Conversations in Public Relations in 2010

Mary Fletcher Jones, Host, Conversations in Public Relations

Hello everyone, and thanks for being a fan of the Conversations in Public Relations blog, podcast series, and YouTube series.

Conversations in Public Relations, as you know, is a video series that profiles Washington, DC area communicators, businesses, and professional organizations.

We’ve talked about pro bono projects, career advice, working for an agency. With nearly 10,000 views on YouTube, the series has provided useful advice and insights on public relations, marketing, advertising, and social media.

I’m looking forward to new interviews and content areas this year.  As always, it is free to participate in Conversations in Public Relations and the value of the online visibility it provides to its participants is significant.  The videos are usually also presented on Examiner.com and  in other online locations.

With the value of this visibility in mind, the producers of Conversations in Public Relations are asking people, companies, and organizations who wish to appear on the program in 2010 to voluntarily make a donation to the autism program at Shrevewood Elementary School when they book their video interviews.  There have been massive budget cuts in our local public schools this year.  Unfortunately, there will be staff cutbacks.  All students will be affected, but the most vulnerable special education student populations may be affected the most. The funds are urgently needed to provide them with access to life skills education and academic support so they can be fully participating members of our community.

While it will remain free to participate in Conversations in Public Relations, the producers feel the voluntary donation will not only benefit a wonderful cause (the check is made directly to the school and may be tax-deductible) but will also reduce the amount of cancellations and postponements on the part of guests, which will save us valuable time, as your friends at Fletcher Prince completely underwrite the expenses, effort, and time associated with producing this program.  We thank all the guests who faithfully kept their scheduled appointments last year!

Suggested donations for communications-related companies who wish to appear on the program is $300.  Typically, we visit the company on-site and produce up to three videos, which in market terms, is a $3600 value.

Suggested donations for nonprofit organizations and individual consultants who wish to appear on the program is $150.  Typically, we produce one to three videos from an interview conducted in Falls Church, VA.  The market value of this video is a minimum of $1200.

My goal is to raise a minimum of $1,500 in 2010 for the autism program through the generous and tax-deductible contributions of communicators, organizations, agencies, and vendors in the Washington, DC area who wish to appear on Conversations in Public Relations.

Please contact me if you are interested in appearing on a future episode of Conversations in Public Relations, including your contact information, suggested topic, and why you think your information will be of interest to Washington, DC communicators.

Thank you for sharing this post with your friends who you think will find it useful, and for your comments.

Conversations in Public Relations 2009 Wrap-Up

I launched Conversations in Public Relations in January of this year, so it seems like the perfect time, as 2009 draws to a close, to thank all the wonderful and fascinating guests who agreed to be interviewed and to share what they know with Washington, DC metro area communicators.

We produced more than 80 videos for the online video series this year, and considering that we didn’t get paid for a minute of it, I think that’s a pretty big achievement!

Thanks to the fans who read this blog 8,000+ times and who watched the YouTube videos 8,000+ times this year.  It was nice to see you on iTunes, too (people downloaded the show 5,000+ times).

I am especially grateful to David Hyson for his unfailing support and direction.

Thanks also to the talented Ross Putman who filmed the first episodes for us and to the gifted Katie Donohue who designed the graphics and logo associated with the blog and online video series.

Best wishes to all of you for a happy new year.

Anatomy of a press conference – with Amy Shaw

If you’ve ever wondered what kind of work goes into producing a press conference, tune in as SNM’s Associate Director of Public Relations Amy Shaw shares best practices for obtaining media coverage. Amy discusses how to connect with reporters, how to hold a virtual press conference, and how to maintain momentum and relationships after the press conference.

Recorded in December 2009. Produced by Mary Fletcher Jones and David Hyson for Conversations in Public Relations.

Virtual Press Conference Tips from Amy K. Shaw

Amy K. Shaw, Associate Director of Public Relations at SNM (http://www.snm.org), shares the results of her organization’s amazing success with obtaining media coverage at their annual conference by presenting a well-planned press conference, including the element of a virtual press conference created with Ustream live streaming online video.

To download Amy Shaw’s PowerPoint presentation (11 slides) about this press conference, visit http://www.adfero.com/viralvideopdfs/…

Conversations in Public Relations is produced by Mary Fletcher Jones and David Hyson. Recorded December 2009.

Presenting Amy Shaw, SNM PR Associate Director

Amy K. Shaw

Amy Shaw is a guest on Conversations in Public Relations.

Amy K. Shaw is Associate Director, Public Relations, at SNM (Society of Nuclear Medicine), a nonprofit association headquartered in Reston, Virginia that represents 17,000 physicians and members of the molecular imaging community.

Prior to joining the SNM, Amy served as the Communications Officer for the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC.  Before moving to the Washington, DC area, she taught undergraduate French courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She is currently earning a Master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University.

Social Media and Public Affairs with Ben Finzel of Widmeyer Communications

Integrating social media into public affairs campaigns is the topic of this social media video featuring an interview with Ben Finzel, Senior Vice President and public affairs practice lead at Widmeyer Communications http://www.Widmeyer.com

Ben shares his expertise built on more than 20 years of experience in public affairs. Produced October 2009 by Mary Fletcher Jones and David Hyson for Conversations in Public Relations.

The future of social media – with Barry Reicherter, Widmeyer Communications

Barry Reicherter, Senior Vice President at Widmeyer Communications and the Digital and Creative lead fo the public relations agency, shares best practices for employing social media in public affairs campaigns, as well as his views on where social media is heading in the future.

Produced by Mary Fletcher Jones and David Hyson for Conversations in Public Relations, October 2009.

Barry Reicherter: Digital and Creative Lead at Widmeyer Communications

Meet Barry Reicherter, Senior Vice President and head of Digital and Creative at Widmeyer Communications. Barry shares how he became involved in digital and social media, and talks about his work at Widmeyer http://www.Widmeyer.com

This social media video is part of the Conversations in Public Relations series. Produced October 2009 by Mary Fletcher Jones and David Hyson.

Margaret Dunning offers career advice for PR professionals

Margaret Dunning, Principal and Chief Strategy Officer of Widmeyer Communications http://www.Widmeyer.com, shares job-seeking and career-building advice for young PR professionals in this Conversations in Public Relations video interview.

Conversations in Public Relations is a public relations video series produced by Mary Fletcher Jones and David Hyson.

Recorded October 30, 2009 at Widmeyer Communications, Washington, DC.

Margaret Dunning of Widmeyer Communications

Meet Margaret Dunning, Principal and Chief Strategy Officer of Widmeyer Communications, (http://www.widmeyer.com) an independent public relations firm with offices in Washington, DC and New York.

In this inspiring Conversations in Public Relations video interview, Margaret Dunning shares how she got started in communications, and what she likes best about her career. She also describes what her agency responsibilities entail, and reveals her future plans for Widmeyer Communications.

Produced by Mary Fletcher Jones and David Hyson.