Customer Reviews

Free Publicity: A TV Reporter Shares the Secrets for Getting Covered on the News

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As a former public relations executive, at one point owning my own firm, I agree with William Hill (founder of Hill & Knowlton, a major public relations firm) who once defined public relations worthy of the name as "truth well-told." Alas, in recent years, "PR" has generally been associated with deception, half-truths, self-serving BUZZ, image manipulation, strategic sound bites, spin, etc. Regrettably, many of those involved in such initiatives have sacrificed truth to achieve their objectives. As a result, "PR" now has negative connotations.

With regard to "free publicity," there has been no shortage of that, as once highly-regarded firms such as Adelphia, Arthur Andersen, Enron, Global Crossing, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Tyco, and WorldCom have clearly demonstrated. Nonetheless, countless other major corporations as well as the reputable public relations firms they retain appreciate the value of effective press relations IF there is newsworthy truth to be told...and told well. What Crilley offers in this 83-page book is a brief but informative explanation of effective press relations from one veteran journalist's perspective. He offers a solid introduction to basic tasks such as determining what is newsworthy, how to "package" the story, whom to contact, when and how to do so, and how to respond to negative publicity. His style is personal, indeed conversational.

Unlike advertising, favorable press coverage is so valuable precisely because it cannot be purchased at any price. That is why competition to obtain it is so intense. All of the "barrels" in the business world have at least a few "bad apples" and that is as true of those in the news media as it is of those in public relations, corporate communications, etc. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the most reputable persons whose interests are relevant (e.g. industry specific) and then cultivate relationships with them by earning their trust. Read everything they have written previously. Appreciate the fact that they have a job to do. What do they need to do it? How can you help?

All of Crilley's advice is sound. He includes personal observations and experiences to illustrate his key points. I would have rated his book higher had he included at least a few reader-friendly sections, such as check-lists or summaries of key points and (especially) step-by-step guidance on HOW to design and then implement an effective press relations program. Nonetheless, I recommend this book to owners/CEOs/managers of small-to-midsize companies as well as organizations in which there is no one person who concentrates full-time on press relations. Also to those who are now preparing for or thinking about a career in public relations, corporate communications, etc.

After reading Crilley's book, I strongly recommend that other sources also be consulted prior to the design and implementation of a press relations program. There are at least 20 excellent sources identified by Amazon. Check out the Customer Reviews of each and then purchase (let's say) 3-5 to read. Yes, that will require a substantial investment of time and energy. To repeat, unlike advertising, favorable press coverage is so valuable precisely because it cannot be purchased at any price. Investing sufficient time and energy -- as well as a few dollars -- to learn how to obtain such coverage will be well worth it.

For those who wondered why their story, compelling though it might be, didn't make the media, read this book.

This is a truly hilarious book about how to get free publicity, and how to own the air waves.

Did you know that the days between Christmas and New Years is the best time to get your free publicity in any and all media sources?

And on government holidays have you chosen to wait until everyone's back in town to attempt to get more business?

If your answer is "yes," you have missed out on fifty-percent of the potential media coverage available.

And, if you are planning to call a reporter, have you mastered what schoozing that they expect (complement, succinct request, succinct visual comparison, and visual descriptions that support your zinger)?

Read this book to:
1. Get free coverage on a what matters to you;
2. Get journalists beating a path to your door;
3. Write press releases that become compelling stories;
4. Turn the tough interview questions into your opportunity to
shine;
5. Master the art of the seven-second sound bite;
6. Know at what time which type of media coverage is best for
what you would like free publicity on; and,
7. Turn a reporter's question into gracefully changing the
subject to what's on your agenda.

The most hilarious point that Jeff Crilley makes in "Free Publicity" is an example of when someone, who is now very famous, called into the tv station,to promote his book. While the news editor was trying to get this person to talk about other things, this caller did not "come up for air." He endlessly talked about what he wanted to talk about. The news editor put the phone down, to get something from another room. And when the news editor returned to pick up the phone, this caller was still talking about his book.

The end result was that the caller was a water cooler topic of conversation at the tv station. And he was never invited to appear on any of their shows, despite his celebrity status, then or now.

Like any other communication environment, developing rapport with journalists means knowing and honoring their communication rules.

I really enjoyed reading this book, because there was a nice balance of facts, humor, and something different from the many communication books that I've read.

Award-winning journalist with two decades of TV news experience, Jeff Crilley is now on the air in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. (He was at my hometown Minneapolis/St. Paul station for several years, and I recently heard him speak on this subject).

"I figured it was about time a working journalist explains how news works. In this book, you will learn the secrets to getting coverage from someone on the inside. It's the stuff which they don't teach in the PR courses in college."

Boy, he wasn't kidding.

Assignment editors at major market TV newsrooms quickly (seconds) decide what press release is worthy of coverage. Grab their attention with the headline and opening sentence as that may be all they read. Write like a reporter.

If you want the media to cover you, you have to do something different or controversial. Don't be ordinary. Make sure the idea passes the "who cares" test!

Make your PR release contain visual images, whether the information was sent to a newspaper, radio or TV station. Explain it so the reporter has something vivid to describe.

What are slow news days? Those are the days that you have a better chance of getting noticed by TV news. Crilley describes many stories that filled a slow news day, that otherwise would have never been done.

Crilley does a good job of opening our thinking about what is "news," and how to get our 15 minutes of fame. One chapter is on handling negative publicity, other is on that media feeding frenzy, and how you can tie your story to another story.

Passion, creativity, enthusiasm, controversial--just a few words that describe what you must bring to the table to get some PR looks. I learned a lot.

Armchair Interviews says: Listen and learn from this expert's excellent advice.

OK, I'll admit it. I bought this book only because Jeff Crilley appears on our local TV. And he's cute and competent and fun.

I never gave much thought to the skill that lies behind the fun, good-natured reporting. And I never expected a book packed with so much useful information.

There's craft behind the fun, and craft to getting reporters' attention. Craft to planning events, craft to developing a killer story.

Ahhhhh, I get it! And you should get it too if you need a bit of a boost getting the very best kind of publicity -- free, of course!

Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.
author, "How to Find Great Senior Housing"
and
"128 Ways to Prevent Alzheimer's and Other Dementias"

It would behoove anyone who has responsibility for building an organization to read this wonderfully helpful and humorous book to pick up tips for getting just what the title promises.

Whether one has a commercial business, a non-profit or your just part of an association trying to acomplish simple neighborhood objective, Jeff Crilley's recipe for free press coverage is the ticket to getting your business recognized.

The book doesn't tell you everything, but neither is it encyclopedic in length. It is a quick read, full of anecdotal support to show you approaches to getting the media to give you some free advertising when you most need it.

The last 30 of the book's 114 pages provides one with TV station web site addresses for stations all around the country. And while most readers may not need national publicity, there is certainly enough meat there to get you started on your quest for your free publicity, one city at a time, no matter where you are right now.

Writing attention-getting releases isn't about lying, but about putting a creative twist on the truth. This book is unique in that it's written by a person who is typically on the receiving end of the releases instead of someone who has spent years writing and submitting them. I'm more interested in what the recipient wants than what the person who has written a ton of them thinks they want.

Crilley is a TV news reporter in Dallas who shares his experiences in book that takes about an hour to read because it's fast-paced, grabs your attention and keeps it. That's how good these stories are and why they got Crilley's attention. Each chapter provides a few key points and those points are reiterated at the end of the chapter for easy referencing.

The author is on target when he suggests honesty even when things are bad. If Clinton had come clean from the start of it, the whole scandal involving him and "that woman" might not have been the big deal that it came to be. The media is going to keep nibbling until it gets what it wants or arrives at the truth.

Within moments of reading the book, ideas started floating in my head on how to bring more attention to a few things needing spotlight. This simple book has it all: it's fast, easy, useful, and humorous.

This is an instantly effective book and a quick read!
Two weeks after implementing Jeff's advice I learned from FREE PUBLICITY I was on the local news- within three months I had been on statewide radio and television eight times and one of my news items got picked up by CNN and FOX News!
I have made some wonderful friends and network pals all over the media and now am "considered a trusted news source" for many local, national and international news outlets! Now, in the fourth month of using FREE PUBLICITY as my advisor, I have diversified my focus and landed a guest spot on a radio show syndicated on 51 radio stations across the country!
This book works AS YOU READ AND IMPLEMENT THE ADVICE! Instantly!
If you have a company, a special talent, a non-profit, are an actor, a dancer, politician, ANYONE who desires visibility- this book should be your FREE PUBLICITY bible!
Get one for all your department heads or to encourage your talented whiz kids success!
But BE READY TO SUCCEED because the advice contained within FREE PUBLICITY really works!
And Fast!

I've been a PR director for upteen years, and this is the best book written. This is required reading for every PR person that I hire.

Fabulous book! Follow the advice step by step and you can't lose. It tells you what to do and how to do it. All you need are your own ideas that relate to your goal. He gets right to the point and moves on without beating you over the head or diverging into the woods. I wish I had had this book years ago when I owned my own store.

As I prepare to handle my own publicity campaign after being messed over by couple of publicist, I have read a plethora of books on the subjects. This one is my top five. It pointed out some things I hadn't even considered like the time of year. I am going to read it again (since it is a quick read) because I know there were some things I missed. Also, what I liked about the book was it confirmed something I had been suspicious of for years. Creative press releases get far greater attention than boring, run-of-the-mill ones. I am not a PR expert (yet), but when I read some of these press releases on some of the wires I have wake myself back up. Key thing to publicity is to find a way to stand out, this book really gives great tips on how to do that.