media matters
EDITION 06 OCTOBER 2009
media manoeuvres

:: Melbourne
mediaman@mediamanoeuvres.com.au
03 9510 6000

:: Sydney
mgallop@mediamanoeuvres.com.au
02 9905 8266

:: Canberra
sellis@mediamanoeuvres.com.au
03 9510 6000

Welcome to the October edition of Media Manoeuvres’, Media Matters.

Media Manoeuvres wants to give you something valuable in your inbox.

If your inbox is anything like mine, it is full to the brim and getting larger so I genuinely want to put something in yours that adds to your professional life.

Media Matters exists because over the last 12 years of business we have been asked a number of questions by our clients that are very often the same or have similar themes. For example this edition covers: HOW TO PITCH TO THE NEWS MEDIA - Read what the actual newsmakers say

We have also made a reasonable assumption that there must be a lot more people in our world of media and stakeholder communications who would find the answers to some of these questions interesting and helpful too.

Media Matters' lead article addresses some of these questions. Each issue will be different and I expect that some will interest you more than others and others may address knowledge that you already have - sometimes it can be good to verify that knowledge.

The most important part for me is that we add value for you. So if you deal with the media in your role, we would really appreciate your ranking of our feature article. And because we know you are taking the time to help us to get it right, we are offering you the chance to win Paul Barry's book "Who wants to be a billionaire? The James Packer story". So that's two chances - one for the quiz and one for your feedback.

Sam Elam
Managing Director
Media Manoeuvres

> FEATURE ARTICLE
HOW TO PITCH TO THE NEWS MEDIA
Read what the actual newsmakers say

During a Media Matters editorial meeting, we discussed angles for this lead article and how to pitch a story to media was one idea. We thought it may have been too basic because surely professional PR/media practitioners know this stuff? We decided to do some frontline research and were surprised to find that the majority of people pitching stories are doing it the wrong way. We know this because we decided to ask the only people qualified to answer that question - we asked the gatekeepers of Australia's news - the radio and television producers, influential freelance journalists and news desk editors - how to pitch a story. Their full and frank comments have given Media Manoeuvres the latest guide to pitching a story. Ignore it at your peril.



Feature Article

> MEDIA BLOOPERS

Welcome to this new section of the newsletter. We invite all of you to submit your news clips - whether they be funny, embarrassing, particularly great interviews or really bad! We will feature some of the best on our website and get you to vote on the best clip of the month. Each month's winning entry will feature in our Media Matters newsletter and receive two Gold Class tickets to the movies. Send your entries to: madams@mediamanoeuvres.com.au.

MEDIA BLOOPERS Gold Class

> MEDIA MANOEUVRES NEWS
NAOMI ROBSON JOINS THE MM TEAM

Media Manoeuvres is pleased to welcome popular media personality Naomi Robson to the team. Naomi has been very busy of late developing a fantastic new project – soon to be launched . Watch our website for details.

As Australia's leading TV presenter, Naomi knows what it takes to be a success in today's on screen digital world whether it's video streaming on your website, a live teleseminar online, a television interview or an internal presentation to staff or customers.

So, we have teamed up with Naomi to offer you a new course starting in December 2009:
On TV...On Camera...Online Presentation Skills.

This course will give you the confidence to perform like a professional in any 'on screen' situations. Email us at mediaman@mediamanoeuvres.com.au with your contact details if you would like to know more.

 



Naomi Robson
WEBSITE SURVEY UPDATE

Thank you to all the people, over 200, who gave up their time to give advice and feedback on our website. Managing Director, Sam Elam, is regularly visiting the States to get the latest on on-line communication and this information and the feedback from the survey will help the format of our new website, to make it worthwhile for you. Stay tuned … Congratulations to all the people who won a bottle of Seppelts Salinger bubbly!

NEW COURSES

Media Manoeuvres has added two new courses to our already popular Writing for the Media and Writing for Stakeholders, Gap Analysis and Key Message Development training programs.

New Media. Its Role in Communications delves into the world of social media and other Web 2.0 tools. This course will help you to understand the relevance and implications of new media such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Delicious for current communication strategies.

The Writing a Communications/Media Strategy course outlines what a Communications/Media Strategy is, why you need one, the risks in not having one and how to write it. Book now for our November course in Melbourne or Sydney.

click here for more information on courses



Seppelts Salinger

> BOOKS...BOOKS...BOOKS...
Who Wants To Be A Billionaire? The James Packer Story

One of Australia's most acclaimed investigative journalists, Paul Barry, has written this unauthorised biography of James Packer. The book explores the relationship between Kerry and James Packer, and also what drives James Packer to take the risks that he does in business. The book has already caused much controversy – some even labelling it as "vicious" and "poisonous".

Who wants to be a billionaire?

> MEDIA MOMENTS QUIZ
Win Paul Barry's controversial new book "Who wants to be a billionaire? The James Packer story" by trying your luck with our quiz.

continue Media Moments Quiz

> MEDIA MOMENTS QUIZ WINNER
The winner of our last Media Moments quiz was Melanie Ward from Australia Post who won a copy of Andrew Rule's book – "Underbelly the Gangland War".

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