karen@karenpiercegonzalez.com
Public Relations Terms
authenticity: describes "real" people behind blog posts and other social profiles.
assignment desk: department of television, print or radio station responsible for determining who covers which story.
broadcast: to transmit via airwaves (electronically) by radio or television.
byline: the author of newspaper or magazine article.
copy editor: editorial professional who checks final story for accuracy, grammar and length before it goes out.
corporate fact sheet: one-page document that describes a company's principles, services, philosophy, fees. Includes contact info.
dub: copy of TV or radio appearance on video or audiotape.
editing: the act of rewriting, viewing, listening, and cutting print publications, video, or audio.
editorial: a statement of opinion from an editor or publisher about you and your business.
FCC: The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
frequency: the number of times a publication comes out in a given period of time, such as daily, weekly, quarterly, etc.
hashtag: a word or string of characters that starts with a number sign. Identical hashtags are then grouped into a search thread.
influence: measurement of an individual's importance online.
info box: a brief paragraph with bio and contact information, usually appears at end of article or blog post.
lead time: amount of time reporters and producers need to prepare stories and information for publication or broadcast.
masthead: list of editors, publishers, and senior reporters in each publication's issue. Includes contact info.
media outlet: a publication or broadcast program that transmits news and feature stories to the public through a distribution channel.
micro-blogging: short message postings in a social media account (e.g., Facebook status).
network: chain of broadcast or radio stations controlled and operated as a unit, often using the same editorial material.
Op-Ed: article written by an expert that is positioned on the page opposite the editorial page.
pitch letter: letter written to introduce a source and story idea to the media.
platform: a system that manages content. Example: The Blogger platform manages a community of blogs.
producer: person in charge of the coordination of all details pertaining to a television or radio program.
public relations: a variety of skills and tactics developed to inform and invite favorable opinion for a person, event, or product that ultimately supports the firm's bottom line.
reach: geographic area of the audience and the number of readers, listeners, or viewers accessed by the media.
reprint: copy of a printed article that mentions you or your company.
round-up story: story geared to look at four to five news items related to a particular topic during a specific time (e.g., summer festivals).
sidebar: legal term the media adopted to describe a portion of a story that is relevant but not necessary to the body of the story, such as data, a glossary, or a deeper explanation of a concept mentioned in the story. Usually it is set apart from the body of the article by a box or screen to make it stand out.
syndicated columnist: person hired by publications or broadcast organizations to produce written or spoken commentary about specific feature subjects. A syndicated print column is usually published in a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, or on many local networks.
tag: indicates or labels what content is about.
talking head: television shot that shows only the upper shoulders, neck, and face of the person being interviewed. Usually accompanied by a computer-generated sign that identifies the person by name and title.
target audience: the people who live near, work with and/or know your target market.
trade media: industry-specific trade or professional publication (manufacturing, insurance, nursing, telecommunications, etc.).
trending: word, phrase or topic that is popular on social media at a given moment.
viral: anything shared across social networks that get passed along rapidly. YouTube videos are a great example.
wire service: news stories, features, etc., sent by direct line to subscribing or member newspapers and radio and television stations.
