It's PR Darlings

“My inbox is hopefully full of great ideas and it's my job to sift through those ideas and PRs are incredibly helpful when it comes to that – and relationships are absolutely everything.” – Joshua Del Pozo, Chief of Staff, The Today ShowBreakfast TV has always been the go-to for Australians wanting to start their day informed.The tried and tested formula, from news updates every 30 minutes to weather reports and entertainment sprinkled in, has ensured audiences are informed and entertained in a timely way.However, with the rapid changes in how content is consumed, there’s a question that lingers: is the formula for breakfast TV undergoing a shift?This episode features Joshua Del Pozo – the Chief of Staff at Channel Nine's flagship morning TV program The Today Show.From Monday through to Friday, Josh oversees three hours of live content, so has his finger on the pulse when it comes to what audiences want to watch while they’re sipping their morning coffee."Everyone's attention spans have shortened,” Josh says. “So what we've had to do is offer more content and choice within our program duration."He emphasises that the importance of evolving content and how PRs can assist brekky TVs serve up what their diverse audiences are seeking."Our reporters have to transform and evolve their story,” Josh explains. “We don't want the same updates relayed. By 9am, the story should have evolved."For PRs pitching behind the scenes, it’s about adapting to the changing attention spans, understanding your audience, and consistently offering fresh content to stay relevant in the modern media landscape.In keeping with It’s PR Darlings’ tradition, Greer and Jo delve into some of the quirkier jargon in the media industry, focusing on Vox Pops. Listen in to hear how you can incorporate Vox Pops into your pitches. It's PR Darlings is powered by Public Address. Use our discount code “DARLINGS” for 50 per cent off the first six months. Book a demo today: https://publicaddress.ai. It’s PR Darlings:www.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auSocials:https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlingshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/Contacts:jo@sticksandstonespr.com.augreer@forwardcomm.com.au We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Powered by Public Address, the innovative media relations management platform providing that indispensable extra hand for every pitch, the It’s PR Darlings podcast took an exciting turn in its latest episode. This wasn't just any regular episode; it was a live podcast session, in collaboration with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Queensland.For those unfamiliar, IABC is an essential hub for communication professionals who thrive on networking and continuously update themselves with industry trends and insights.Hosted by It’s PR Darlings co-hosts Greer Quinn and Jo Stone, this special episode unraveled in the casual ambience of a Brisbane pub – the iconic Paddo Taven – setting the stage for candid conversations and insights. This exclusive panel presentation brought together Michael Coombes, the erstwhile deputy editor of Channel Seven News, Queensland, who has recently stepped into the shoes of the editor, and Craig Johnston the Editor from InQueensland.Introduced by Melanie Loy, the President of IABC Queensland Chapter, the live setting added an authentic touch, complete with ambient bar noises and paper rustlings.It's PR Darlings is powered by Public Address. Use our discount code “DARLINGS” for 50 per cent off the first six months. Book a demo today: https://publicaddress.ai. It’s PR Darlings:www.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auSocials:https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlingshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I just think there's never been a more exciting time to be a comms professional. The PR industry is at a really unique inflection point in terms of the potential of our industry and the impact that we have.” – Shane Allison, Public Address Founder In this episode co-hosts Greer Quinn and Jo Stone, together with Public Address Founder Shane Allison, explore the future landscape of public relations, the impact of artificial intelligence, essential PR metrics, industry trends, and advice for career advancement. “Those people who have a really generalist understanding of communications and can help produce a video one day, a podcast the next, and a social campaign the next are going to be incredibly sought after,” Shane explains. “And so too will those who have a very deep vein of subject matter expertise and discipline.” Shane's recent recognition as the "PR Professional of the Year" by Mumbrella highlights his significant influence in the field. Season Four brings a notable change with the introduction of Public Address as the official sponsor. Public Address has rapidly emerged as a vital tool for modern communicators. “First I should say how excited I am to be part of PR Darlings,” Shane says. “I absolutely love the way that the PR Darlings podcast has been able to educate people about some of the fundamentals of PR. It's a really valuable resource and we're so happy to be partnering with you guys.” Shane Allison, a driving force behind both Public Address and Public Relations Institute of Australia, sheds light on the evolving landscape of PR. He emphasises the shift from tactical approaches to a focus on strategy and channels. Greer and Jo discuss how they're already benefiting from using Public Address, which they describe as having an "extra pair of hands on every pitch”. They emphasise the AI-driven platform's ability to personalise pitches and process thousands of articles, making it easier to target the right journalists. “Through tools like Public Address, we can focus on the creative and interesting and engaging and exciting parts of our job,” Shane says. “But also we can leverage all of that into spending more time on the things that matter for our stakeholders and the businesses that we work for and we work with.” In keeping with the podcast's tradition, co-hosts Greer and Jo delve into the concept of "currency" as a news value. They explain how PR professionals can leverage current trends and topical issues to secure more extensive and impactful media coverage. It's PR Darlings is powered by Public Address. Use our discount code “DARLINGS” for 50 per cent off the first six months. Book a demo today: https://publicaddress.ai. It’s PR Darlings:www.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auContacts:jo@sticksandstonespr.com.augreer@forwardcomm.com.au We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"We have a hard paywall at the Australian. It means that bar is pretty high in terms of me taking the time to tackle something and go really in depth with it. And that often means…if there's a new story, it probably has to be exclusive to us.” – David Swan, Technology Editor, The Australian Considered a rock star among the tech PR peeps, Technology Editor at The Australian David Swan has an uncanny ability to turn the technical into the connectable. “I used to write for a technology news website for IT professionals, so I could use jargon and get away with it,” David explains. “Now, anyone on the street could be picking up the Australian and reading one of my stories. So I strip back that tech and say, ‘what will this actually do? What, what will it be used for how it'll be used? How will it impact society?’ The other thing too is every founder I interview has an interesting story about how and why they founded the company – sort of like a superhero origin story, a little bit like Batman or Superman.” Co-hosts Jo Stone and Greer Quinn also probe into the X Factor elements that make David say “yes” to a story within his turf of start-ups, business and technology. “We really need a news hook,” David said. “I think readers are pretty savvy and know when they're being fed more of an ad or a PR pitch. It has to be a really genuine news hook…it's one of those things where you kind of know it when you see it.” David also discusses some of the media conventions such as exclusives, embargoes and “first dibs” and why transparency is imperative when using these strategies. Keeping up with Season Three’s "news values" theme, during this episode the Darlings explore the value of “timeliness”, which is all about injecting the new into the news. It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.  It’s PR Darlings www.itsprdarlings.com www.sticksandstonespr.com.au www.forwardcomm.com.au Socials: https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/ Contacts: jo@sticksandstonespr.com.au greer@forwardcomm.com.au  We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Media networks are running on the smell of an oily rag – they really are. So there's actually an opportunity there for PRs and for spokespersons to guide and influence the direction of the story.” –Jessica Ridley, Today Show Presenter + BTW Media Founder This episode of It’s PR Darlings, Jo Stone and Greer Quinn chat with journalist Jessica Ridley whose voice – and face – you’d recognise from national TV reporting roles, news-reading gigs and live crosses. It’s PR Darlings invited Jess on the podcast for two reasons – one is her years of experience in TV and her insights into post-covid television newsrooms in particular, but also because of her experience in media and presentation training, which is a specialised training that all PR, communications and marketing managers should be doing regularly with clients who have to front the media. From taking sips of water and regulating your breathing to small-talk before an interview, Jessica provides the media interview tips and tricks that’ll see you invited back. “Visualise that one person sitting at home, eating their dinner, watching the 6:00 pm news – that's the person you're talking to,” Jessica says. A chance to hold the microphone on national television presents a rare moment of influence, but talent sometimes falls short through poor preparation or mindset.  “If you get that chance for a couple of minutes on national television, those opportunities are far and few between,” Jessica says. “I definitely see a lot of people that could have done with just a little bit of preparation, you know, some key messages prep as well, so that they're going in and they're really clear about what they want to say and their position on the issue.” During Season Four, It’s PR Darlings is providing insight into some journalistic tools to help you hack the newsworthy algorithm to create content the media want to publish and follow. A cornerstone to that is news values, which journalists use every day to measure newsworthiness. This episode’s news value is a journo favourite – it’s “unusual” or “bizarre”.It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications. Jessica will be joining Jo and Greer on stage during Mumbrella 360 in July. Please get in touch for tickets and guest discounts. It’s PR Darlings www.itsprdarlings.com www.sticksandstonespr.com.au www.forwardcomm.com.au Socials: https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ Contacts: jo@sticksandstonespr.com.au greer@forwardcomm.com.au  We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“One of the really key sentiments that came out [of Medianet’s 2022 Media Landscape Report] was the most important aspect of a pitch…is that the story’s original, newsworthy and relevant to that journalist’s specific field of reporting and audience.” -Amrita Sidhu, Director of Media Intelligence, Medianet and Mediaverse From pet peeves to journalists’ preferred days and ways to receive media releases, the impacts of Covid-19 on reporting to media trolling and gender pay gaps, this episode offers a deep dive into 2022’s complex media landscape. Taking us through the insights, based on a survey of almost 1,000 Australian journalists, is Medianet and Mediaverse Director of Media Intelligence Amrita Sidhu. While public relations and communications professionals won’t be surprised Medianet’s report revealed audience relevance was the most widely valued feature of a pitch, there were some surprising and somewhat disappointing findings too, including that 30 per cent of male journalists earn more than $100,000 per annum, compared to just 16 per cent of females and 12 per cent of non-binary journalists. Also, honouring an embargo is no longer a given within today’s competitive and social media-influenced media world, signalling a continued trend of disruption of media conventions. It’s PR Darlings Co-hosts Greer Quinn and Jo Stone also ask Amrita to discuss some of the newer or lesser-known features Medianet offers including media call-outs, an editorial service and Mediaverse’s qualitative analysis feature – something that is offering incisive room-reads in the lead up to Australia’s Federal Election. Following on from the last episode featuring ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Millar, It’s PR Darlings hosts continue the theme of news values during their end-of-segment education session when the duo unlock the news value of “proximity”. Download Medianet’s 2022 media landscape report here. Undertake It’s PR Darlings/Medianet’s collaborative crisis communications micro-course here. It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from www.sticksandstonespr.com.au  and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.  It’s PR Darlings www.itsprdarlings.com Socials: https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Michael and I get in about 3:30am. We have a staff meeting at about 5:00am where we run through the show – what's planned, what our top story is, what we're going to tease, what our best vision is for the day...” -Lisa Millar, ABC News Breakfast Australia’s breakfast TV wars have been dominated by Channel Nine’s Today Show and Seven’s Sunrise. Other stations have tried but these two early morning juggernauts have had decades of loyal followers always battling for the top spot – until now. The ratings have become a closer race during the past two years after one of ABC’s most experienced foreign correspondents, Walkley award-winning journalist and author of a new memoir called Daring to Fly Lisa Millar took the helm alongside reporter Michael Rowland. For the first time during its 14 years on air, ABC’s early morning flagship News Breakfast program has toppled the traditional big guns. And for those in public relations and communications, this means looking at the program with fresh eyes and assessing when and how to pitch what stories.“The biggest one is that the audience is way more used to seeing people on Zoom and Skype and they don't mind that it looks a bit rough and ready,” Lisa says.Inclusion and diversity are key to ABC’s charter, so PRs should consider gender, ethnicity, location and socio-economic diversity in their pitches. “The first question that the producers will ask someone who might've pitched something is, ‘Do you have a woman?’…because we are committed to a 50/50 gender target that we have to reach on a daily basis.” Lisa also shares moments from her memoir Daring to Fly which tracks the journey of a kid from a tiny Queensland town who goes on to cover some of the world’s most impactful events, including September 11, all while battling a fear that almost grounded her career.It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.  Contacts: jo@sticksandstonespr.com.au greer@forwardcomm.com.au We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quirky is out and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) trends are in according to NewsCorp’s news.com.au's Editor Oliver Murray, or "Oli", as he prefers. Oli spent several years working in regional news and local Sydney papers before joining news.com.au and moving up through the ranks to step into the top job. Kicking off Season Three of it’s PR Darlings, Ollie lets co-hosts Jo Stone and Greer Quinn pick his brains about the best ways PRs can assist the digital behemoth cover the stories that make its audience tick (and click). “If it’s a question we’re asking, it’s usually something Australia is asking,” Oli explains. "The big mistake PRs make when they pitch to us is they say, ‘I think this is going to be a great story from news.com because it's quirky’, but as a site, we've sort of moved past that.” He recommends PRs watch what people are searching for on Google because that’s what news.com.au will be following up on for its audience. Oli also reveals news.com.au’s current demographics and why the platform has onboarded a youth editor to drive the outlet’s youth strategy. “We have about 12 million Australian readers every month, which is one in two Aussies,” he says. “The average reader for us is someone who wants to come to our site and just get the news in a very easy to understand way. They want to leave our website informed about the big news of the day, but they also want a little bit of distraction. And I think that's what we do a little bit better than other sites. It's not to just go to a site and get all the COVID news…but it's also, 'what are the big talking points from reality TV last night', or 'what's happening in crypto'?”  In this episode, It’s PR Darlings hands the “demystifying” mic to Ollie who unpacks the newsroom term “sell”. It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.  It’s PR Darlings www.itsprdarlings.com www.sticksandstonespr.com.au www.forwardcomm.com.au Socials: https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ Contacts: jo@sticksandstonespr.com.au greer@forwardcomm.com.au  We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wrapping up Season Two and a shameless plug for our upcoming webinar in partnership with Medianet🦠 During this wrap-up of Season Two Co-hosts Jo Stone and Greer Quinn have heard from journalists and industry leaders about the way the pandemic is changing work lives, media content, newsworthiness and even shaping how our news is delivered.🦠 It’s becoming clear that Covid-19 isn’t going away within the foreseeable future and businesses need crisis management plans that can adapt as quickly as mutant strains. So during this mini-episode, Greer and Jo also talk about an upcoming collaboration with Medianet to present a webinar with live Q+A on the topic “Crisis Communications for a Covid World”. Event link here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/crisis-communications-for-a-covid-world-tickets-168883459975COVID is the gift that keeps on giving.Greer: We’ve found that even 18 months on, we’re still helping clients with crisis strategies and internal and external communications issues almost every month,” Greer says. The pandemic isn’t going away and if you think that because you’ve managed to dodge a COVID catastrophe so far that you’re in the clear, think again.Jo: It’s awful because we sometimes get calls in the evenings or on the weekend from organisations desperately seeking PR help because a crisis never seems to happen during office hours during the week does it! And more often than not, they’ve never even thought ahead about how to handle adverse media coverage or a COVID-10-caused crisis.Greer: In recent weeks we’ve seen influencers breaching COVID-19 restrictions for parties and brands then subsequently publicly dropping them. We’ve even seen well documented super-spreader events that have led to humiliation and reputation damage for attendees and organisers.Jo: Yes, we’ve also seen organisations facing staff backlash over mandatory vaccinations.Greer: So in this short podcast, we’re wrapping up Season Two with some of the top takeaways from our guests and we’ll end with our top three tips for PR crisis planning in the pandemic.Jo: Let’s start with Andrew Drummond from AAP – that was a great insight into this vital Australian news wire service, which is a bit of a secret weapon to have in your PR tool kit.Greer: The news deserts he was talking about across Australia are only broadening after all the COVID closures, so Andrew’s pitching brief will be a huge help if you want some AAP traction. NewsCorp’s AT Home magazine flipbook is a direct response to the pandemic and Editor Kelly Baker told us that PR people need to know that while it’s lifestyle-focussed, it’s still anchored in news values.Jo: And it was magic talking to Mel Carrero from Spell – talk about a brand at the cutting edge. What they’ve been doing with content creation has been so innovative – there are a lot of ideas in that chat PR’s can learn from. It was also great to hear from Starts At 60 founder Bec Wilson. Her platform is the largest in the country for the over 60’s and there is a lot of pent up demand in the travel sector particularly so that’s a consumer group that shouldn’t be overlooked for lifestyle and travel products.Greer: And of course, there was the interview with Daniel Doody from Studio 10. He was all about the media release and the pitch – and there are amazing national opportunities for the right story.Jo: In each episode, we demystify a little bit of jargon from the media world – things like noddies, embargo and backgrounding and in this episode we are turning the tables a bit, but I guess the jargon term for this segment could be COVIDIOT – someone who ignores or breaks public health orders. And if you are in a comms role for any business or organisation, you know that it only takes one COVIDIOT to cause a crisis. So with this in mind, we thought we would give you the PR Darlings top three top tips for crisis communications plans in the era of COVID.Greer: These are just a couple of the things we’ll be discussing in an upcoming webinar in collaboration with Australian media database company MediaNet on October 6, 2021, which is all about crisis communications, albeit with a COVID twist. Now, Medianet is a must-have service for PR firms – their database keeps you up-to-date with all the platforms, papers and programs in the Australian media, but also all the contacts you need. This brings us to our first crisis communications tip – making sure you have updated contacts. You need to know the journalists who are likely to be working in your patch. You don’t want to be scrambling for a mobile number at the last minute.Jo: Updating contacts is also important for your internal team. Has someone left the organisation or changed jobs? And who else do you need to contact? With pandemic-related issues, you also need contacts for the relevant authorities like the Department of Health or the Chief Health Officer (CHO) and the State Government for example.Greer: Our second crisis comms tip in the pandemic is to make sure your business, organisation or client is actually practising COVIDSafe protocols. This is where a lot of the bad publicity stems from – for example a venue that hosts an event that becomes a super spreader event will face even more media backlash if journalists find out there was no sanitiser available, check-in code, too many people were there and they weren’t wearing masks.  Jo: And the third most important tip of all is to actually have a crisis communications plan. So often this is something that nobody puts any thought into – and that is when a PR disaster really unfolds. Putting a plan together should be a service that you offer as part of your role in PR. And brainstorming with your client some of the potential COVID-19 crises is a great way to start. Regular reviews of the plan is also a must-do.Greer: Thanks so much for tuning in to It’s PR Darlings Season Two. If you’re listening to this before October 6, 2021, then head to Eventbrite or Medianet to find our Crisis Communications in a Covid World webinar – links are also in the show notes and we would love to have you along.This has been Season Two of It’s PR Darlings. If you’ve enjoyed this episode of It’s PR Darlings, please share, subscribe and review.   It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.  Medianet X It’s PR Darlings Webinar: Crisis Communications for a Covid Worldhttps://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/crisis-communications-for-a-covid-world-tickets-168883459975If you think your business or your clients have escaped a COVID-19 crisis, think again! This pandemic is ever-evolving. While we might be well practiced during lockdowns and closures for the impacts on businesses, there are still risks – think super-spreader events, staff vaccination fallouts, supply chain interruptions, new mutant strains, or a staff member’s anti-mask rant that goes viral. This is the virus that keeps on giving.It’s PR Darlings www.itsprdarlings.com www.sticksandstonespr.com.au www.forwardcomm.com.au Socials: https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/ Contacts for story ideas: jo@sticksandstonespr.com.au greer@forwardcomm.com.au  We acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 “This consumer is 50 per cent of private wealth in Australia. Ninety-four per cent do research online before making significant purchases. Fifty-five per cent of all leisure travel spending is in this category normally. And that's got pent-up demand written all over it.” -Rebecca Wilson, Founder, Starts at 60 Starts at 60 CEO and Founder Rebecca Wilson was watching her parents on their road to retirement when she realised this generation had been largely forgotten within the marketing pie. From humble beginnings in a bedroom at home, Rebecca has grown Starts at 60 into a powerful voice for Baby Boomers and a platform with almost 1.5 million monthly users. Targeting boomers and doing more than okay Today, it’s Australia’s largest digital media brand for the over-sixties and backed by some impressive advertisers and investors, including Channel Seven, which owns a 30 per cent stake in its flagship platform. According to Rebecca, the power of this generation as content and product consumers is blindingly obvious, even though they were largely being overlooked at the time she was forming her idea for a niche digital media platform. “Everything that was in the media was Kardashian, Kardashian and Kardashians and …sitting back from it as a marketer that was working with clients who wanted to talk to this generation and knowing there was nowhere that was consistent or reliable to speak with them through…I had a hypothesis, so I started a little blog,” Rebecca explains. “I started writing for the audience and gathering an audience. I think it started with $5 Facebook spend a day to grow the audience. And they…read the content and they signed up for the site. And really it was the right time to do that.” Content that funnels with precision Starts at 60 is part traditional newsroom, part marketing company and part marketplace, but the model is constantly evolving and making waves.“We in fact know that we play a role in building and driving a voice for over sixties, but that we have to be there for the marketers and the brands that speak to them as well,” Rebecca says. “We have to get the right goals and achievements for those brands. So our job is to sit between the consumers and the brands and curate a conversation.”This episode is the ultimate masterclass in tailoring content with laser-sharp focus to a specific target audience. It also demonstrates how storytelling interweaves with digital marketing and even the vertical integration of products, including within the travel industry. Winning eyeballs online Dishing up the goods to make your boomer pitches sharper, It’s PR Darlings co-hosts Jo Stone and Greer Quinn are deeply delving into the machinations of this niche media juggernaut. Rebecca offers all sorts of insights including why stories that work in print form, fail to win eyeballs online. This episode’s jargon gem is PTC, or "piece to camera". If you’ve never considered PTCs in your pitch to TV journalists, stay tuned until the end of the show to hear Jo and Greer provide suggestions on how you could do this. If you’ve enjoyed this episode of It’s PR Darlings, please share, subscribe and review.   It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.  Starts at 60 links:   https://startsat60.com/The Boomer Guide Rebecca references:https://mail.startsat60.com/p/6T9R-387/download-the-starts-at-60-boomer-guide-202122More links:https://mail.startsat60.com/p/6T9R-3I1/mediakithttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOVNn8kKVUSocials:https://www.instagram.com/startsat60/https://www.facebook.com/startsat60au/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawilson/https://www.linkedin.com/company/starts-at-sixty/It’s PR Darlings www.itsprdarlings.com www.sticksandstonespr.com.au www.forwardcomm.com.au Socials: https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/ Contacts for story ideas: jo@sticksandstonespr.com.au greer@forwardcomm.com.au We acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We are a country of people who are very obsessed with travel…Australians are hardcore travelers…We're also a country who are obsessed with real estate…COVID-19 swept into town, which altered real estate quite dramatically, and also prevented us from traveling. So accordingly, it's not that surprising that we would start to get even more involved in our homes and more au fait with real estate markets in general. And NewsCorp is smart. And it knows what to do when these things occur…they saw that straight away. And here we are with At Home flipbook Real Estate.”During the past 18 months, our homes have become, not just places where we live, but also places where we work. We’ve all become obsessed with stories about skyrocketing property prices. And watching live-streamed auctions on a Saturday is the new reality-TV binge. So after a year of belt-tightening and closures across media outlets, News Corp Australia came out swinging, launching its new property platform and magazine lift-out At Home in January.  It’s PR Darlings has the great pleasure of welcoming At Home Editor Kelly Baker onto the podcast. Kelly’s edited and contributed to some of the country's best-known titles, including Body and Soul, Nine Honey, New Idea and Who Weekly, to name a few, during her illustrious magazine career. PR professionals and aspiring magazine writers tune in – Kelly’s opening the door wide-open to It’s PR Darlings’ listeners so you can learn how to pitch a winning cover shot or craft an enticing story. But just because it’s magazine-style, doesn’t mean it’s not anchored on the principles that govern all media: news values. “It's news-based lifestyle,” Kelly says. “It's not just pretty houses that we happen to stumble across that we like. Everything is tied back to a ‘newsy’ hook.” You’ll also hear about Kelly’s journey to earn her hard-won skills and the mentors who’ve taught or supported her along the way. Finally, today’s jargon gem is the complex media convention known as “backgrounding”. It’s different to “off-the-record”, although some people confuse the two. Listen until the end to find out what it is, when to use it and how to do so ethically. This is a technique that’s applied during very specific circumstances and not to be misused. It's a high-stakes strategy and one we believe is best suited to the more "seasoned" professional. Thank you for tuning into It’s PR Darlings. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe and review.   It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.  Kelly’s social links:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellybakermedia?s=20  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-baker-a046b02a/?originalSubdomain=auIt’s PR Darlings www.itsprdarlings.com www.sticksandstonespr.com.au www.forwardcomm.com.au Socials: https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlings https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/ Contacts for story ideas: jo@sticksandstonespr.com.au greer@forwardcomm.com.au We acknowledge the traditional landowners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 “You're surrounded by fires. It's still burning. There’s smoke in the air. You can't breathe. My wife was about 10 months pregnant, so I was worried and I said to her, ‘look, you can't be here’…I had a bushfire evacuation plan in place…If the fires were going to come through Bega, my car was already packed. So I told my wife…‘you need to go stay with my parents in Sydney’… I [stayed] home with our two dogs and the cat and I was scared. Don't get me wrong. I was very, very scared.” -Daniel Doody, Studio 10 Roving Reporter What happens when the community you know and love is on fire, your wife is full-term pregnant and you’re out in the field reporting, while still working as an SES volunteer? The stakes couldn’t have been higher for Bega-based ABC journalist and now Studio 10 roving reporter Daniel Doody during the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires. And while it’s been a while since the event, it’s clear the experience hasn’t left him. “There was a couple of days where I was hearing one tragedy after another,” Daniel says. “And I'm not just talking about the loss of life. I'm talking about people losing their homes, being burned to the ground, losing everything. And because they knew my character…they could really confide in me. They knew that I had a sense of empathy and I was with them all the way.” Journalists are humans too It’s PR Darlings co-hosts Jo Stone and Greer Quinn offered Daniel the option to remove a section of his interview, but he graciously said he was comfortable sharing his vulnerability. This episode is an important one that touches on the issue of trauma on the job (see links to resources in show notes). “Journalists and PR professionals are trained to tell the stories of other people,” Greer says. “They’re trained not to become the story themselves. And while they do an amazing job at that, it’s important to remember they are still very much human.” Journalists and media crews are often on the front lines and are witnesses to some of the worst suffering of humankind. For the large part, journalists are doing their best to tell the story they’re seeing and hearing, so their audience can be informed. This is all done under tight deadlines and conflicting priorities. “We thank Daniel for raising the issue of trauma for journalists because it’s something that’s very unseen and rarely spoken about publicly,” Jo says. “The media regularly report on violent murders, traumatic deaths, catastrophic events, devastating natural disasters, brutal wars and car accidents, but as Daniel points out, sometimes it’s the sadness and suffering of those left behind that can leave the most lasting impact.” A change of pace A recent recruit to Studio 10’s national program, Daniel is kicking amazing goals so early into his career. His image was recently projected onto the Sydney Opera House sails in celebration of WOW (Wear Orange Wednesday) Day and the great work SES volunteers do. While his current role with Studio 10 represents a complete change of pace to his time as a regional reporter covering the bushfires, a common thread remains: Daniel’s love of community. These days, you’ll find him out in the field singing on boats, sampling cheeses and dancing to afro-beats. In the last month, he’s travelled to Mount Isa to cover rodeos and almost to the moon and back, thanks to Qantas’ supermoon flight. “I love covering the community feel-good stories,” Daniel says. “I love meeting different types of people within our community. We live in a multicultural society, so it’s just so heart-warming and so great to see people that are passionate about a certain product or a certain cause.” Daniel explains the latest jargon Given Daniel is up-to-date with the latest industry lingo, Jo and Greer “mixed things up a little” this episode and handed the “jargon gem” mic to Daniel. “Daniel is going to tell us all about grabs, IFBs, eyelines, but we’ll do a throw at the end of the show so he can explain…oh, we might get him to tell you what a “throw” is too,” Jo says. “If you don’t already follow Daniel Doody on Twitter, we highly recommend you do…his broad smile and outgoing personality literally make you want to giggle and dance with him,” Greer says. Resources and support The Dart Center has many resources to help media deal with trauma exposure of many kinds. It’s also a good resource for public relations professionals who can sometimes also be at the coalface during a disaster and may need to help journalists they’re working with or might need some support themselves. As well as the Dart Center, there are other resources too including Lifeline and Beyond Blue. We’ve put links in the show notes to these resources. We thank Daniel for the role he played to provide updates on the bushfires that helped keep viewers safe and for his genuine love of the Bega community. Support links:Dart Center: https://dartcenter.org/content/covering-trauma-impact-on-journalistsLifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ + phone: 13 11 14Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ + phone: 1300 22 4636http://www.wowday.com.au/ Daniel Doody’s social links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/danieldoody101LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-doody-9b2b8791/ It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.It’s PR Darlingswww.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auSocials:https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlingshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/Contacts for story ideas:jo@sticksandstonespr.com.augreer@forwardcomm.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content is everything, and storytelling is everything, to us as a brand. What they [influencers] create that we're able to repost is just as important as the reach that they have. It's about getting good content as much as it is about them providing it on their own channels. -Mel Carrero, Marketing Manager, Spell It’s hard to assign a title to Mel Carrero from Byron Bay-born fashion label Spell. Mel originally trained as a journalist but longed to work in the fashion industry. She was on the verge of upping stumps from Northern New South Wales for the bright lights of Sydney when she “hustled” her way into capturing the attention of one of the Spell founders through her edgy festival photography. Mel’s role, officially as “Marketing Manager”, but unofficially as so much more, sees her working closely with the founders to mastermind every point at which customers intersect with the brand. The ultimate multi-tasker, Mel’s the hardworking creative who is responsible for bringing so many of Spell’s collections to life. Spell Designs itself is a story of resilience. The Byron Bay brand didn’t have much luck in the early days of making it into major fashion titles, so decided to create their own media channel. “We decided to create our own editorials, which is why we started creating content in a way that I think was a bit of a pioneer in the direct-to-consumer online market,” Mel says. Listen in to this episode to hear how this fashion underdog eventually ended up making it into Vogue magazine, as well as all other major Australian fashion magazine titles. This is a masterclass for online retailers and digital marketers, but it’s also a great episode for working journalists who may be interested in exploring pathways to transfer their skills. Today’s jargon gem is “collab”. Listen until the end to find out what it means and how to do one. It's PR Darlings is on all the socials, so get in touch if you have any ideas you'd like to share. REFERENCES/GUEST SOCIAL LINKShttps://www.instagram.com/melcarrero_https://aus.spell.co/ It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.It’s PR Darlingswww.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auSocials:https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlingshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/Contacts for story ideas:jo@sticksandstonespr.com.augreer@forwardcomm.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We're fighting the same battle that every news outlet across Australia is fighting, which is that there could be 110 terrific stories to cover on any one day, but resourcing means that we can't get to all of them.” - Andrew Drummond, Editor, Australian Associated PressWant to learn about one of the country's most-read news sources that you probably don't even know exists?To kick off the first episode of Season Two of It's PR Darlings podcast, today's guest is Andrew Drummond from Australian Associated Press – or AAP as it’s more commonly known.There’s still so much that people don’t understand about the way media works and how news becomes news, but AAP is perhaps even more “unseen” than other parts of the media landscape.Andrew joins us to tell us all how this newswire works and how it can become a communicator’s secret weapon.AAP’s stories often end up going viral, partly because of their unique reach, but also because AAP journalists have got a nose for news.In this episode, we ask Andrew to describe the anatomy of a “really good yarn” and unpack that scary time during 2020 when the future of this Australian media mainstay hung in the air.Find out more about this independent news organisation and the stories that make it tick.Today’s jargon gem is “embargo”, but you’ll have to listen until the end of this episode to find out what it is.It's PR Darlings is on all the socials, so get in touch if you have any ideas you'd like to share.REFERENCES/GUEST SOCIAL LINKShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-drummond-15bb652b/It’s PR Darlings is produced by Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR and Greer Quinn from Forward Communications.It’s PR Darlingswww.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auSocials:https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlingshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/Contacts for story ideas:jo@sticksandstonespr.com.augreer@forwardcomm.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Season One of It’s PR Darlings has drawn to a close and co-hosts Greer Quinn of Forward Communications and Jo Stone of Sticks and Stones PR have begun producing Season Two, the duo has paused to reflect on the highlights and why they kicked off the project in the first place.Some of the stellar reporting the world has witnessed during the pandemic and other compounded crises has filled Greer and Jo with renewed admiration and awe for the media industry, so they were especially pleased to dust off their radio craft skills and explore this new communications platform of podcasting.“Greer proposed that we do a podcast – she roped me into it – and it took 18 months and lots and lots of talking, but here we are, one season down and currently in intermission before kicking off Season Two,” Jo says."We've learned so much. We are doing everything – editing, writing, coordinating, distributing, promoting, the lot – it’s been a huge learning curve, but we’ve really enjoyed the process and working together.”As well as the joy of collaborating with her old ABC buddy Jo, Greer’s highlight has been engaging in meaningful conversations with journalists who, like PR professionals, are so busy telling other people’s stories, their own stories are often left unheard.“Jo and I are constantly calling journalists to pitch them stories, so it was such a nice change of pace to actually listen to their stories and hear about their days – it felt like we were giving back to the many reporters who’ve helped us over the years,” Greer says.The PR and podcasting pair has been blown away by the amazing feedback they’ve received for their “niche” podcast, which targets PR and communications professionals, journalists as well as companies who want to better communicate with media.In fact, some PR agencies or in-house communications departments, as well as the media lecturers, have made the It’s PR Darlings podcast recommended listening for their team members or students.During Season One, Greer and Jo spoke with five of the industry's best and brightest, starting with Tamra Bow, one of Channel Seven's Sunrise reporters, and such a compassionate journalist.“Tamra very much shows up as a human being when she's reporting and her insights into what it was like working media-side during the Dreamworld crisis were particularly eye-opening,” Greer says.“I actually think this episode is a must-listen, not only for PR professionals but also business owners, as you just never know when a crisis might strike.”Here’s what Tamra Bow had to say: “Dreamworld went into damage control as well. And they were taking advice from so many different sources too. But from a journalist’s perspective, you really do need someone to step straight up to the plate. And I know that those decisions can be rash and they can come out the wrong way sometimes. But from a journalist’s perspective, I know that if we're starved for information, we'll go looking for it. And you can often go to a source that might not be the best alternative that could put a negative spin on it for that company. So I think coming forward, straight away and trying to stay ahead of the media – that's so crucial in a situation like this.”Something that people often don’t realise is the sacrifices journalists make to deliver breakfast news, as is the case with Tamra but also ABC Breakfast Host Tom Forbes.“He talked about how important that exclusive is for breakfast radio…it really makes their lives, not only easier but sets them apart from the morning papers, which is a really fantastic tip as a PR person,” Jo says.Tom really gave listeners an insider’s look into the mechanics of the newsroom.“It makes sense that if you want to take advantage of the ABC's extraordinary multimedia muscle – TV, radio, online, news, programs, local and national – it's worth taking the time to package a story with multiple case studies and expert talent and give the journos advance notice so that all these moving parts can be coordinated to achieve huge media outreach,” Greer says.Here’s what Tom Forbes says: “Exclusives are becoming more and more important…Because what we're finding is that if you can get hold of an exclusive story and you have enough time to prepare, you can roll that story out across multiple platforms.”As well as chatting to media in Season One, the Darlings explored some of the tools of the trade, speaking with David Skapinker who heads up the contact media database company, Telum Media.“Every PR professional worth their salt needs a reliable media database,” Greer says. David Skapinker explains: “I think there is a reason why PR is a profession….you need skills, you need contacts, you need experience and you need to understand newsrooms.”Jo thinks this sentence from David was the “grab of the season”.“I think David really hit the nail on the head,” Jo says.“It helps to know how a newsroom works and having that deeper understanding of how news operates, what makes something newsworthy can really improve the relationships that we build with journalists.”Another major high point during Season One of It’s PR Darlings was their hour-long extravaganza with the incredibly talented Trent Dalton, who despite his crazy success with his novels Boys Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies, is so humble.“He's also so quick to acknowledge all the editors, mentors, and PR people who've supported his career and contributed to his success,” Greer says.“I loved how he was so appreciative of the work of PR people – it's hard-going sometimes to pick up the phone and pitch to busy journos – but to hear him express that gratitude towards the PR people who've helped him over the years, was just really heart-warming for me.”From Trent Dalton: “The reason why I love doing these podcasts with you guys is because it really gives me a chance to highlight this woman named Alice Wood, who is basically the campaign manager for HarperCollins…Any success of Boy's Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies, I just owe to her. I mean, it's just quite simply a fact.”The final guest on It’s PR Darlings Season One was the host of She's The Boss TV show and founder of the Handle Your Own PR platform, Jules Brooke.“She certainly had some life-affirming insights into the power of PR and that glow that it can give clients,” Jo says.From Jules Brooke: “With PR, unlike any other type of marketing, it almost starts after you get published because of what you can do with it. So, I always say to people, push it out through your socials. The algorithms absolutely love it, so they'll push out those posts a lot further. I say, put it up on your website…I tell people to stick it out in newsletters, if they've got newsletters. They can blog about what it was like to try and get it and how thrilled they are to be in there. They can frame it and stick it up in their bricks and mortar store. There is just so much you can do with publicity…that you can't do with any other type of marketing.”Season One has seen Jo and Greer demystify all kinds of interesting words and jargon, including, “noddie”, “exclusive” and “op-ed”. Next season will kick off with “a throw” and perhaps a little bit of “backgrounding”.Season Two will move to a fortnightly show to give the pair, who are doing producing the podcast alongside their day jobs running their own PR agencies, some breathing space.Season Two will feature some amazing “talent” (listen to Season One to find out what that industry jargon term means) in their guest line-up.Listeners will find out more about one of the country's most-read news sources that they probably don't even know exists.The Darlings will be exploring how reporting on traumatic events can impact journalists and PR operatives.And they’ll introduce you to Australian businesses using PR to create campaigns worthy of international attention.Mel Carerro, Marketing Manager Spell Designs: “They decided ‘we're going to create our own editorials’, which is why they started creating content in a way that I think was a bit of a pioneer in the direct consumer online market where people weren't really creating their own photoshoots, like they were in that way.”Andrew Drummond, Editor, Australian Associated Press: “We're fighting the same battle that every news outlet across Australia is fighting, which is that there could be 110 terrific stories to cover on any one day, but resourcing means that we can't get to all of them.”Daniel Doody, Live Reporter, Studio 10 and formerly ABC Bega: “It was obviously a really tense and sensitive time [during Australia's 2019-2020 bushfires]…but we managed to really come together, really provide that information.”It's PR Darlings is on all the socials, so get in touch if you have any ideas that you'd like to share.REFERENCES/GUEST SOCIAL LINKShttp://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s4566666.htmhttps://www.instagram.com/tamra_bow7/https://www.abc.net.au/news/tom-forbes/167074https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/Trent%20Daltonwww.harpercollins.com.au/trentdalton/https://www.telummedia.com/https://www.handleyourownpr.com.auhttps://www.julesbrooke.com/shes-the-bosshttps://www.instagram.com/melcarrero_/https://twitter.com/danieldoody101/https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-drummond-15bb652b/  It’s PR Darlings is produced by Greer Quinn from Forward Communications and Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR.It’s PR Darlingswww.itsprdarlings.comwww.forwardcomm.com.auwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auSocials:https://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlingshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/Contacts for story ideas:greer@forwardcomm.com.aujo@sticksandstonespr.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 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“There are still people who will say, ‘what is PR - I don't really understand how it works’.” -Jules Brooke, She’s the Boss and Handle Your Own PRIt’s PR Darlings’ Jo Stone and Greer Quinn chat with Jules Brooke about why scoring media coverage is the sexiest form of marketing.Jules’ Handle Your Own software platform helps experts, start-ups and companies DIY their own publicity.“I don't think that there is anything sexier than getting a client, or getting one of your customers, into the media and seeing the absolute joy it brings them and also what it does for their business,” Jules says.A serial entrepreneur, Jules started out in newspapers, worked in PR agencies overseas and founded her own lifestyle public relations agency in Australia. She also hosts her own show called She’s The Boss, which every week features women in leadership positions sharing their business journeys.This pink-haired maven is amazingly generous with her time, energy and experience and has been a PR mentor for organisations like Business in Heels and Mamamia’s Lady Start Up Program.This episode the Darlings will also unravel one of their favourite industry jargon words: the “noddy”.REFERENCES:https://www.handleyourownpr.com.auhttps://www.julesbrooke.com/shes-the-bossIt’s PR Darlings is produced by Greer Quinn from Forward Communications and Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR.It’s PR Darlingswww.itsprdarlings.comwww.forwardcomm.com.auwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auSocials:https://www.linkedin.com/in/corporate-communications/https://www.linkedin.com/company/forward-communications-australia/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/https://www.linkedin.com/company/sticks-and-stones-pr/Contacts for story ideas:greer@forwardcomm.com.aujo@sticksandstonespr.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You’re never able to measure the value you saved because of the stories you stopped.” -David Skapinker, Telum, ANZ HeadThis week, It’s PR Darlings Jo Stone and Greer Quinn chat with David Skapinker who heads up live media database company Telum Media. A live media database is an essential tool in the PR and communications toolkit. Public relations professionals use Telum Media's subscription-based service to access media contact information. On the flip side, it also provides opportunities for journalists to reach out with requests for interviews or case studies. As well as discussing the power of a comprehensive database, David chats about PR as a profession and why it's so often misunderstood. “For the first 12-15 years of my doing public relations and corporate affairs career, my parents had no idea what I did for a living," David says.“There is a reason why PR is a profession - you need skills, you need contacts, you need experience and you need to understand newsrooms.”This It’s PR Darlings episode is brought to you by the journo jargon gem “talent”. Listen until the end to find out what it means.REFERENCES:https://www.telummedia.com/ It’s PR Darlings is produced by Greer Quinn from Forward Communications and Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR.It’s PR Darlings: www.Itsprdarlings.com www.forwardcomm.com.auwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auContacts for story ideas:greer@forwardcomm.com.aujo@sticksandstonespr.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The first thing I'm looking for is...‘is this a story that will sustain the reader across 4,000 words?’” – Trent Dalton, The Weekend Australian Magazine, Boy Swallows Universe, All Our Shimmering SkiesIt’s PR Darlings’ Jo Stone and Greer Quinn talk media and publicity with multi-award-winning Aussie author and Weekend Australian Magazine journalist Trent Dalton. He’s arguably Australia’s top profile writer. His debut novel Boy Swallows Universe and second novel All Our Shimmering Skies are instant Aussie literary classics. The Brisbane-set novel Boy Swallows Universe attracted actor Joel Edgerton’s attention and it’s being turned into a TV series with the Australian film industry’s best behind it. Oh – and once this pandemic is over, it’ll be hitting the stage as a theatre production. When it comes to working with PRs in his role as a journalist, Trent says he’s “always open to the pitch” and tells us why he’s grateful to public relations and communications professionals who helped him score interviews with Anthony Hopkins, Matt Damon, Eric Bana and Heath Ledger, which got him noticed and led to his "dream-type" journalism jobs.“[In] year 2000, I worked for this magazine called Brisbane News…and it was all the PR people who helped me out because I was just completely nobody,” Trent says.He also talks about what it’s been like to go from interviewer to interviewee since the runaway success of his debut novel (which made Oprah’s book club) and how his Harper Collins publicist has supported his meteoric rise. In this extended episode, Trent talks about the amazing mentors he’s had throughout his career and what he believes future of journalism will look like. He believes “journalism will always survive because storytelling will always survive”.“Storytelling is the greatest invention we've ever come up with and people will never tire of it,” Trent says.Today’s jargon word for the Darlings to decode: op-ed.REFERENCES:https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/Trent%20Daltonwww.harpercollins.com.au/trentdalton/ It’s PR Darlings is produced by Greer Quinn from Forward Communications and Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-stone-youngleson-562809104/www.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auContacts for story ideas:jo@sticksandstonespr.com.augreer@forwardcomm.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The exclusive is becoming more and more important. If you can get hold of an exclusive story, and you have enough time to prepare, you can roll that story out across multiple platforms.” -Tom Forbes, ABC RadioIt’s PR Darlings’ Jo Stone and Greer Quinn chat with breakfast radio producer and host Tom Forbes about what he looks for in a story and how public relations professionals can package their pitch to achieve multi-platform success across ABC's national, state and local news and program channels. Tom is a journalist committed to getting the details right – a master storyteller with a finely tuned news sense. As a host and interviewer, he's kind, witty and engaging. Radio, TV, digital – you name it, Tom's done it. And as the morning radio presenter for ABC Gold Coast in Queensland, he brings together all his news gathering and presenting skills to deliver the light and shade that listeners want to hear as they roll out of bed. “If everything’s packaged up in a bow from a PR perspective, the more chance you have of getting a journo to bite on it and then file on it.” -Tom Forbes, ABC RadioGiven the "exclusive" was such a major theme of today's show, PR masters Jo and Greer unravel this industry term and explain the do's and don'ts when pitching an exclusive (tip: don't shop your story around while you're waiting to hear back on the first offer).REFERENCES:https://www.abc.net.au/news/tom-forbes/167074https://www.facebook.com/ABCGoldCoastIt’s PR Darlings is produced by Greer Quinn from Forward Communications and Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR.It’s PR Darlings:www.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auSocials:https://www.facebook.com/ItsPRDarlingshttps://www.instagram.com/itsprdarlings/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-pr-darlings/ Contacts for story ideas:jo@sticksandstonespr.com.augreer@forwardcomm.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past and present, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The media, if it's used properly, can drive change and it can keep companies and people honest.” -Tamra Bow, Channel Seven SunriseIt’s PR Darlings Jo Stone and Greer Quinn chat with Tamra Bow – the Channel Seven Sunrise reporter with from the sunshine state. Tamra’s the one who gets up before dawn in order to bring the day’s events to the comfort of our loungerooms while we enjoy our morning coffee. She’s also worked as a TV news reporter for both Channel Seven and Channel Nine. From live reports on bushfires and crime, to feel-good wildlife rescues and success stories, Tamra has covered the full spectrum of news. Despite covering some of the more confronting sides of life, including Dreamworld's 2016 crisis, she hasn’t become cynical. Today’s industry jargon term: “stakeout”.REFERENCES:http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s4566666.htm (ABC's Media Watch investigation into Dreamworld crisis and media crisis management)https://www.instagram.com/tamra_bow7/ (Tamra's Instagram) It’s PR Darlings is produced by Greer Quinn from Forward Communications and Jo Stone from Sticks and Stones PR.It’s PR Darlings:www.itsprdarlings.comwww.sticksandstonespr.com.auwww.forwardcomm.com.auContacts for story ideas:greer@forwardcomm.com.aujo@sticksandstonespr.com.auWe acknowledge the traditional land owners and pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging, and all Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.