Apologizing has come out of the lawyer’s office and into the PR advisors. Thank goodness! At last, spokesperson’s can talk like human beings instead of having to face critics who think they don’t care.

That said, if you are going to apologize, you better mean it. Here’s my two cents:

Senior Spokesperson

The apology should come from the most senior person available. Your customers and investors don’t want to hear from a PR person – they want the president. If the CEO or president are unavailable, they apology should come from the next in line who has responsibility for the organization.

Sincerity
The apology must be sincere, and from the heart. If the president is too nervous or not a good speaker, it isn’t the end of the world. I’d prefer to hear from a nervous sincere president than a polished salesperson. Better yet, coach your C-Suite before apologies are ever needed. An empty apology will be detected very easily.

Acknowledgment
The spokesperson should acknowledge the error that was made. Whether it was distasteful matter in the media or an accident at a work site, sincere acknowledgment of the issue lets stakeholders know that you take the issue seriously. “It appears that the accident was a matter of human error as the tool that fell to the sidewalk from the 3rd floor should have been tethered.”

Commitment
Let the public or your stakeholders know that you will act responsibly to ensure the incident isn’t repeated. Make a commitment to resolve the issue. For example, new measures or training will be put in place, corrective or punitive actions will be taken, a thorough investigation will take place.

Follow-up
Your job isn’t done. Follow up with the spokesperson to ensure the actions are taking place, then report back to your stakeholders.

An apology is only as good as the sincere action that follows it.

Around the world, we are experiencing a major shift in how we gather, distribute and receive our news. It’s funny, in a non ha-ha way, that I’ve had at least a dozen journalists from as near as my hometown to as far as Los Angeles and New York ask me what I think the future holds for news media. Those on the inside are just as lost as many are on the outside.

I was thinking this morning that it’s a bit like the other effects we are seeing in the world economy. You know, where giant monopolies took over certain sectors, and everyone bought stocks expecting to make millions, but then the mortgage crisis happened and lots of companies (and people) lost their shirts. Sounds familiar to us in media and PR, not just for the news value. When corporate monopolies bought up all the media, news also became about making money, not about passionate storytelling or finding the great little nuggets that make towns into communities.

I live in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. Our two commercial television stations are both at risk of closing, one in fact signs off the air on Monday. Many of our radio stations have been sold to off-island interests. Our daily newspaper, the Times Colonist, features regular articles from the National Post, the Vancouver Sun, or The Province. Financially, that makes sense as they are all owned by Canwest. Except, and this is a big except, people stop reading papers with less local coverage, ad sales drop and good reporters are unable to work on local stories they are passionate about. The Times Colonist has already dropped its Monday edition, and I can’t help but wonder if the skinny little Tuesday paper will be next. And let’s face it, if it doesn’t make financial sense for Canwest to retain CHEK television, maybe we’re an audience that could be served by their Vancouver station. RIP local voices.

Of course, that’s about the business of news. Those with passion – the journalists, editors, news directors, filmmakers –  are the ones with the most to lose. Or are they? There are some very savvy entrepreneurs who are going straight to the audience.

For all the naysayers who say citizen journalism isn’t credible, think again. Take Salim Jiwa. An award-winning journalist with The Province, Jiwa took his buy-out this year and founded www.vancouverite.com, an online news site that covers both local and international news. While not exactly citizen journalism, www.vancouverite.com also isn’t a big online news aggregator like CNN or MSN. Jiwa has reciprocal arrangements with other news organizations to build his inventory of stories and takes leads from citizen journalists.

What does this mean for the public? Better access to reliable news, where and when you want it and the ability to interact instantly with those who report it.

What does it mean for those of us in public relations? We will see, but I leave you with this thought: If the story you are pitching isn’t newsworthy, you shouldn’t be pitching it in the first place.

I’ve been missing in action in the blogosphere, as my one remaining reader can attest. I have to apologize as I’d like to say I’m a great role model for my clients.

Well, I might be a crummy role model, but I have been a great coach. For example, my clients Scott McDonald and Kazuyo Iga of Rocky Mountain Soap Company have embraced both social media and PR to become superstars here in Victoria. In just a few short months, they’ve sponsored events and supported fundraisers, launched a Facebook page and Scott (@FootButterGuy) has 673 followers on Twitter. More importantly, the store’s sales are skyrocketing! More on this in a following blog.

Then there’s our client Moss Development who have built 24 gorgeous waterfront condos in Tofino. What with online ads, bloggers and traditional media, The Shore only has 7 condos left.

And then there’s the whole training thing. We had a wonderful co-op student Linnaea whom I enjoyed mentoring as much as she enjoyed learning. Below is a photo of her at the awesome event we did at Church & State wines when they were presented with the Lieutenant-Governor’s award of excellence in wine making.

Linnaea at Church & State Wines

So, dear one remaining reader, I’m back in the writer’s chair and I promise I’ll keep up the work.

The Vancouver Olympics committee needs another $30 million. Can any PR help them now? What do you think? I really want to know.

Last week I was blogging about good etiquette when engaging in the online community. Seems that’s an area lots of people have questions about. For a great little video (it’s worth watching, so go ahead!), follow this link to the Social Net Daily blog: http://tiny.cc/KCuJX

I still contend that if you wouldn’t say it publicly to someone’s face, you sure don’t want to say it on social media. Thomas Farley gives some good common sense advice, including a few we wouldn’t think of in the offline world.

Trying Grooveshark on FB pages. Jury is still out a it’s a bit complicated. http://ping.fm/blog/

While I agree that social is the important focus of new media, I often am asked if it is only for personal use. I use social media for many of business interactions, and with
great success!

Social media is for the most part opt-in. If I don’t want to have you following me on Twitter, I block you. If I don’t want to connect with you on LinkedIn, I don’t accept you request. But, if I want to build a community of like-minded people who want to learn about a product or service, research its origins, discuss its use or any other number of topics, social media is a great way to to build my own network. Make them fans—but don’t shove your product or service down their throat. That’s why I blog. I want to share insights, build community and generate some conversations.

A great example is a new blog written by my client Scott MacDonald. Scott owns the Rocky Mountain Soap Company store in Victoria, BC. His blog—Natural Matters—explores all kinds of things, from the science of natural products to like-minded organizations. He is interesting, well researched and a great writer.

If you are on Vancouver Island and want to learn some basic tools and see how they are applied, come to a great luncheon and education session called “Social Media Marketing in Action: Using Social Media to Build Brand and Generate Leads.” Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo of Capulet Communications will show how social media can fit into an organization’s marketing mix. Ling Chan of the Vancouver Opera will show us how she’s used blogs, online outreach and Twitter to reach new audiences and generate over 1,000 followers.

Social media is  like any other social interaction. Mind your manners, learn the language and rules of the community, then have a good time.

Thanks everyone for attending the Saanich school district public consultation. Input is a good thing!

If you are on BC’s coast, are interested in social media (or need a refresher), here is a one-day workshop you can’t afford to miss. Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo of Capulet Communications are presenting their  Social Media Marketing Bootcamp in both Victoria and Vancouver.

As Julie writes in a recent blog post, “adding social media into the marketing mix is increasingly important for marketers who want to establish an online presence for their businesses.” As a full-time PR and marketing professional, I would say that anyone who ignores this important medium is in danger of missing their market altogether. The full-day workshop will teach you to:

• Bring more visitors to your website
• Increase your company’s visibility online
• Approach bloggers and other online influencers about your products and services
• Get your website social media ready
• Craft a potent social media pitch
• Incorporate online channels like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter into your marketing programs
• Avoid campaign killers and online faux pas.

Julie and Darren are old friends (well the friendship is old, but they aren’t) who were pioneers in the social media world. They have such wisdom and experience to share based on experience from Canada, Dublin and other wonderful, exotic locations. All for only $299, which includes a copy of their first book and many useful templates.

The Victoria workshop takes place Thursday, April 30th; Vancouver’s is Thursday, May 28th. Go to their website, Capulet Communications, to register. And hey, let them know that you heard about it here. Like all good marketers, they will want to know what worked.

Hope to see you there!

for more RACKAfracka see www.fritzcartoons.com

“So just what is news, these days?” Mr. Higgens asked me the last week. “Should I just go out front and be a flasher? That would get me noticed.”

He’s right of course. On the second part. But is that really news you want for your organization? (I guess it depends on what business you’re in.)

Good media relations are definitely based on offering story ideas and tips to the media that are relevant to their editorial plans, offer interesting links to current events, or present new information that will be of interest to their readers.

I always think back to the days when I edited a women’s magazine. Our tagline line was “Empowering Women,” and a quick scan would have told you that while it was a general women’s magazine, there was a definite feminist slant.

One day I received a typ0-ridden news release from a local strip bar announcing that one of their top strippers was becoming their first female bartender. In the early 90s, this was the bar’s acknowledgment that women, by watching men do their job, could finally move up the corporate pole, er ladder. The accompanying photo was of the new bartender, dressed not as a barkeep, but swirling on her pole. It was news, but I didn’t believe it was news my readers would be interested in.

Here are five tips to help you figure out if you have news of interest – and if it’s good for you to announce:

1. Be interesting. Would you read your announcement if it was about another business? If you think you should be profiled because you are nice and have a business on main street…sorry, that’s not news.
2. Do your research. Read the media you are sending to, and learn what they cover and who reads them. Once you envision the readers, it’s much easier to write to them.
3. Stay informed. Know what’s news in your category and respond to it. If your community is experiencing a rash of break-ins and you have a security business, offer tips to the public to keep their properties safe.
4. Be genuine. By offering free information to the public, you will earn goodwill for your organization. No media will be interested in a news release suggesting people hire you. For that, buy an ad.
5. Make it easy. Write your news release as if it is a news story (there are hundreds of templates on-line). Tie it into local news, if applicable, or make your news announcement in the first paragraph or two. Make it easy for the editor and you will earn a fan.

Okay, here’s #6 as an add-on: Include your email and phone number…then be sure to be available if they call. Please remember that the media is doing you a favour, not the other way around. Don’t ask for an interview, then try to dictate the rules. Journalists are very busy and have grueling deadlines; therefore, you are on their schedule. More than one disgruntled person who didn’t return a reporter’s call has had their topic covered but with quotes from a competitor.

As for Higgens, he didn’t flash anybody, nor did he make the 6:00 news. He went home armed with all the local papers, a list of TV stations and an assignment to determine how he can speak to the public.