Public Relations & Media Relations Flashcards

During a crisis, a company discovers inaccurate information spreading on social media. The BEST initial PR response is to:

Answer: Acknowledge awareness of the situation and commit to providing updates

Acknowledging the situation quickly and promising updates demonstrates transparency and helps control the narrative without waiting too long.

What is a 'boilerplate' in the context of a press release?

Answer: A standardized paragraph at the end describing the organization

A boilerplate is a brief, standardized 'About the Company' paragraph placed at the end of every press release.

A PR manager is asked to evaluate the success of a media campaign. Which metric most directly measures media quality over quantity?

Answer: Tone and sentiment of media coverage received

Sentiment analysis evaluates whether coverage is positive, negative, or neutral, providing insight into media quality beyond simple volume counts.

Which of the following is an example of proactive media relations?

Answer: Pitching a story about the company's new sustainability initiative before it is widely known

Proactive media relations involves initiating contact with journalists to generate coverage on the organization's own terms.

What is the purpose of an editorial calendar in PR planning?

Answer: To map out media opportunities and content timing aligned with editorial themes

An editorial calendar helps PR teams align pitches and content with anticipated media themes, seasons, and publication schedules.

A spokesperson repeatedly says 'no comment' during a media interview. This approach most likely results in:

Answer: Negative perceptions suggesting the organization is hiding information

'No comment' is widely interpreted as evasion and can fuel negative speculation, even when the organization is legally or operationally constrained.

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'message discipline' in media training?

Answer: Consistently returning to key messages regardless of the questions asked

Message discipline means consistently bridging back to core messages during interviews, ensuring key points are communicated even when questions diverge.