Publisher Description

Next to the AP Style Guide, the Media Relations Handbook is arguably the most valuable reference available for any public affairs officer, press secretary or Beltway PR professional. The Media Relations Handbook is required reading for Capitol Hill press secretaries, federal agency public affairs officers, political campaign spin doctors, nonprofit PR professionals, lobbyists or anyone involved in garnering media coverage. In this Handbook, Bradford Fitch explores theory and practice, discussing general principles and illustrating each point with real-life examples. This book is for those who are seeking the most effective means to communicate on behalf of a government agency, a national association or nonprofit, or an elected official. It will help you channel your hot passion with the cool guidance that has been gleaned through others' experience. The author professes no unique insight into media relations in public affairs. Rather, this book is an amalgamation of the collective wisdom of hundreds of public relations professionals in the worlds of government and politics. It is an overview of the ideas that have become the accepted rules of communications in Washington, presented in one volume. "[T]his book will be of value to students and professionals of political communications and public relations. Summing up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections." -- CHOICE "Although targeted for new media relations staff or ones starting a new press office, even the most experienced public information officer can learn from this book." -- Gene Rose, Director of Public Affairs, NCSL, in State Legislatures magazine "Offers a wealth of practical advice on public relations that will be of benefit to governmental and non-governmental organizations alike." -- Municipal World A rich 'how-to' lesson for pros and for novices who must negotiate the competitive landscape of America's new media." -- Ann Compton, White House Correspondent, ABC News Summary Table of Contents Introduction Foreword Ch. 1 First Steps Ch. 2 Tools of the Craft Ch. 3 Developing a Message and Communications Plan Ch. 4 Interacting with Reporters Ch. 5 Overview of the Media: Print, Radio, and TV Ch. 6 Web-Based and Online Communications Ch. 7 Dealing With the Principal Ch. 8 Interview Preparation Ch. 9 Internal Issues: Experts, Policy, Numbers, Leaks, Lawyers and Language Ch. 10 How to Interact with Congressional Campaign Operations Ch. 11 Communications in a Federal Agency Ch. 12 Crisis Communications in Public Affairs Ch. 13 Ethics in Public Affairs Appendices Glossary Epilogue Index Complete Table of Contents online at www.MediaRelationsHandbook.com

In this updated edition of the successful Public Relations Handbook, a detailed introduction to the theories and practices of the public relations industry is given. Broad in scope, it; traces the history and development of public relations, explores ethical issues which affect the industry, examines its relationships with politics, lobbying organisations and journalism, assesses its professionalism and regulation, and advises on training and entry into the profession. It includes: interviews with press officers and PR agents about their working practices case studies, examples, press releases and illustrations from a range of campaigns including Railtrack, Marks and Spencer, Guinness and the Metropolitan Police specialist chapters on financial public relations, global PR, business ethics, on-line promotion and the challenges of new technology over twenty illustrations from recent PR campaigns. In this revised and updated practical text, Alison Theaker successfully combines theoretical and organisational frameworks for studying public relations with examples of how the industry works in practice.

Nonprofit organizations are managing to carry out sophisticated public relations programming that cultivates relationships with their key audiences. Their public relations challenges, however, have routinely been understudied. Budgetary and staffing restraints often limit how these organizations carry out their fundraising, public awareness and activism efforts, and client outreach. This volume explores a range of public relations theories and topics important to the management of nonprofit organizations, including crisis management, communicating to strengthen engagement online and offline, and recruiting and retaining volunteer and donor support.

The revised and updated edition of Promoting Issues and Ideas shows you how to develop and enhance your organization's public relations plan. This book -- equally valuable for old hands and newcomers to the field -- covers essential aspects of nonprofit public relations. You will learn to create informational materials; exploit public speaking events; expand media coverage; orchestrate special events; manage public relations crises; and much more! The revised edition also features information on new communication technologies available to nonprofits.

Non-profit organizations (NPOs) across the world are facing criticism alongside approbation. In order for NPOs to effectively support their causes, they require public trust. The editors of this book have persuaded PR experts from the UK and around the world, from a variety of PR specialisms operating across different organizational forms, to share their knowledge and experience. These contributions are scaffolded with authoritative academic and practical advice, as well as solutions. The book starts with foundations that underpin communications for causes. These include arguments that support the importance of non-profits in civil society; lessons in corporate governance; and a new approach to issues management. PR planning subjects tailored, or specific, to the sector include: strategic global communications planning, agile digital communications; branding internal communications and the securing of meaningful outcomes. Corporate partnerships are examined with a new ‘Fit to Partner Test’ and consideration of the mandated corporate social responsibility (CSR) in India, corporate volunteering in Brazil, and CSR in South Africa. Relations between governments and non-profits are also considered, both generally and with a particular focus on China. Communicating Causes looks at effective strategy and practice of PR in the modern non-profit. Including forewords by both John Grounds and Jon Snow, the expert perspectives offered in this book provide valuable support to current and future communicators.

This is a new edition of Strategic Communications for Nonprofits, which was first published in 1999. It is an up-dated, nuts-and-bolts guide to helping nonprofits design and implement successful communications strategies. The book offers a unique combination of step-by-step guidance on effective media relations and assistance in constructing and developing an overall communications strategy aimed at creating social or policy change. It first explains the basic principles of a strategic communications strategy that will define the target audiences you need to reach and tells how to develop the messages and messengers you use to reach them. The book then goes on to address specific issues like earning good media coverage, building partnerships to increase available resources, handling a crisis, and more. This second edition builds on the earlier work and includes new case studies, new trends in media and branding, ethnic media issues, and trends in technology.

Public Relations: A Practical Guide to the Basics is endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations as a start-up guide to PR.

Promoting Nonprofit Organizations is a practical guide to developing and implementing a strategic public relations program to enhance a nonprofit’s reputation. The ways in which businesses – both for-profit and not-for-profit – communicate with customers has changed dramatically in recent years. Coupled with economic uncertainty, nonprofits have had to adopt a leaner operational mode, further underlining the need for organizations to take advantage of all the promotion strategies available to them. This book: Discusses why public relations and reputation management go hand-in-hand with marketing efforts Offers a step-by-step guide to develop a public relations strategy Considers the importance of nonprofit sustainable citizenship Provides tips for reputation enhancement using a range of tools, such as social media and board ambassadorship Guides the reader in developing a reputation approach to crisis communication management Highly practical in its approach, this book is a great guide for students in public relations and nonprofit management courses, as well as for professionals seeking to enhance the success of their nonprofit organization.

In addition to traditional management tools, government administrators require a fundamental understanding of the tools available to address the ever-changing context of government communications. Examining the ins and outs of the regulations influencing public information, The Practice of Government Public Relations unveils novel ways to integrate cutting-edge technologies—including Web 2.0 and rapidly emerging social media—to craft and maintain a positive public image. Expert practitioners with extensive government communications experience address key topics of interest and provide an up-to-date overview of best practices. They examine the specifics of government public relations and detail a hands-on approach for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the wide-ranging aspects of government public relations—including how to respond during a crisis.In addition to the tools provided on the accompanying downloadable resources, most chapters include a Best Practice Checklist to help you successfully utilize the communication strategies outlined in the book. Focusing on the roles of government managers enacting policies adopted by elected officials and politicians, this book is ideal for program managers seeking innovative and inexpensive ways to accomplish their programs’ missions. While no manager can be an expert in all aspects of public administration, this book helps you understand the external communications tools available to advance the mission and results of your agency.