tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76822033281545575752011-11-27T17:02:59.036-08:00Media and public relations for attorneys and law firms. How to handle the media and PR with the goal of building your practice. Rainmaking through earned media and controlling your reputation.Cnoreply@blogger.comBlogger341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-22998085643209708332010-12-01T07:32:00.000-08:002010-12-01T10:46:52.990-08:00

This blog is not about advertising. But a forwarded link from a collegue caught my eye and since it holds many lessons for other sorts of image and messageing and media relationships I'm including it [below]. Plus, you know, the examples are funny.Ahhhh.... Attorneys advertising. Love it. Hate it. Attorney advertising is still controversial many years after most professional prohibitions were

Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-48382789589866813722010-11-30T07:27:00.000-08:002010-11-30T09:57:08.806-08:00

This is normally a staid, conservative, by-the-numbers blog. Tips. Lists. Real world examples. This entry is a bit different.I'm going to encourage you to think about how your story, your firm's story, your clients' story, fits into an existing myth.Before you panic and assume I'm off my meds, let me explain.People are attracted to stories. Story telling is among the oldest human art forms

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-37868719740983897572010-07-21T06:03:00.000-07:002010-07-21T08:08:11.508-07:00

I ran across this news story from New Mexico and could not help sharing it.While this article concerns a public official --not an attorney-- sad to say I have heard stories of attorneys handling ambush journalists in this very fashion.Don't you be the one to provide me with the next amusing 'bad example' story....

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-31293657882630826272010-06-26T07:09:00.000-07:002010-06-29T07:34:28.776-07:00

[Update on June 26, 2010 Fired U.S. Army General McChrystal claiming his controversial comments in Rolling Stone were made 'off the record.' And Rolling Stones reporter Micheal Hasting refutes that with some very insightful comments on the concept of "off the record."]While talking to a journalist there is no such thing as a comment made completely "off the record." Why? Journalists have a

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-3209070856729282002010-06-07T04:56:00.000-07:002010-06-07T13:11:37.656-07:00

In Michigan, ‘old media’ are lining up to attack and pillory a Legislative proposal to create a voluntary registry for journalists. Such a registry would allow the public to determine exactly who is calling themselves a journalist, and what their qualifications are to do that.The news media’s objections to the idea have not been subtle. The idea has been labeled ridiculous and unconstitutional

Cnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-28765621591715269182010-06-04T04:31:00.000-07:002010-06-04T07:11:09.907-07:00

Michigan is playing with the idea of creating a 'registry' for journalists. The idea, according to bill sponsor State Senator Bruce Patterson, is to allow the public access to information on journalists' qualifications and experience.Given the implosion of the traditional news media, and the rise of the stereotype of the know-nothing, basement-bound blogger,[present company excepted] the idea

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-3469905031957702442010-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:002010-06-07T13:25:19.861-07:00

Social media seems to be the hottest of media topics for attorneys, especially since so much of 'old media' is dying.Sometimes it is best to let the stories do the talking. Compare and contrast:1) Facebook --a winning tool?2) Facebook -- despised and loathed?

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-45910726700022460402010-05-25T07:55:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:33:14.614-07:00

Journalists, editors and producers decide what the story is. You do not.The job of the news media is to gather all of the facts that they think are important, highlight the ones they feel are most interesting, and then package them in the way they hope will be most enticing to listeners or readers. Their job is not to create a venue for you to tell the story you want to tell. News is a business

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-68765156088413390162010-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:002010-01-07T19:22:59.427-08:00

A recent ruling in Florida declared that Judges and attorneys may not ‘friend’ one another on the popular social networking service Facebook because that connection could give the appearance of impropriety, so says the Florida State Bar Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee.[For those unfamiliar with Facebook, to “friend” someone on Facebook is to give that person permission to access your Facebook

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-31563444023499825402009-10-20T07:37:00.000-07:002010-01-25T06:35:18.031-08:00

[UPDATE: Lawyers Weekly published a 'ubscribers only' article on this subject on January 25, 2010][A caution regarding law firm tweeting, blogging, “friending” and other cute sounding social media projects.]Before undertaking any communications strategy you should have a clear goal in mind. So prior to focusing finite resources on legal blogging and twittering and hourly Facebook status updates,

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-62278219571779903442009-05-21T07:46:00.000-07:002009-06-11T10:38:50.263-07:00

It is well within the capacity of almost anyone [certainly for a well-educated attorney who makes a living writing and persuading] to draft a workable news release.Remember, the purpose of a news release is to give journalists enough facts so that they can decide if there is a story. You also want to leave them with the desire to ask follow up questions and to get ‘the rest of the story” from

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-49876221797155442122009-05-15T09:51:00.000-07:002009-05-26T11:45:07.760-07:00

“Paperless” has become a somewhat overused catch phrase in the context of clearing out the law office filing cabinets, and the rise of e-filing. We are all supposed to be scrambling to buy scanners and teach our staff to create searchable .pdf client files so we can be paperless too.But ‘paperless’ in a more literal, media-related sense --the loss of the nation’s newspapers—is not necessarily a

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-89076676240899434832009-02-04T06:25:00.000-08:002009-02-08T13:28:08.807-08:00

"I know it when I see it" might serve as well to define "news" as it served Justice Potter Stewart to define pornography.Some media pros cynically say that "news" is whatever an editor or news anchor says it is that day [sort of like the old saw about the law being whatever the last judge said it was]*.There is truth in that perspective and you can learn something critical from it: News is not

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-66301818359553910302009-02-01T07:24:00.000-08:002009-02-11T17:24:54.351-08:00

Return media calls. Create relationships with journalists. Be a "go-to" attorney for journalists. I keep urging you to do these things. But isn't it a waste of time and energy to cultivate all these relationships and to return calls and answer questions unless the result is on all fours with your practice area? Why field media calls on basic criminal law if you run a commercial real estate

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-88634290979611778332009-01-20T06:13:00.000-08:002009-02-11T13:37:02.590-08:00

Last year I listened to a very well respected journalist give a brief talk over coffee and bagels.He told us of the realities of a shrinking media world. First: drastically less resources. Staff cuts, shrinking resources, new challenges with the emerging Internet-based communication nexus. All in all the story was grim: twice as much work for half as many journalists with half the budget. And

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-70542729137945521322008-11-04T06:41:00.000-08:002009-02-07T11:00:00.132-08:00

A large and growing number of attorneys and law firms host a "blog" [short for Web log]. Like this one.Blogs can resemble a journal or diary. They might be thought of as halfway between an email or forum post and a more permanent Website. Blogs have been described as "real-time media." Their immediacy is compelling. Such informal immediacy also presents its share of problems worthy of

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-86641994023544854492008-10-31T07:16:00.000-07:002009-01-31T15:06:32.491-08:00

The simple answer is: "yes!" But as with everything in the world of media and public relations the full answer is more complicated than that.Every attorney or law firm that solicits clients from any source should have a good professional, well-kept Website. Such bar members and their firms need a Website not only for direct and indirect rainmaking, but to present a face to the world, and to

Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-81901736799038667942008-10-20T07:07:00.000-07:002009-02-07T10:19:40.674-08:00

Previously I've stated that is it "almost always" in your best interest to make contact with the media.This post concerns an exception to the rule.I'm allegedly an expert. As a journalist I conducted thousands of interviews and I have been the subject of hundreds of interviews since then. I have pretty good instincts and possess a lot of confidence in my ability to avoid being ambushed and to

Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-4018453730217343102008-09-22T07:25:00.000-07:002009-01-31T12:28:01.757-08:00

This is part two in an ongoing series on "crisis communications."To read part one: Crisis Communications #1As I explained in part #1, "crisis communications" is a term of art in the media and PR business. It refers to handling the media and public opinion in an emergency. Sort of like those in-case-of-fire escape plans we are all supposed to create for home and office, but usually don't.You need

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-17723819559481401922008-09-17T19:44:00.000-07:002008-09-24T08:40:23.344-07:00

"Crisis communications" is a term of art in the media and PR business.It refers to handling the media and public opinion in an emergency. Sort of like those in-case-of-fire escape plans we are all supposed to create for home and office, but usually don't.Unlike the case of the rare but catastrophic fire, however, I can assure you that you will experience the much more frequent and just as

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-51677527752340147522008-09-10T07:35:00.000-07:002010-01-20T10:45:41.169-08:00

The attorney was annoyed. Her firm had won a hard-fought verdict but their celebration was muted by what they considered improper media coverage."All they talked about was the size of the verdict," she stated with no little disgust. "They missed the policy issue and the misconduct of the other side. They ignored the bigger picture and the need for a Legislative solution. And they made us sound

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-64983690899485313172008-08-19T06:45:00.000-07:002008-09-23T09:49:06.816-07:00

Though it is your job to steer an interview toward your talking points, the journalist’s job is to get the information they want. Usually you can both achieve your goals. Occasionally you come to loggerheads. At that point you might face some tough questions designed to trip you up and get you off your message and on to the journalist's message. As an attorney you are familiar with trick or

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-16441762433547502732008-08-18T07:20:00.000-07:002009-02-07T10:46:22.321-08:00

One way to think of up media relationships is to consider "proactive" v "reactive" media contact.Reactive media contact occurs when a journalist calls you up or walks up to you as you leave your office and says, "Hey! Can you answer a few questions for me?"Proactive media contact occurs when you send out a news release or call up a journalist and say, "Hey! Are you interested in knowing more

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-69941837705419922162008-07-31T07:09:00.000-07:002008-08-12T13:39:06.275-07:00

Sometimes it is tough to face facts. Your firm's newly remodeled board room is not headline news to the general public.Other examples of what is not stop-the-presses headline news include: your new associate; your firm's foursome golf score at the Lions Club fundraiser, and; your nifty new marque sign.Such happenings are interesting to you and to your firm. Put them in the firm newsletter.

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-18845783588370491992008-07-28T06:41:00.000-07:002008-08-18T16:20:26.866-07:00

I previously noted that when you are trying to earn media coverage you really have two audiences. First, the media outlet itself. Only after you convince them to broadcast or publish your message are you faced with controlling what message is sent to your second audience, the public. Persuading your first audience is easy if you keep in mind a few simple guidelines.1) Keep your ego in check.

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-17512479796417290622008-07-07T07:07:00.000-07:002008-07-31T09:08:23.065-07:00

Whenever you are being interviewed by a journalist you really have two distinct audiences: 1) the media outlet itself, and; 2) the public.Audiences.At some point in your education you likely recall having a teacher or professor lecture you on the importance of "identifying the audience" you want to communicate with.It is a simple idea and we all are guided by a version of this advice every day.

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-64828176879211662302008-06-28T07:23:00.000-07:002009-06-11T10:44:41.660-07:00

Most all of us have interests and hobbies that make us interesting and unique. One attorney I know is a mountain climber. Another has a hobby farm and is a beekeeper. Others are martial arts Black Belts, semi-professional ballroom dancers or race car drivers, volunteer at homeless shelters, have award-winning home gardens, open offices in renovated historic buildings or collect rare books.An

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-57328842974731734422008-06-20T19:15:00.000-07:002008-09-23T09:50:28.675-07:00

These attorneys did everything wrong.The bar official finally agreed to speak to me and another reporter about allegations of a possible scandal at the bar association. Our publication had broken the story. The scandal had begun with some minor allegations that could have been minimized if handled properly.But the official and his fellows had curtly stonewalled us and the media in general for

Cnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-54785902224585973772008-06-17T18:15:00.000-07:002009-02-07T10:22:49.683-08:00

During the "Dealing With The Media For Lawyers" seminars we conduct and in other circumstance I have had lawyers tell me, "I never call reporters back." Others will brag, "I just tell all reporters, 'no comment.'"That stance reflects not only a missed opportunity, but a serious mistake.Not calling someone back --anyone-- is rude. Being rude to a journalist is especially stupid. Journalists are

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-37837080970382876122008-05-25T07:22:00.000-07:002008-09-19T12:42:52.960-07:00

When I received the voice mail from a wire service journalist I was home ill with some sort of summer cold/viral ick. I had a headache, my throat was sore, my chest full of flem and I "sounded like a duck" [according to one of my kids]. I had slept for most of 24 hours.The journalist was putting together a national story on a critical legal issue. Those on the "other side" of the issue had

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-58942298607944957992008-05-01T20:08:00.000-07:002008-07-29T11:24:04.425-07:00

Any time you speak to a journalist you need to spend some time thinking and creating a written list of talking points beforehand. Do this without fail. Every time.Your talking points should be designed so that when someone reads or hears the story they will understand your message. Use these guidelines to craft your talking points:Talking points should be simple. One sentence. Simple and easy

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-18573728832464293882008-04-27T07:21:00.000-07:002009-02-07T11:05:22.387-08:00

Nothing will focus people's attention on you and your firm and enhance your reputation quite so well as giving the public something of value.We all know that providing the best legal representation possible is the real key to long-term public relations, and to success, for your practice.But building that sort of reputation takes time. There are ways to fast-forward that same positive feeling your

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-48612466189509369712007-12-17T20:15:00.000-08:002009-02-07T10:57:26.486-08:00

Ten simple tips for handling media calls.1) Decide whether it is in your best interest to participate in the story. It almost always is in your interest as long as you have a plan. At the very least you can make contact to establish or confirm your relationship with the journalist and offer to help next time.2) Call the journalist back. Always. Even if you are going to decline to participate.

Cnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682203328154557575.post-91776625939931076172007-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:002008-09-19T17:56:30.959-07:00

You may not be interested in the media, but the media is interested in you.That paraphrase of a famous quote about war has become my standard answer to attorneys who ask me, "Why should I care about the media?" Potential answers: To build your practice? To control your reputation? To defend yourself, your clients, and your firm? To get the word out about the good things you and other bar

Cnoreply@blogger.com1