by
Kay
Bransford
Yes,
you've heard it before, online
news sites stink. Jacob Nielsen
and Don Middleburg recently
released studies on how poorly the
public relations community is
doing when it comes to putting
together a useful online media
resource.
Vocus
also ran a study of 1,000
newspaper, magazine and Internet
journalists and found that only
33% of corporate Web sites provide
the adequate
information journalists are
looking for when visiting a
corporate Web site.
But
we already knew that, so the Vocus
study went on to find out what
elements and information the
journalists were seeking from
corporate Web sites. Since
three out of five journalists said
that the information found on the
Web site impacts their decision to
include a company in a story,
having the right information on
your Web site can make or break
your media coverage. The
worst that could happen is when
you send a journalist away
frustrated and empty-handed.
So
just what kind of information are
journalists looking for? Results
from the Vocus survey showed that
the top three items a Web site
should provide in a newsroom are:
1)
Press Releases: Include
current and archive releases,
being sure to post any releases
distributed within the last 24
hours, and have an easy search
option. "Press releases
should be extremely
up-to-date," said a survey
respondent.
2)
Twenty-four hour contact
information: Include a
specific contact person by name,
title and phone number and how
to reach them. "Most don't
even have a media link in their
menu for phone
numbers!!!" another
survey participant said.
3)
Corporate information:
Include a company profile,
statistics and executive
biographies -- information that
will help gain insight into the
company and its
management. "Basic
facts and figures: how many
employees, annual sales, info
that can place your company in
context when necessary,"
said a third respondent.
Public
relations professionals have a
vast opportunity to take advantage
of the communication channels that
the Internet provides, and the
strides that they make will help
in changing the way both
journalists and companies tell
their stories. Companies and
organizations which provide the
right information can maximize
their relationships with
journalists, resulting in better
coverage and increased efficiency
of resources.
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