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Topic: Strategy question Embargoed releases
| Author | Message |
| waki43 | Posted – 10/26/2007 4:10:21 PM | show profile | email poster Hi all- Anyone have a good suggestion for this? We've crafted a release for our client, a nonproit, whos recent purchase of a buliding will cause some job losses. No big deal, they are a great org, but its touchy still. They are informing employees on monday personally of the changes. However a publication alreday got wind of it weeks ago but have promised to embargo the story until their issue comes out, on thursday, as a courtesy to the organization and people involved. Question is, they are worried that the daily publication in the area might get phone calls from disgruntled employees breaking the news to them on monday. We wnat to honor the scoop to the pub that has offered the courtesy, and not have anyone run anything until thursday. Question is, what is the best strategy here? My thought was to call daily and chat with the city editor and give him the release, but is it reasonable for me to ask him to embargo the public release of the story until thursday under the premise of a courtsey to employees learning of thier potential lay off, or will that just heighten the issue? We do not mind the daily runing the story the same day as the other publication, just dont want them to scoop them, which could happen if someone calls them up before then. Ideas? thoughts? I really appreciate your input! Thanks. waki |
| Foreigner | Posted – 10/27/2007 2:54:13 AM | show profile Regarding the smaller publication that learned of an important story on their own, then agreed to a PR embargo: From a journalistic point of view, it's an incredible lapdog mentality and neglect of duty to inform the public. (How is it a courtesy to people to conceal the fact that they are about to lose their jobs?) If you're concerned about the daily getting the scoop on the job dismissals I think your PR duty is to inform the people who are about to lose their jobs right away, so that it does come from your organization, not from the media. And from a PR perspective I'd never expect to call a newspaper, give them something hot then ask them to hold off, unless I had a VERY close relationship with the city editor. Also, you can't possibly expect any newspaper to hold off running a story for up to three days after it breaks. They would be doing a disservice to their readers and would look ridiculous (plus, they just wouldn't do it, especially if the laid-off workers are marching with placards outside the facility.) Of course, there's also the chance this story could slip under the daily's radar if it's a big news week generally, and by making a call to a city editor, you elevate the story to greater importance. But I'm wondering if this story is actually going to be a bigger deal than you anticipate? I would imagine that the best PR approach would be to control breaking this news by doing so first to the workers, then having your media strategy ready to kick in as soon as you get the first call from a reporter. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 10/27/2007 3:06:01 AM | show profile I would just hope the newspaper doesn't find out and alert them on Wed.. If you give the editor an embargoed release, that won't affect whether any of your employees calls him on Monday. All that will do, if someone does call him, is catch you in a lie. If the newpaper catches wind of this, there isn't much you can do to stop the story unless you have an existing close relationship with the editor or something juicier to trade. |
