Why won’t that reporter return my phone call? Why is he not answering my pitches on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn? Why isn’t she interested in my story?

If you’re in the business of pitching the media, odds are at some point or another you’ve asked yourself at least one (and probably more) of those very questions. As PR people, we’re constantly trying to understand the inner workings of a journalist’s thought process.

Well, we decided to go straight to the source. Say hello to “5 Questions With …” — a new, semi-regular feature on our blog where we’ll ask journalists to shed some light on pitching, reporting and journalism.

5 Questions with Mark Joyella

To kick things off, let us introduce you to Mark Joyella, Twitter’s @standupkid. Mark is an Emmy-winning reporter and writer, and the editor of StandupKid’s Local TV News, a blog dedicated to tracking the evolution underway in local television. Mark began his career at KJCT-TV in Grand Junction, Colorado, and moved on to stations in Savannah, Birmingham, Miami, and New York City, where Mark reported and anchored at FOX owned-and-operated station WNYW. In NYC, Mark also earned bylines in the city’s legendary New York Post.

1. If you could give PR people one piece of advice, what would it be?

Learn how reporters actually do their jobs, and be willing to forget what you may have always thought. And be flexible. Reporters today, especially television reporters, are doing far more in a typical day than they used to, and they’re juggling stories and switching gears constantly through the day. That makes reaching them–and pitching them–a tricky proposition. A reporter may be at their desk in the morning searching for a story, they may have a great talk with you on the phone, and you may tell your boss or client that you’ve got a TV story in the works…and then an inmate punches a lawyer in a courtroom. Reporter has a new story.

It’s not personal. Stories change fast and all the time, and often, the reporter has no control whatsoever. Newspaper reporters may write up the story, tell you to check it out in the paper tomorrow, and then it’s not there. They may not even know why editors pulled it… It’s frustrating.

But believe me, getting angry at a reporter for “promising” and not “delivering” is a wasted effort. All kinds of things can happen. Get in touch with them and find out what happened. But don’t go into it angry–and don’t assume the reporter had anything to do with it, or that the reporter was playing with you during that early-in-the-day phone call.

Reporters love to tell stories, but they don’t always get to stay on the stories they start, and they don’t always get to do the stories they want to. And things change constantly. Be flexible and understanding, and you’ve got a great shot of getting back on their agenda as soon as they can.

2. What do you think non-journalists would be surprised to learn about journalists?

We’re really not out to get people. We do that, sometimes, sure. But the way to deal with reporters is not from a place of “they’re dangerous, we’ve got to keep control of them at all times!” Now sometimes, you do need to be very careful. If 60 Minutes calls, think very carefully about who’s doing the talking and what you’re going to say. But if a reporter calls who’s working on a day-of-air story and thinks you might have someone who could be a part of the story, don’t automatically assume this is a “gotcha” scenario. It could work really well for both of you.

But again, think like a reporter. They may be on a crazy tight deadline. They can’t (usually) wait until tomorrow. They’d rather talk to a real person than a spokesperson. They don’t want to be asked “what’s your angle?” Or “what questions are you going to ask?” Better: “oh, what’s your story and what are you looking for?” And if you’ve got an idea the reporter hasn’t thought of (say it’s a story about mall security and the reporter calls asking to talk to one of your clients. Maybe you have another client that has had great success with a new way of screening mall security guards. Pitch THAT. (But be ready to move fast once you’ve got the reporter’s attention. Their next question will be: “can we come over right now?”

And don’t wait for them to call. You can watch the news in the morning and have a good idea of a few of the stories reporters will probably be doing that day. If there’s a confirmed case of swine flu, reporters are looking for stories. If you have a doctor who’s done groundbreaking research, don’t spend the afternoon writing up a news release and planning an availability tomorrow. The story is happening TODAY. Call a reporter and say, hey, “I’ve got a guy…” (And be specific: “I’ve got a guy who’s done research into swine flu and he can say that…”)

3. What do you think about the integration of social media and journalism? Good, bad, indifferent?

I can’t get enough of it. It’s happening, and it won’t stop, so there’s no point even talking about not doing it. I’m on Twitter all day long, and use it to get a sense of what people are talking about (story ideas), to reach out to people for help with stories I’m doing, and to tell people about my stories. It’s invaluable.

In the past few weeks, I’ve seen stories cross my radar on Twitter first, then on traditional news sources. People tweet “I think I just felt an Earthquake” minutes before the Associated Press or CNN report a quake. It’s fascinating–and it’s fast. (Did I mention we journalists like fast?)

It also helps me find experts and interview subjects fast. I tell networks that I’m looking for a wheat farmer, or a botanist, or a person who’s in foreclosure, and I hear back from people within minutes, even seconds. That’s critical when I’m on a tight deadline. And when I’m in the field, my office phone is about as useful as a piece of cinder block. I’m on my cell and my laptop. It’s a great way to reach me.

4. How do you think people will get their news in 10 years – and what role will newspapers play in this?

Good question. I don’t really know. Newspapers will be a part of this, as will television. But the papers, like the New York Times, will probably not be focused on that printed version, and the television news will not be as focused on TV stations. The internet will be involved in all of it. The days of come home and watch a half hour of what the TV folk think is news at 6 o’clock is going to end. And that opens up massive new opportunities for pitching stories and getting information to people. Stories can be told across many platforms, from print to broadcast, to the web. News is going where people are, and for the most part, they aren’t sitting in front of the TV at 6 or 11 like they used to, and they aren’t sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper like they used to.

5. What’s the worst pitch you’ve ever received from a PR person?

The worst pitch I ever got was written by a PR person who clearly didn’t know me or what I do for a living. The person sent me a cover letter–at my TV station–with an opening line that promised a story of great interest to my “readers.” I immediately felt like I was holding a mass mailing that wasn’t even customized enough to have a print vs. broadcast version, let alone a letter really addressed to me. I didn’t read the rest.

Be specific, and choose specific reporters for specific reasons. Nobody likes to get a pitch every reporter in town is getting. Give something to one reporter and that reporter will be very very interested in the story nobody else has. (If it’s a story!)

We’d like to thank Mark for taking time to answer our questions. Now, we want to hear from you. What do you think about this feature? What questions should we ask journalists?

A couple weeks ago, my younger brother Shane lambasted Twitter as another social network fad. You see, he has always chastised social networking tools as pointless and powerless distractions from reality.
I did concede that Twitter could be a waste of time. But, I argued that you can follow those on Twitter who offer excellent insight into topics that interest you. You just have to look beyond what celebrity magazines consider tweet-worthy. Shane rolled his eyes and joked about me doing PR for Twitter.

Then late last week, Shane wrote me an e-mail saying he admits that Twitter can serve people in a good way – as illustrated by the recent post-election events in Iran. The Chicago Tribune recently had a good story about the phenomenon and its impact. Here’s what Shane wrote me:

“I have wondered long and hard over many of our breakthroughs in technology, but this twittering thing seems to have a silver lining. Much how e-mail was touted as a pen-pal’s dream, Twitter has been a great place to catch up on friends we lost years ago and a good way to find out what our celebrities eat while they watch things we have not heard of. But in the hands of good people who are actually trying to better their situations, against odds quite daunting, the tweets from the Iran election were finally heard ’round the world. The situation in Iran really has made me rethink the power an Internet social network may hold. So Doreen: 1, Shane: 0.”

Well, with a mature response like that, I can’t match it. So I concede the score – Doreen: 1, Shane: 1. My baby brother schooled me.

In 2004, my husband and I went to see Pearl Jam during the Vote for Change tour. We arrived early enough to check out the opener, Death Cab for Cutie, and I admit I wasn’t impressed. Fast forward to the present – and they’re one of my favorite bands. I’m now jamming to the same songs I used to turn up my nose to. As I get older, I’ve learned that a lot of what we like depends greatly on timing, outside forces, and how we have changed. How does this relate to the way you do business?

• Timing – Just like in life, what may not have worked for you or your business five years ago, may work well now. It’s important to take a look at options and strategies you may have dismissed in the past.

• Outside Forces – The current economic climate presents many challenges, while it also offers just as many opportunities. Use this time to assess your work — and consider an “upgrade.” Find new ways to solve your clients’ problems. Develop new business relationships. Teach colleagues your strengths — and learn theirs.
• How We’ve Changed — The recent social media revolution has positioned everyone, including companies big and small, on a more equal playing field. For public relations and marketing professionals, never have we had the ability to garner so much exposure. There is almost an exponential amount of potential — even on a shoestring budget. Social media isn’t for every person or business, but it’s worth considering.

Once a little time goes by, things can look very different. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate both your iPod® and your business.

Photo credit: low profile

We’ve written before about the need for companies to understand how social media influences internal communication. But, it’s just as important for executives to realize how employees are using these tools to communicate externally — often without management being “in the know.”

Case in point: This week, the beleaguered Minnesota Timberwolves decided against re-signing coach Kevin McHale. Following employee communication best practices, the team’s front office communicated from the inside, out — breaking the news to staff and players first. A long-time member of the T-wolves organization, McHale was well-liked by his young team, and many of them were upset about this change in direction. Before the organization made the news public, forward Kevin Love broke the story on Twitter, writing:

Today is a sad day…Kevin McHale will NOT be back as head coach next season.

Team president David Hahn didn’t seem to mind that the team’s announcement got scooped by Twitter. As he said:”I don’t want Kevin [Love] to feel badly about that. We live in a very different world than all of us grew up in. I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

In this day and age, communication is instant and word spreads quickly. But, sometimes breaking news on Twitter is a big deal — and problematic. From a PR perspective, employee education is key to managing the message.

1. Employees must understand what’s acceptable to share online … and what’s not.
2. When companies make big announcements, they should explain when it’s appropriate for employees to share company updates on their personal networks.
3. Companies should understand how their employees are using social media and look for opportunities to work together to spread good news or clear up “mistruths.”

One thing’s for sure: As social media continues to infiltrate our lives, situations like this are more likely to arise. Businesses need to be prepared … or risk being caught off guard –  like the Timberwolves.

This post is a bit of a departure from the content we typically include on the Costa DeVault blog –- but with Father’s Day coming up, I just couldn’t resist commenting on an article I just read in the Life section of today’s USA Today (“Today’s guys parent with new daditude”). Work-life balance is important to us here at Costa DeVault –- and being the father of two little girls, the subject matter obviously resonated with me. In the article, the reporter looks at the changing “norms” of fathers and their involvement in their kids’ lives. A shift from the traditional masculinity of the 1950s, today’s fathers are more involved in day-to-day and playful activities –- engaging their children using humor. Websites like dadlabs.com and daddytude.com are popping up –- providing dads with regular video advice and offering a forum for discussion about the new roles and expectations.

This new “norm” certainly seems like the only norm to me. I cut up with the girls all the time – teaching my oldest to say things like “there is no charge for awesomeness” (a quote from Kung Fu Panda) whenever she does something good … or offering to put fried worms on her bagel for breakfast. An offer that always gets a good laugh and an “ohh gross.”

While the article did a good job of summing up the reality for a lot of young fathers, it missed a very important point that, I suspect, many of us dads would have to acknowledge. Truth is: It’s our wives who make our stepped-up involvement and “funny dad” roles possible. My wife does the “un-fun” stuff: keeps the schedules, makes the lunches, signs up for the classes, packs the change of clothes – the list goes on and on. Her diligence allows me to get the girls up in the morning, drop them off and pick them up at pre-school … and have fun along the way. There are so many things I don’t have to worry about because she does … that I just get to be “dad.”

Nothing to do with PR or marketing. Just a commentary on life. And a shout-out to my better half.

Photo Credit: Ifindkarma

For a long time, many of us in PR buried our heads in the sand when it came to learning HTML. Why would we need to know that? Isn’t it a programming language meant to be used by programmers? Well, yes and no. PR people don’t need to know all the intricacies of this complex coding language; however, we do need to understand the very basics. In fact, forward-thinking public-relations people believe that HTML coding is the number one new skill that all PR pros should learn.

You may not use HTML every day (at least not yet), but the more comfortable you become with it, the more you’ll use it in Facebook notes, social media releases, blog comments and minor web site edits.(Think of how convenient — and quick! — it would be to make minor changes to a web site without having to call in the programmers!)

PR HTML Starter Kit

Tip #1: Brackets

Let’s start by understanding the format for HTML codes. You’ll see these less than (<) and greater than (>) brackets surrounding HTML tags. That’s coding language. You don’t really need to understand why they’re used … just remember that whenever you use a code, you need to include the brackets.

Tip #2: Simple Codes

These codes should be inserted before the word or section you’re editing:

• Bold <b> or <strong>
• Italics <em> or <i>
• Strike <strike>
• New paragraph <p>
• Line break <br>
• Unordered list <ul>
• Bullets <li>
• Embedding links <a href=”insert URL here”>
• Blockquote <blockquote cite=”text here”>

Tip #3: Closing Brackets

After you insert your code, don’t forget to close the bracket with a backward slash followed by the code — again in the brackets. For example if you want to bold a word, you’d type this:

<b>Bold example</b>

To embed a link, follow this format:

<a href=”www.costadevault.com”>Costa DeVault web site</a>

Tip #4:You Tell Us

We realize this isn’t a comprehensive list. In fact, it doesn’t even qualify as HTML 101 — you’d need a programmer for that! But, that’s ok. Focus on grasping the basics first and go from there.

There are thousands of tags that we could be using. Which ones would you add to this starter list?

Photo credit: Coxar

A guest post from Shari Orr, communications specialist for the Central Florida Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

In December 2008, Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida officially entered the social media ring. We have been blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, and uploading content to YouTube and Flickr ever since. We love being a part of something so timely, with our primary goal being to build open relationships with each tweet, blog post, and photo set. Through these developing relationships, we hope to change perspectives on homelessness, encourage volunteer involvement, and garner much-needed donations. The “Orlando ‘Can’ Care Challenge” would allow us to see if we were meeting our goals.

Recently, we’ve noticed a drastic drop in food donations from individuals and in the food supplies available from local food banks. To help meet the shortage we are facing, we decided to launch a bold Challenge to our local community: the “Orlando ‘Can’ Care Challenge.” We even had a prize for our winners (a rarity in the nonprofit world!). We decided to test the waters of social media by challenging only our Twitter, Facebook and blog friends to help fill our cupboards. We were a little nervous, but our action-oriented social media friends did not disappoint us.

After several Facebook and Twitter teasers about an upcoming contest, we issued the Challenge on our blog “Hope for the Homeless,” including all the details participants would need to know. The premise was simple: we needed large quantities of food, and whatever social media friends helped us collect the most would win a guest blogging opportunity. The Challenge ran from Thursday, May 7 until Friday, May 15. The time frame gave participants a chance to make a weekend shopping trip, but was short enough to maintain a sense of urgency.

Over the next week, we tweeted and Facebooked updates as new donations were brought in, uploading Flickr photos of each donation or group. During the Challenge, we wrote a blog post about the prevalence of hunger in America to keep the topic fresh and to actively challenge poverty stereotypes. By Friday at 5 p.m., with only a few hours of staff time invested in the Challenge, we were rewarded with 1,000 pounds of food! Needless to say, we were thrilled.

An interesting aspect of the Challenge was that several of our participants had never donated or volunteered with the Coalition before (@MLTV and @cherylp3 are examples of our wonderful new donors). This confirmed that we are establishing strong new relationships through our social media sites. Also, all but one of our participants found out about the Challenge from Twitter (Workscapes, the grand winner, learned about the Challenge through our blog). So, we learned that for now Twitter is the most efficient site for quickly mobilizing our friends to meet a need. (We also experienced Twitter’s usefulness when we requested blanket donations in February.)

Looking at the half-ton of food we gained from the Challenge, the new donor relationships we established, and the information we received about our social media presence, we vote that the Challenge was an outstanding success!

And you know what that means: watch out for the next Challenge. We can’t wait!