Media Relations

Extra! Extra! Read All About It

A while back, I was having a chat with a reporter buddy of mine, and he started a conversation about the public relations industry and PR professionals he works with on a regular basis. He said it is frustrating the number of times he receives pitches about stories…

Back to Basics: Body Language 101

Behind our fancy computers, smartphones and eloquent writing skills lie the most basic and sometimes forgotten communication technique: body language. While body language may seem like an intuitive response in certain professional settings, no one is immune to dreary days when our emotions can be clearly read on…

A Promise for Editorial is a Lie

PR Daily recently published an article citing a PR firm out of Illinois that was promising its clients TV exposure on shows like “TODAY,” “The Rachel Ray Show,” CNN or the Oprah Winfrey Network. And PR Daily called it what it was – a scam. If you’re looking…

Back to the Basics

As a TV journalist-turned-PR pro, I’ve been on the other side of hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches. Some of them were good. But most got deleted. About 1 percent of them were great. Those pitches all had a few things in common: 1.    KISS – One of…

Happy 7th Anniversary, Obsidian Public Relations!

Today marks a milestone for Obsidian Public Relations—our seventh anniversary! 2012 was a whirlwind year for our firm, with an expansion into another market, new clients and our first full year in our new office in South Main. Let’s recap: We moved into our digs at 493 S.…

The Interview – What You Need to Know

So, you got a reporter to agree to write a story about you? That’s great! Media coverage in respected publications and programs can make a huge impact on awareness of your company. But just because you’ve gotten the story, that doesn’t mean the work is over…the interview is…

The no ‘no comment’ rule

At Obsidian, one way that we really bring value to clients is through crisis management. In a time of crisis – large or small, internal or external – we work with the client to determine what should be said to key stakeholders (including media), how it should be…