Be the Media

We exhort our clients to “be the media”. So what are we talking about? Simply put, it is taking advantage of the latest tools and platforms to tell your story and call your audience to action.

Video, for example, is a powerful tool that can be put to good use on your website or in your e-newsletter. There is a reason why YouTube’s users are uploading 24 hours of video every minute. Clearly, someone’s watching.

The video you produce can be spread through Twitter, a blog or other web 2.0 platforms, connecting with a group of users who may have an interest in your content. And that’s the beauty – social media allows you to build an audience of people who are coming to you because they’re already interested. They are open to your call to action. Former WLS-TV reporter Andy Shaw is putting this phenomenon to good use in his role as executive director of the Better Government Association.

By the way, as a former television reporter, Andy comes across well on video. Whether it’s for internally-produced video, broadcast television or distance learning, CG&A gets high marks for our media and presentation training. Perhaps it’s time for an internal brush-up for your organization.

CG&A offers public affairs, public relations and marketing services. Some of our clients use us exclusively in one area, while for others we provide integrated communications services. Like many such firms, we are enthusiastic about the potential for businesses, non-profits and, yes, government to put some of the new web-based tools to use.

Foursquare is a good example.

For some, Foursquare’s location-based game is a marketing dream

From a GPS-enabled device, geolocator tools like Gowalla and Foursquare allow users to “check-in” to tell others about their whereabouts. Users can check-in at restaurants, bars and plenty of other places, to both broadcast their location and add a recommendation.

For the New York Times, a check-in is an opportunity to add more value to a location based on the wealth of knowledge provided by the newspaper. While the paper’s collaboration with Foursquare launched during the Vancouver Olympic Games, the account has now shifted to provide “recommendations on dining, nightlife, attractions.” In Chicago, Crain’s recently launched their partnership with Foursquare, which they’ve dubbed “the ultimate guide for business dining in the Windy City.”

Around town, check-in the next time you grab a drink or catch a show at Schuba’s in Lakeview. The tavern offers 15% off your food order just for checking in. If you’re craving pizza during your lunch break, Piece offers 10% off your meal throughout the week.

Meanwhile: Where is this Journalism Thing Going?

Skinny newspapers, novice reporters, fewer resources – we know what’s been happening to old-line journalism and many don’t like it. As media experiment, individual reporters are embracing all the tools at their disposal:

We gleaned these tips at a recent Publicity Club of Chicago event.

John Lampinen of the Daily Herald recommended that PR folks find and friend his reporters on Facebook
Kyle Leonard of the Chicago Tribune highlighted the benefits of crowdsourcing from the community on the various Triblocal.com sites
Mike Cetera of the Sun-Times also urged usage of Facebook and twitter to reach out to media, noting that both are much less cluttered at this point than an average reporter’s e-mail inbox

Whether you’re looking to connect on Facebook, Twitter or another social media platform, remember to build the relationship first. A random friend request or misguided tweet is the same as a poorly-worded pitch—a waste of time for both PR and the media.

While we don’t know what the future of media will be, we do know that a new generation of budding reporters wants in. Enrollment in undergraduate journalism programs nationwide has grown 35 percent over the past 10 years, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. With a renewed focus on the multimedia aspect of being a journalist, higher education institutions are looking to find the proper balance between technology and reporting — noting that what students learn as they begin college can drastically change by the time they are ready to enter the workforce.

While some of these students may be looking at journalism as a course of study with the prospect of reshaping the field, there are numerous potential directions for journalism. From integrating with new media platforms to providing venues for crowdsourced information, the evolution of media is in full effect. We believe that there will always be a place for strong writing, sound editing and fact-checking – content-delivery over new channels with old-fashioned integrity.

What we Read

“Did you hear that story about…?” If your answer to that basic conversation-starter is often “No,” you’re not alone. It takes work these days to find out what’s up. Here’s an updated list of some of our to-go resources for local news and information:

Breaking news:

Chicago Tribune – http://twitter.com/tribune
Chicago Sun-Times - http://twitter.com/Suntimes
CNN Breaking News - http://twitter.com/cnnbrk
Crain’s Chicago Business - http://twitter.com/CrainsChicago
WBEZ - http://twitter.com/wbez

Local insight:

Every Block - http://chicago.everyblock.com/
Huffington Post Chicago - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chicago/
Illinois Statehouse news - http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/
New York Times Chicago News Cooperative - http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/illinois/chicago-news-cooperative/index.html
The Local Tourist - http://www.thelocaltourist.com/

Blogs:

Capitol Fax - http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/
Carol Marin - http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/index.html
Gaper’s Block – http://gapersblock.com
Greg Hinz - http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/blogs/hinz.pl
Robert Feder - http://blogs.vocalo.org/blog/feder

CG&A Recognized by Holmes Report and Publicity Club of Chicago

CG&A was recently recognized for our work with U.S. Cellular, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network (GOH) and the Museum of Science and Industry’s Science Chicago initiative. The Holmes Report awarded the firm a Silver SABRE award for successfully securing numerous media placements for the U.S. Cellular’s Calling All Communities campaign.

The Publicity Club of Chicago awarded the firm a Silver Trumpet award for the year-long Science Chicago initiative. CG&A managed the program’s media outreach and online presence, including a well-developed blog and communities on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. CG&A’s management of the Donate Life Illinois campaign, on behalf of GOH, earned the firm three Silver Trumpets and one Golden Trumpet. The awards were earned for Donate Life Illinois’ Campus Challenge campaign, a PSA featuring Chicago Bear’s Charles Tillman, the online video “Samantha’s Story” and the redesign of the organization’s website.