on how far we’ve come and sets the stage for what’s ahead. I hope you'll take a moment to read it. https://lnkd.in/eipwwhxN

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As I approach my third month at The Baltimore Banner, I have been thinking a lot about defining success. A mentor offered the following thoughts: For reporters, it is much easier to define success. Editors often need help seeing that their goals should be quite different than their reporters'. They need to see each of their reporters as individuals with different strengths and weaknesses. So editors need to meet each reporter at a different place and help them improve, and hopefully, thrive. Sometimes that means focusing on reporting or writing skills, sometimes it is helping a reporter figure out how to cover a beat, or how to distinguish their work from the competition. Editors of course are key to guiding coverage, whether it's breaking news or a more conceptual beat, when the goal has to be finding the front edge of the topic (for an education reporter, that might be new trends in teaching and for the city hall reporter it might be who are the emerging power brokers.) When it comes to editing copy, editors have to avoid rewriting stories, which can completely demoralize reporters, but they also can't send along stories that are confusing or take too long to get to the point. It takes awhile for editors to figure out that sweet spot between improving copy but not just rewriting it the way they would have written it. The hardest part of editing is probably dealing with difficult reporters and there is no easy answer for that. The only part of running a newsroom that I could advise on is running the coverage and for me, that was always driven by focusing on the big news of the day. You have to make sure that editors have put enough staffers on the big stories and are looking across the news cycle, e.g. what will we have to publish first thing tomorrow, and make sure some people are trained on the bigger, deeper questions that take a few days to report. If you are clear on your top priorities each day and the newsroom aligns behind those, then the smaller stories will take care of themselves. You will be judged by how the Banner did on the big things, not the small things.

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This article highlights the challenges reporters face when seeking comments from companies and public figures. The phrase “did not respond to a request for comment” is becoming increasingly common in journalism. This trend raises questions about the impact on journalistic integrity and the changing landscape of media communications. https://lnkd.in/e33AuQRy

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Quick tip for media spokespeople and panel speakers: **well-prepped** examples, stories, and anecdotes can be entertaining and memorable for your audience. However, there can be too much of a good thing i.e. when speakers try to cram several into the same speaking point or response. Where they quickly dilute each other and overwhelm the audience. So limit yourself to one example at a time: you will tell it better and you won't overcrowd your audience with too much information. #PublicSpeaking #Stories

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Corporate and Startups keep a close eye on the elections, government affairs and public notices. Why??? Because it impacts their businesses. Politicians are Policy Makers. Policies they make have a direct and indirect impact on the business operations. Corporate Communications professionals need to be an expert in Public Policy tracking and Public Affairs too apart from Public Relations. Government and Politicians are a key external stakeholders and influencers for businesses. Lobbying by entrepreneurs across the globe since a century is a common phenomenon. Industry Bodies of varying ministries gives an option to varying entrepreneurs and organisations to share their feedback to the Ministry, elect their representative for that body, suggest changes in policies, propose policy plans and participate in the engagement for nation building. Public Affairs is a serious business and needs to align with the PR planning. #hemamalini #superstar #loksabha #memberofparliament #parliament #delhi #mathura #legacy #legend #publicpolicy #publicaffairs #corporateaffairs #artist #influencer #keyinfluencer #messaging #governmentaffairs #publicrelations #pr #corporatecommunications #internalcommunication #stakeholdermanagement #stakeholderengagement #brandengagement #thoughtleader #thoughtleadership

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Corporate and Startups keep a close eye on the elections, government affairs and public notices. Why??? Because it impacts their businesses. Politicians are Policy Makers. Policies they make have a direct and indirect impact on the business operations. Corporate Communications professionals need to be an expert in Public Policy tracking and Public Affairs too apart from Public Relations. Government and Politicians are a key external stakeholders and influencers for businesses. Lobbying by entrepreneurs across the globe since a century is a common phenomenon. Industry Bodies of varying ministries gives an option to varying entrepreneurs and organisations to share their feedback to the Ministry, elect their representative for that body, suggest changes in policies, propose policy plans and participate in the engagement for nation building. Public Affairs is a serious business and needs to align with the PR planning. #shatrugansinha #superstar #loksabha #memberofparliament #parliament #delhi #mathura #legacy #legend #publicpolicy #publicaffairs #corporateaffairs #artist #influencer #keyinfluencer #messaging #governmentaffairs #publicrelations #pr #corporatecommunications #internalcommunication #stakeholdermanagement #stakeholderengagement #brandengagement #thoughtleader #thoughtleadership

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Corporate and Startups keep a close eye on the elections, government affairs and public notices. Why??? Because it impacts their businesses. Politicians are Policy Makers. Policies they make have a direct and indirect impact on the business operations. Corporate Communications professionals need to be an expert in Public Policy tracking and Public Affairs too apart from Public Relations. Government and Politicians are a key external stakeholders and influencers for businesses. Lobbying by entrepreneurs across the globe since a century is a common phenomenon. Industry Bodies of varying ministries gives an option to varying entrepreneurs and organisations to share their feedback to the Ministry, elect their representative for that body, suggest changes in policies, propose policy plans and participate in the engagement for nation building. Public Affairs is a serious business and needs to align with the PR planning. #shashitharoor #loksabha #memberofparliament #parliament #delhi #mathura #legacy #legend #publicpolicy #publicaffairs #corporateaffairs #artist #influencer #keyinfluencer #messaging #governmentaffairs #publicrelations #pr #corporatecommunications #internalcommunication #stakeholdermanagement #stakeholderengagement #brandengagement #thoughtleader #thoughtleadership

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"To comment or not to comment, that is the question." Thoughtful piece by former Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi in the Columbia Journalism Review: "When they won’t even say ‘no comment.’" (https://lnkd.in/ey-yAMHy) He finds that there has been a significant increase in recent years of reporters writing that a subject “did not respond to a request for comment.” So back to the question at the top - should you always feel compelled to provide a comment in response to a media inquiry? "Always?" - no. Every inquiry is different. The main reason to comment is because you can share your perspective, try to shape the article, and advocate for yourself and your organization. Nobody can tell your story better than you. That said, there are times when it doesn't make sense to comment or where doing so would be counterproductive. At a minimum, as a communications professional you should take the lead in analyzing each request and presenting leadership with the pros and cons of responding - and a recommendation for what to say. I'm curious for others, um, comments on this topic. #MediaRelations #PR #Communications #PublicRelations

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🗽 Breaking news: Brace yourself for the 2024 election season as the political environment is as stable as a Jenga tower built by a toddler. Check out the latest edition of our "Compass for the Chaos" newsletter, in partnership with our public affairs and social impact colleagues Meghann Curtis, John Files, and John McCourt. Hope is not a strategy, so read up on how brand safety is the key to protecting your PR campaigns and corporate reputation. #2024election #politics #businessimpact

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You might see some promotional publicity in the media for a new book purportedly about public relations from what its publisher claims is a 'top operative.' Consistent with the historic tension between hacks vs. flacks, some journos will jump at the chance to platform someone especially if it provides an opportunity to position lying and manipulation as the essence of PR. Bad boys and 'high stakes' take-the-money firms might steal a few sensational headlines, but they are actually at the fringes and on the bottom of an industry where most practitioners around the world counsel candor and transparency in the public domain for clients with worthy points of view. #publicrelations #PR #ethics #propaganda https://a.co/d/0dP8eAG8 https://lnkd.in/eucAfEDU https://lnkd.in/ek2wk3Pg

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"But NPR’s troubles extend far beyond concerns about its journalism. Internal documents reviewed by The Times and interviews with more than two dozen current and former public radio executives show how profoundly the nonprofit is struggling to succeed in the fast-changing media industry. It is grappling with a declining audience and falling revenue — and internal conflict about how to fix it." This article sheds good light on the disruption facing the media industry. #Media #Communications #PR

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Does your digital advocacy campaign need a bubble bath? Axios has identified 12 bubbles impacting the 2024 presidential campaign and there are implications for issue advocacy here as well. It's useful to think in "bubbles"- it provides a way of thinking about reaching your audience that's less tactical than thinking channel by channel. How many places can you reach your audience? How can you surround them with your message in their bubble? And be nimble...bubbles burst. And new ones form.

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For all the #publicrelations folks in my network, Peter Shankman's latest HERO (Help Every Reporter Out) should be on your sign-up list. Check out all the details about the Muck Rack <> HERO partnership in Linda Zebian's latest piece ⬇️ #publicrelations #mediarelations #commsoutreach #journalists

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If you don't subscribe, then you are missing out on great content! Eleanor Hawkins delivers every time! My BIG takeaway from the current installment has to do with this stat: "An MIT study found false news online reaches people about six times faster than the truth, yet 28% of businesses don't have a formal mis-disinformation response plan in place and 23% have no plan." At the very least, businesses need a single source of publicly-facing truth space online. I see so many businesses that do not have this space (and no, it is not your consumer-facing blog), so the stat is not shocking at all. This is a communication malpractice. Reach out and let's fix it.

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I wrote a piece for Politico on major trends buffeting the media including artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and fighting disinformation in an age of dwindling resources. The conclusion is that founders, CEOs, politicians and others in the public eye now face an exponentially increasing threat of reputational damage. In today’s media landscape, a single negative review can quickly go viral, a poorly phrased statement can trigger a global backlash and an ill-judged joke can wreck careers. While the media world’s pace of change is dizzying, the words written by businessman Warren Buffett almost a decade ago have never been more relevant: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Article here: https://lnkd.in/dtTNY4PU

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"Best Practices For Pitching In 2024, a cold outreach email probably isn’t going to suffice. With journalists receiving hundreds of email pitches daily, we must get creative to ensure our messages stand out." Read more at the Forbes article here: https://lnkd.in/e7PQGP53 #pr #mediarelations #pitches

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