Home
>
Public Relations
>
Media Relations: Should You Pay For News Coverage, Part II

Media Relations: Should You Pay For News Coverage, Part II

Last month, we told you about "pay for play," a practice in which news organizations charge sources to appear on their programs. In other words, if you ante up enough cash, these "news" programs will air a puff piece about your company or organization.

But in most cases, these pay for play outfits don't deliver what they promise. Not only don't they stand behind their "guarantees" of audience numbers, but the public regards their alleged reporting with skepticism. The public is smart enough to recognize the difference between a news segment and advertising.

Shortly after sending out our article on pay for play last month, PR Week Magazine reported a story on its front page about yet another scheme.

Terry Bradshaw, the former Pittsburgh Steelers hero, is hosting a television program called "The Winners Circle." The program honors companies for their "forward thinking and consistent principles." The segments air during commercial time on MSNBC, CNN, CNN Headline News and CNBC.

The problem is this ? the companies actually pay the producers of these spots $29,000 for their dubious honor. The producers never say that the alleged winners paid for the honor. Occasionally, they cryptically note that the commercial time was purchased. But in some cases, the spot has aired with no notice to viewers whatsoever that this was just a glorified commercial.

With the practice under increased scrutiny, my advice remains the same as it was last month ? in general, walk away from these offers.

There is one disclaimer here. While running the media shop at Conservation International, I received a call from the producers of "The Winners Circle." Like many pay for play outfits, they were aggressive. They wanted the sale ? and I got the sense that they couldn't care less whether or not the subject of the piece was actually a "winner."

I went to the producer's website to see if it listed criteria for what they considered a winner. It listed laughably softball criteria, such as, "What can viewers learn from your satisfied customers?" I suspect their real definition of a "winner" is anyone with $29,000 to burn.

YOUR RESPONSES

Last month, we asked our newsletter subscribers to tell us about their experiences with pay for play outfits. Here's what you had to say:

Doralisa writes, "We have been approached several times by exactly the same type of pay for play outfit you described in your newsletter. I've had experience with those companies at previous jobs, so I knew from the get-go what was coming after the first flowery sales pitch. Besides the obvious reasons for rejecting them (no guarantee of what markets and time slots it would air, and you'd end up with an infomercial of dubious credibility), the finished cost-per-minute was more than twice what it would cost for me to make the same video in-house, and at the end of the day, we still would not have the rights to the raw footage. If it sounds too good to be true ?."

Laura writes, "I think we got the same pitch as you did. As a non-profit with literally zero resources devoted exclusively to broadcast journalism, the idea "sounded" wonderful. But more probing made me nervous; they didn't really know our organization name, nor what our purpose was, nor what their story was ? they expected us to provide the hook and the main storyline! It was these problems that made me realize what the true motivations were. I mean, no true journalist doesn't know their own story."

Perhaps there are a few good pay for play operators out there. But watching these groups from both up close and afar has made me wary. My experience has taught me that companies and organizations can almost always invest their $29,000 more effectively. My advice is this ? when you get the pitch, take a walk.

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.phillipsmediarelations.com

best cleaning company Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Media Relations: Should You Pay For News Coverage, Part II

Public Relations