Media & Public Relations

Public relations people work with the media in many ways. They have to know how to prepare for press interviews, organize a news conference, conduct a media tour, and write such materials as fact sheets, press kits, and op-ed articles.

Media Dependance on Public Relations

We begin with a review of how reporters and public relations people are mutually dependent upon each other for accomplishing their respective goals. It should to be mentioned that there are areas of friction that often contribute to an adversarial atmosphere. An important part of the relationship is based on mutual trust and credibility. Public relations people must always provide accurate, timely, and comprehensive information. Only in this way can any medium do its job of informing readers, listeners, or viewers about matters of importance to them.

Public relations sources provide most of the information used in the media today. A number of research studies have substantiated this, including the finding that today’s reporters and editors spend most of their time processing information, not gathering it.

1200 New York Times, Washington Post front pages were studied as far back as 1973 and it was found that 58,2 percent of the stories came through routine bureaucratic channels (official proceedings, news releases, and conferences or other planned events). Just 25.2 percent were the products of investigative journalism, and most of these were produced by interviews, the result of routine access to spokespersons. As the report said, «The reporter cannot depend on legwork alone to satisfy his paper’s in¬satiable demand for news. He looks to official channels to provide him with newsworthy material day after day».

A New York public relations firm, Jericho Promotions, sent questionnaires to 5,500 journalists worldwide and got 2,432 to respond. Of that number, 38 percent said they get at least half of their story ideas from public relations people. The percentage was higher among editors of lifestyle, entertainment, and health sections of newspapers but much lower among metropolitan reporters, who spent most of their time covering «hard» news.

In other words, public relations materials save media outlets the time, money, and effort of gathering their own news.

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Vocabulary

accomplish one’s goal — достичь своей цели
adversial — враждебный, недоброжелательный
be dependent upon smb. — зависеть от к.-л.
comprehensive — исчерпывающий
contribute to smth. — способствовать
credibility — взаимный
fact sheet — подборка данных, «объективка»
friction — разногласие
insatiable — неуемный, жадный, ненасытный
media outlets — местные телестудии, радиостанции, редакции, «точки» средств массовой информации medium — средство
mutual — обоюдный, взаимный
op-ed page/article — полоса газеты, где публикуются статьи, отражающие точку зрения на какой-либо вопрос, колонка читателей
press kit — пресс-подборка, информационная подборка для прессы (набор рекламно-информационных материалов)
process information — обрабатывать информацию
provide information — предоставлять информацию
respective — соответственный
routine — обычный
satisfy demand — удовлетворить спрос
story — газетный материал, сообщение в печати
substantiate — подтвердить данными
timely — своевременный

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l) Find the English equivalents in the text. Use them in sentences of your own

• источники;
• по всему миру
• первая страница газеты
• мероприятия
• из этого количества
• размещать материал в газете
• по крайней мер
• освещать события
• xитатели, слушатели и зрител

2) Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

1. firm belief, confidence —
2. regular and usual —
3. always wanting more of smth. –
4. people who have been chosen to speak officially for a group, organisation or government —
5. an occasion when a famous person is asked questions about their life, experiences, or opinions for a newspaper, magazine, television program etc.

3) Translate the following word combinations into Russian:

T provide; to gather; to process	information
Media	tour; outlets; advisories
Investigative	journalism; report; work
Accurate; timely:comprehensive	information

4) Match the words

act	advisories
op-ed	sheets
media	kits
press	articles
routine	channels
news	demand
insatiable	release

5) Match words close in their meaning

goal	disagreement
adversarial	objective
friction	hostile
to respond	almost
nearly	to react

6) Match words having the opposite meaning

rust	waste
accurate	lack of faith
timely	inopportune
metropolitan	inexact
save	local

7)   Complete the following sentences from the text and translate them into Russian:

1. Just 25,2 percent were the products of…
2. Of that number, 38 percent said that…
3. The percentage was higher among editors of lifestyle,…

8) Complete the sentences with the words

information; friction; trust; sources; media; adversaria; credibility

1. Public relations______________provide most of the______________used in the ______________today.
2. It also mentions the areas of_________________that often contribute to an ______________atmosphere.
3. An important part of the relationship is based on mutual_________________and___________.

9) Insert prepositions where necessary

on; for; of; to; upon; with

1. The chapter begins_____a review_____how reporters and public relations peo¬ple are mutually dependent_____each other_____accomplishing their respective goals.
2. It also mentions_____areas_____friction that often contribute_____an adversial atmosphere.
3. The reporter cannot depend_____legwork alone to satisfy his paper’s insatiable demand_____news.

10) Agree or disagree:

1. Public relations sources provide most of the information used in the media today.
2. Public relations materials save media outlets the time, money, and effort of gathering their own news.

Make sure to use the following expressions:

• Yes, that’s true.
• There I agree completely.
• I don’t think that’s quite right.
• I’m afraid I don’t agree
• That’s not quite so…
• As far as I know…

11)  Render the following item in English: