How To Create An Online Newsroom The Media Will Love

by Bill Stoller, Publisher
Free Publicity, The Newsletter for PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp

From time to time, people ask me how public relations has changedduring the two decades in which I’ve been seeking publicity. Myanswer: technology. Twenty years ago, the fax machine was anewfangled novelty. Our primary means of communicating withjournalists was the telephone and the US Mail. The advent of e-mail and the web has made life easier in many regards and tougherin others - namely, thanks to hordes of clowns with money makingschemes and software that "blasts" press releasesindiscriminately to reporters, it’s become very hard to get youre-mails through to spam-weary reporters.

But there’s another great advantage provided to publicity seekersby the Internet -- the ability to create an "online news room".In the "old days", the press kit reigned. Big bulky foldersloaded with press releases, glossy photos and slides werestandard. They were expensive to design, costly to reproduce andrequired lots of manpower and postage to assemble and distribute.Today, you can simply direct a reporter to a web URL, where allyour press materials and high definition artwork awaits, ready tobe used. It’s a huge time and money saver.

A quick note: the traditional press kit isn’t dead. It’s stillhandy to create some physical kits to use with key journalists,as the very novelty of printed material can give you an edge attimes. Also, some journalists still prefer a physical kit. Presskits are an important tool at trade show booths & press rooms,and special events. However, gone are the days of sending outlarge press kit mailings. Keep the kits for targeted use only.

Creating a useful online news room is really pretty simple. Oneof the main things a busy reporter wants is easy access to pressreleases, corporate and executive info and artwork. A well puttogether media room should provide a seamless walk-through.

Where Should the News Room Go?

There are two schools of thought on where to put your online newsroom. Some companies prefer to have it as a section on their mainsite, visible to all as a link on a menu bar or othernavigational element. Others build entirely separate sites justfor the media.

There are pros and cons to each. Putting it as part of your mainsite allows a journalist to "poke around" your site, absorbingmore of the feel and culture of your company and its products. Italso makes it easier if the reporter wants more information abouta particular product than can be found in your media materials.Of course, since you’ll need to provide clear links to the onlinenews room to help such reporters find their way back, anyonevisiting your site can access your press materials. This isprobably not an issue but, if you feel potential customers maybecome confused if they wander into the online news room, thiscould be worth considering.

Creating a separate site allows you to tailor everything to suitthe needs of the reporter and prevents the possibility ofconfusion for potential customers visiting your main site. Thereporter however, will be unable to quickly "poke around" themain site as described above, so you may consider that in yourdecision. If you do choose a separate site, give it a name thatincorporates your company (if you’re the Acme Company, go foracmepress.com or acmeonlinenewsroom.com). Also, provide clearlinks to your main site throughout, and code them so that theyopen in a new window, allowing the reporter to see your main sitewithout having to backtrack to the online news room.

Some Do’s and Don’ts

DON’T force journalists to register or sign in for access.They’re busy folks and may very well decide not to bother. Makelife as easy as you can for them.

DO offer the opportunity for journalists to enter their e-mailaddress if they wish to be kept abreast of the latest news fromyour company, but don’t link it in any way to the ability toaccess any portion of the site. DON’T confuse non-journalists whomay wander into the site. Make it clear at the top of your mainpage of your online news room what it and who it’s for.

DO provide a link to your consumer FAQ page and an e-mail linkfor customer service to give non-journalists a place to go to gettheir questions answered. This will save you a great deal oftime responding to messages from non-journalists asking "why am Ilooking at a press release? How do I download a new driver" orsome such thing. Here's what Gateway says, "Gateway presscontacts are only able to provide assistance for qualifiedmembers of the news media. They are not qualified to respond toproduct or technical support needs...If you are not a member ofthe news media, please feel free to visit our pages for ProductService and Support."

DON’T try to lay out the online news room if you’re not atalented web designer. Don’t use flash, heavy java scripts andother doo-dads. The face you put forth to the media must behighly professional, and the ease of navigation and logical flowof the news room is vital.

DO hire a professional designer who has a portfolio that includessimple, easy-to-navigate, clean-looking sites.

What To Include in Your Online News Room:

Personal Contact Info. The name, address, e-mail, phone number,fax number and cell phone number of your primary media contactsmust be front and center. If you have an Instant Messaging ID,put it in there, too.

Press Releases. Place press releases in chronological order (mostrecent at the top). Keep traditional press release formatting anduse easy-to-read fonts.

Executive photos, product photos, charts, graphs, and otherappropriate artwork. Provide multiple versions -- 72 dpi (lowerresolution) for online publications and websites, and 300 dpi(higher resolution) for offline publications. Put instructionssuch as To download, right-click and choose "save" next to thegraphics. Make sure your pitch letters and press releasesprovide links to the appropriate artwork on your site.

Backgrounders, executive bios, white papers, investor relationsinfo (if applicable), fact sheets, speeches, awards, streamingmedia of: press conferences, product demonstrations, president'sspeeches, etc.

Search Tool. Make it easy for journalists to find just what theywant, by making all your press materials fully searchable.

Online News Rooms to Study:

The best way to learn how to put together an online news room isto see how some very smart folks have done it. Here are threeoutstanding examples....

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/default.asp
http://www.google.com/press/index.html
http://www.crayola.com/mediacenter/