Author: Emily Lange
Media relations and public relations are about building good communications with the public. Although many people believe these two terms describe the same thing, this in actual fact is not the case. Both media relations agencies and public relations agencies work to build the public perception of your brand, but there is a significant difference between which sectors of the public each agency is trying to reach. Media relations describe the relationship that is built between your company and the media. Public relations describe the work that is done to build a relationship with the public.
Media relations involve building a positive image of your company through a relationship with the people who create news. This means communicating with reporters, editors in newspaper or magazines, radio, TV and online to mold the public’s perception of your company through newsworthy information. Dealing with the media can present many challenges, and requires a specialized type of agency to manage this important relationship. A capable media relations agency knows how to create and maintain a relationship that it is mutually advantageous to both your company and the newsmakers. Although many companies have only a public relations agency working for them, with media relations included in their job description, it is definitely an asset to have members of your public relations agency that have specific training in the media relations area. This is a specialized field that requires unique skills. A positive image in the media can make or break your business.
Each company should spend some time discussing the image they would like to create in themedia, and have an agreement with their media relations agency about what tone they would like their press releases and other communication with the media to take. Communications with the media must be honest, but not too revealing. Specific guidelines must be in place outlining what is discussed with the media and what is off limits. There should always be some emergency strategies in place to deal with any negative publicity that may occur. The best way to control negative publicity is to deal with it quickly and efficiently. With the advent of social media negative publicity can spread like wild fire, and needs to be contained and extinguished as fast as possible.
The ultimate goal of a media relations strategy is to create positive coverage in the media without spending money on advertising. Positive coverage can be obtained by building relationships with those in the media who are likely to influence your brand like bloggers, and journalists who cover your business on a regular basis. Any agency working in this internet driven environment knows the importance of creating a positive image for your company through close attention to the old media avenues as well as the new. Social media offers more publicity opportunities, but also more challenges than ever before, and your agency must be capable of managing your company’s image and reputation in all forms of media.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/public-relations-articles/what-is-media-relations-6556626.html
