If You Paid For It, It's Not News

The Internet has made it easier than ever for just about anyone to have his or her own show -- streaming radio, YouTube, live chats and the like. Couple that with the traditional cable access networks and you have a lot of people on the air, in some form or another.

This is actually a great thing because it allows more access for anyone to broadcast their message.

But here comes the caveat: some of these producers or hosts charge for appearances on their shows. However, if you paid to have your business or organization featured on a broadcast or in a publication, it is not a news organization. The hosts/writers/etc. are not journalists -- and what you paid for was a commercial.

Several weeks ago, we talked about the benefits of publicity over advertising. The very first benefit -- and a really great one -- is that publicity is free. Good Morning America? Doesn't cost a dime. The Today Show?  You don't pay a cent. The list goes on.

These are news programs and journalists don't pay for news. We see or hear about a story, decide it will appeal to our viewers/listeners/readers on some level and we cover it. What we don't do is accept payment for featuring a story because one of the principal elements of journalism -- objectivity -- goes out the window once money changes hands.

It is actually unethical for journalists to accept any type of payment for a story and most -- actually I can venture to say, all -- news organizations have some sort of ethics code of conduct. The New York Times has  an entire section on protecting neutrality in its company ethics policy that states:



35. Staff members and those on assignment for us may not accept anything that could be construed as a payment for favorable coverage or for avoiding unfavorable coverage. They may not accept gifts, tickets, discounts, reimbursements or other benefits from individuals or organizations covered (or likely to be covered) by their newsroom. Gifts should be returned with a polite explanation; perishable gifts may instead be given to charity, also with a note to the donor. In either case the objective of the note is, in all politeness, to discourage future gifts.


So there you have it. What does this mean for you and your organization if you are considering or have paid to be featured in print or broadcast? Well, for one thing, it should be disclosed that guests pay to be spotlighted so the audience is aware.  


Any organization that pays it guests or accepts payments from its guests should not be billed as a news show or publication -- because being on the news is free.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.

Do Your Homework When It Comes to Giving

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck Japan
Friday, March 11.

For most of us, disasters like the devastating tsunami in Japan stir compassion and an impulse to help -- and give -- in any way we can.

But there are others who use tragedies to spur the latest scams. While plenty of legitimate nonprofit organizations are collecting donations, beware of fraudulent ones out to steal your money instead of using it to aid victims.

In my home state of Illinois, Attorney General Lisa Madigan released several tips to verify if an entity is legitimately collecting money.

• Ask how much of your donation will go to the charity and how much will be used to pay fund-raising costs. 
• Pay close attention to the name of the charity (or misspelled words in the name).
• Ask questions about the charity. 
• Take caution when giving online. 
• Do not pay in cash. For security and tax record purposes, pay by check. Be sure to write the full official name of the charity on your check—do not abbreviate.
• Request written information.
• Do not donate if the solicitor uses high-pressure tactics, asks for cash payment or insists on sending someone to pick up your donation. 

Another good resources is http://www.charitynavigator.org/, where you can search for an organization if you question its legitimacy.

If you believe you have been a victim of a scam or want to report a suspicious solicitation, log on to your state attorney general's website or contact the office directly.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc.  With a background in print media, she has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how they can get media attention for their programs and efforts. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.

Where is Your Media Plan?

When you start a business or nonprofit organization, typically your business plan is in place -- the mission statement, the goals you want to accomplish and how you plan to do it.

Is there a media plan included?

If there answer is no, then you should get to work on one. Here's why: If you randomly pitch random things to random media outlets, believe me, you will get equally random results.

Last week, we talked about why you should consider publicity for your business or organization and how it can help you. Once you decide publicity is something you want to pursue, you should have a map to get there, much like your business plan, marketing strategy or any other plan.

What is it you want to accomplish through the media -- social and traditional? How will you get it accomplished? What are the costs? What are the benefits?

If you have no idea what the answers to these questions are, you should get the help of someone who does. I'm not talking about someone who took a random journalism or marketing class in college, either, but someone who really understands the field and how to work in it.

Remember the old adage: failure to plan is a plan to fail. This also applies when it comes to media.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc.  Her background is in print journalism and she has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how they can get media attention for their programs and efforts. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.