media relations

the guest lecturer we had this week on public relations was interesting, albeit intense! she knows PR like the back of her hand, and really drilled home the concept of keeping the audience at the center of the proposal/campaign. no matter if the audience is a community we're working to change behaviors in, or a media outlet we're working with to further our campaign, the first thing to do is get to know your audience and learn how to communicate with them. she gave some good tips on how to address the media, and how to follow-up with them respectfully. i think following up is sometimes the hardest part of any campaign or study. keeping track of who you've contacted, when, and when best to call them back can be tricky and intimidating when you're ignored. one of the best things i took from our speaker was to remember that this is your job. contacting people, following up, and continuing to press your point are crucial aspects to any campaign. to really make others understand the importance of your campaign and be successful, you have to be persistent!