There are several interesting PR webinars this week. Catching Flack mentions a few:

PRWeek webinar: The Changing World of Business News
Tuesday, January 22 @ noon Eastern. Speakers will include:
-Rafat Ali, founder and editor, ContentNext Media
-Mick Weinstein, editor-in-chief, Seeking Alpha
-Chris Peacock, executive editor and vice president, CNNMoney.com
-Shawn Dainas, group manager, worldwide communications, Sun Microsystems

Dow Jones webinar: Latest Trends in Social Media: How to Listen Effectively and Engage in the Conversation, Thursday, Jan. 31, 12:30 EST. Speakers will include:
-Jeremiah Owyang, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research and former Director of Corporate Media Strategy at PodTech.net
-Glenn Fannick, Product Development Manager at Dow Jones

One more after the jump.

PR News Webinar:
Sure-Fire PR Strategies for Launching a Product or Service
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
1:30-3:00 p.m. (ET)
(CDs are also available for purchase)

WEBINAR OUTLINE Send this message to a friend

The successful launch of a new product or service requires more than
just a good product - it requires an effective PR strategy. Your PR
and marketing communications efforts play a critical role in building
awareness, generating buzz and driving media coverage to ensure a
successful launch.

This 90-minute webinar will give you the ideas, tools and tactics for
building a sound communications strategy around the launch of any
product or service. We've selected a panel of communications experts
who will share lessons learned, case studies, and the smartest tips
and tactics so your PR is a driving force behind a launch.

Experts will cover:

The key communications stages of a product launch
How to generate buzz and word of mouth around your launch
Integrating PR efforts with marketing and advertising
Secrets of launching your product online
Getting buzz and coverage among bloggers and citizen journalists
How to measure the effectiveness of your marketing and PR efforts
during the launch
How to generate a "rolling thunder" of coverage
What can you do if you launch gets off to a slow start or receives
negative coverage
Using a product launch to reinforce organization's brand
PR's role in uncovering customer's needs for new products/services
Testing positioning methods
Best/worst tactics for holding events for your Launch
Identifying ongoing post-launch PR opportunities
Anticipating and preparing for the issues surrounding launch
Celebrity endorsements – do's and don'ts
Avoiding the most common PR mistakes surrounding launches
The most cost-effective launch PR strategies

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Julie Crabill
Account Director; Manager, Industry Relations
SHIFT Communications

Ilene V. Smith
Vice President, Associate Director
Ketchum Public Relations

Kim Friedman
Consumer Practice Co-Director
MS&L

More Information: http://www.prnewsonline.com/webinars/2008_1_23.html