ABC Media Relations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which metric best measures the quality of earned media coverage rather than just its quantity?
- Total number of articles published
- Advertising value equivalency (AVE)
- Share of voice combined with message pull-through rate (Correct answer)
- Number of press releases distributed
Correct answer: Share of voice combined with message pull-through rate
Share of voice and message pull-through reveal whether coverage was on-topic and competitive, not just voluminous.
Question 2: During a media training session, a spokesperson asks what to do when they do not know the answer to a journalist's question. The correct advice is to:
- Make an educated guess to appear knowledgeable
- Say 'no comment'
- Acknowledge the gap and commit to following up with accurate information (Correct answer)
- Deflect by asking the journalist a question in return
Correct answer: Acknowledge the gap and commit to following up with accurate information
Admitting you don't know and committing to follow up maintains credibility and avoids misinformation.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a media monitoring service in a corporate communications department?
- To draft press releases automatically
- To track coverage, sentiment, and emerging issues related to the organization (Correct answer)
- To pitch stories to journalists on behalf of the PR team
- To manage the company's social media accounts
Correct answer: To track coverage, sentiment, and emerging issues related to the organization
Media monitoring tracks what is being said about an organization so communicators can respond strategically.
Question 4: A company plans to announce layoffs. Which media relations approach best protects corporate reputation?
- Delay all media communication until after employees are notified
- Notify employees first, then issue a proactive statement to media with context and support resources (Correct answer)
- Issue a press release to media before employees are told to control the narrative
- Refuse all media inquiries and let the story die on its own
Correct answer: Notify employees first, then issue a proactive statement to media with context and support resources
Employees must be notified before media to maintain trust, followed by a proactive statement that provides context.
Question 5: Which element distinguishes a feature story pitch from a hard news pitch?
- Feature pitches require a more urgent news hook
- Feature pitches emphasize human interest, narrative, and longer time horizons rather than breaking news (Correct answer)
- Feature pitches should only be sent to broadcast outlets
- Feature pitches must include financial data
Correct answer: Feature pitches emphasize human interest, narrative, and longer time horizons rather than breaking news
Feature stories focus on depth, storytelling, and human interest rather than time-sensitive breaking events.
Question 6: Under the PRSA Code of Ethics, a PR professional who discovers a journalist was given inaccurate information by a colleague should:
- Stay silent to protect the organization
- Correct the inaccuracy proactively with the journalist (Correct answer)
- Wait to see if the journalist publishes the story before acting
- Report only to senior management and take no further action
Correct answer: Correct the inaccuracy proactively with the journalist
The PRSA Code requires truthfulness and accuracy, obligating practitioners to correct known misinformation.
Question 7: What is the recommended maximum length for a standard press release body (excluding boilerplate)?
- 500 words
- One page (approximately 400–500 words) (Correct answer)
- Three pages
- No limit if the news is important enough
Correct answer: One page (approximately 400–500 words)
A press release body should fit one page to respect journalists' time and maximize readability.
ABC Media Relations 3
Which metric best measures the quality of earned media coverage rather than just its quantity?