I was thrilled when Lisa Byrne’s DC Event Junkie profiled the DC Flacks Two Year Anniversary happy hour. The feature brought us several new members and tons of exposure on Twitter. Who could ask for anything more? So, when a Washington Post photographer decided to cover the event after reading about us on Lisa’s site, it was a double bonus! Thank you, Lisa, for enabling this fabulous coverage of DC Flacks’ second birthday:

DC Flacks Two Year Anniversary featured in The Washington Post! (September 3, 2011)

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{Today’s guest post comes from former New York Times editorial page staffer Maura Casey. She’s sharing tricks of the op-ed writing trade, folks. Pay attention!}

The rise of the Internet and the struggles of print journalism in recent years have made opinion – your opinion – more valuable than ever. Some of the most influential websites such as Slate and the Huffington Post rely heavily on opinion for their broad appeal.  And newspapers, seeking to cut budgets wherever they can, have stopped publishing many syndicated columnists.

Yet newspapers have to fill those pages with some form of commentary. Therein lies the opportunity. You  don’t have to be George Will or Maureen Dowd to get published. Just don’t expect to get paid, since most newspapers pay little or nothing, And remember,  whether your target is my former employer, The New York Times, or the Laramie Boomerang,  you still have to say something interesting. So here are a few pointers to get your pearls in print: Read More…

Anyone who has talked D.C. current events with me lately is well aware I’m intrigued by D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Just Google her; clearly, there’s much to love, hate and scratch your head about when it comes to this woman.

Since last year’s fateful Time cover, I find myself reading just about everything anyone has to say about her; this piece is particularly good. And then there is today’s Washington Post editorial. Can I getta Amen?

You know my favorite phrase: if you aren’t pissing someone off, you’re not really doing anything. Not a problem for Ms. Rhee and — even though I don’t always agree with her and often question her PR strategy — I admire that.

New-to-me blog alert! I just stumbled upon Bulletproof Blog and I’m savoring every word.  It’s the well-written and highly relevant product of Dallas Lawrence (and others) of DC-based Levick Strategic Communications. I don’t know much about the firm, but I hear they are a big deal and I sure dig the blog.

Anyway, this post about the death of print journalism is a great (albeit sad) one. Rather than just reminding us that the end is near, Lawrence cites numerous sources as he piles up the stats that make your smarter. Like this:

Today, newspapers are struggling to keep up with the evolving needs of a next-generation audience. According to one estimate gathered online, more than 10,000 newsroom jobs ??? that???s 40 jobs per day ??? have been cut in 2008 alone.

I love stats. Oh, and he gives kudos to the Washington Post for their use of Facebook and calls on others to follow suit, adding:

If its industry is to survive, others must take a page from the Post???s online playbook and engage the next generation whether they???re ready or not.

All that said, print journalism isn’t dead yet. While I’m thrilled that so many PR pros and journalist are learning to embrace their inner geek, I hope we don’t fail to stay engaged in the present state of media relations. Print – daily and weekly – still has a place today, particularly if you live outside of a top five media market.

Successful PR pros must have a balanced skill set and that means you’ve gotta be willing to kick it old school if need be. Tennessee markets aren’t even in the top 30, but they are still very important to our clients. Your best tweet merely complements your ability to craft a well-written op-ed – it does not replace it.

Just say’n.