MEDIA DEPENDENCE ON PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public relations people work with the media in many ways. This unit discusses how to prepare for press interviews, organize а news conference, conduct а media tour, and write such materials as fact sheets, press kits, and op-ed articles.

The text begins with а review of how reporters and public relations people аrе mutually dependent upon each other for accomplishing their respective goals. It also mentions areas of friction that often contribute to an adversarial atmosphere. An important part of the relationship is based оn mutual trust and credibility. For your part, you must always provide accurate, timely, and comprehensive information. Only in this way can any medium do its job of informing readers, listeners, or viewers about matters of importance to them.

Public relations sources provide most of the information used in the media today. А number of research studies have substantiated this, including the finding that today’s reporters and editors spend most of their time processing information, not gathering it. 1,200 New York Times, Washington Post front pages were studied as far back as 1973 and it was found that 58.2 percent of the stories came through routine bureaucratic channels (official proceedings, news releases, and conferences or other planned events). Just 25.2 percent were the products of investigative journalism, and most of these were produced by interviews, the result of routine access to spokespersons. As the report said, “The reporter cannot depend on legwork alone to satisfy his paper’s insatiable demand for news. Не looks to official channels to provide him with newsworthy material day after day”.

А New York public relations firm, Jericho Promotions, sent questionnaires to 5,500 journalists worldwide and got 2,432 to respond. Of that number, 38 percent said they get at least half of their story ideas from public relations people. The percentage was higher among editors of lifestyle, entertainment, and health sections of newspapers but much lower among metropolitan reporters, who spent most of their time covering “hard” news. In other words, public relations materials save media outlets the time, money, and effort of gathering their own news.

Notes:

New York Times — ежедневная газета. Считается наиболее влиятельной и информированной в стране. Придерживается прогрессивных взглядов и славится достаточно беспристрастной оценкой событий. Издается в Нью Йорке. Основана в 1851 г.

Washington Post — ежедневная утренняя газета. Издается в Вашингтоне. Основана в 1877 г. Одно из самых влиятельных либеральных изданий в стране.

Vocabulary:

accomplish one’s goal — достичь своей цели

adversarial — враждебный, недоброжелательный

be dependent upon smb. — зависеть от к. л.

comprehensive — исчерпывающий

contribute to smth. — способствовать ч. л.

credibility — взаимный

fact sheet — подборка данных, «объективка»

friction — разногласие

insatiable — неуемный, жадный, ненасытный

media outlets — местные телестудии, радиостанции, редакции, «точки» средств массовой информации

medium — средство

mutual — обоюдный, взаимный

op-ed page/article — полоса газеты, где публикуются статьи, отражающие точку зрения на какой либо вопрос, колонка читателей

press kit — пресс подборка, информационная подборка для прес сы (набор рекламно информационных материалов)

process information — обрабатывать информацию

provide information — предоставлять информацию

respective — соответственный

routine — обычный

satisfy demand — удовлетворить спрос

story — газетный материал, сообщение в печати

substantiate — подтвердить данными

timely — своевременный

Exercises 1. Find the English equivalents in the text. Use them in sentences of your own: источники; с вашей стороны; читатели, слушатели и зрители; по всему миру; первая страница газеты; мероприятия; размещать материал в газете; из этого количества; по крайней мере; освещать события.

Exercises 2. Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

1. firm belief, confidence —

2. regular and usual —

3. always wanting more of smth. —

4. people who have been chosen to speak officially for а group, organisation or government —

5. an occasion when а famous person is asked questions about their life, experiences, оr opinions for а newspaper, magazine, television program etc. —

Exercises 3. Match the words. Use them in sentences of your own:

Exercises 4. Complete the following sentences from the text and translate them into

Russian:

1. Just 25.2 percent were the products of …

2. Of that number, 38 percent said that …

3. The percentage was higher among editors of lifestyle, …

Exercises 5. Complete the sentences with the following words (information; friction; trust; sources; media; adversarial; credibility):

1. Public relations __________ provide most of the __________ used in the __________ today.

2. It also mentions the areas of __________ that often contribute to an __________ atmosphere.

3. An important part of the relationship is based on mutual

__________ and __________.

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