Will you be the next Trevett Award winner?

Each year, the Young Professionals section of PRSA-LA honors outstanding of Young Professionals from the greater Los Angeles area in memory of Tom Trevett, co-founder of the Los Angeles Chapter’s Young Professionals Section – the first in the nation. Tom was one of many who succumbed to the AIDS epidemic at the age of 29. It was his hope that the awareness about the cause of his death contributes to our understanding of the impact of AIDS on society.

In his honor, two outstanding young professionals will be recognized at the Prisms Awards, thereby gaining exposure in front of industry professionals. First-place winner wins $1000 and second place winner wins $500.

If you are employed in public relations, have no more than three years of full-time experience and are in good standing with PRSA-LA, then you are eligible to apply for the Trevett Award.

Please keep checking the YP blog http://ypla.blogspot.com for more information or contact Trevett Award Chair, Gesuina Paras at gesuini@hotmail.com.

Tips for PR Pros: June

Tips for PR pros

What Captures the Attention of Radio Listeners? - learn who America's radio listeners are and what they want to hear about so that you can best pitch your story to a radio producer or news director

Why timing is everything: A broadcast reporter answers your media coverage questions - Veteran reporter Scott Sayres of Fox 4 in Dallas answers questions from PR professionals.

Meet Scott Sameroff

Company: Luck Media & Marketing
Birthplace: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
College: McGill University (Montreal, Quebec)

What is your role at Luck Media? I do a bit of everything. I spend a lot of time bringing in new clients, tons of internet research, writing/formating press releases, collecting client articles, meeting with clients

What has been your favorite PR moment? Writing my first press release and reading it in the gossip column of a major newspaper the following day.

What do you think your next career move will be? I'll probably start applying to MBA programs in the next two or three years.

What advice can you give to current students? Recent graduates? Work hard, don't be afraid to start off as an intern or at the bottom of the ladder, no matter how qualified you think you are. Also, be proactive, don't sit around the office and waste time. Look around your office for things that need to be improved/completed and do so.

In Case You Missed It: May Meeting Recap

On May 16, Weber-Shandwick hosted the Meet the Press Part 2: Broadcast Media meeting. The panel included Playboy Radio associate producer and booker, Melissa Winter; KABC Automotive Reporter, Dave Kunz and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno segment producer, Steve Kozak. Below are their Do's and Don'ts when pitching broadcast media:

DO:

• Include a celebrity tie-in to your pitch when possible.
• Send creative mail! They personally enjoy getting something traditional and a little out-of-the-ordinary
• Be brief in e-mails and on the phone
• If one journalist is interested in your pitch, be honest about other journalists within their outlet you are pitching. They don't want to inadvertently work on the same story.

DON'T:

• Make your e-mail subject line too long
• Use informal language when you speak with the journalist, such as "Wuz up?"
• Offer an exclusive interview, but not honor the agreement

In Case You Missed It: April Meeting Recap

On April 18, GolinHarris hosted the Meet the Press Part 1: Print meeting. LA Times staff writer Jean Guccione and Randy Hagihara, senior editor for recruitment, spoke briefly on their personal experiences as journalists and then opened the floor to an informative question and answer session. Below are some of the words of wisdom they shared with the group of over 20 young professionals.

Some things you may already know…

• Keep press releases short but make sure to include all the important information. (Make it as easy as possible for the reporter to cover your story or event)
• Don’t assume reporters always check their email. Call to follow-up.
• When you do call, remember that most reporters are on deadline after 3 p.m. (Try and catch them mid-morning)
• When pitching event attendance, make sure to give a few weeks notice and then follow-up with a reminder closer to the event.
• Always be accessible. Journalists are more likely to start going to you for information if they know you are a reliable resource.

…and some things maybe you didn’t...

• Pitch the morning editor for a better chance of getting placement.
• It’s ok to pitch the same story to more than one reporter as long as you are honest and upfront about it.
• Try pitching a newspapers blog. Your story may not fit into the paper but could be featured in a blog post.
• Sometimes stories in smaller publications get the attention of the bigger papers.
• Too much information to fit in your release? Set up a mini-site that can include pictures, graphics and other details.

What advice can you offer? Post your comments and share your wisdom.

We Asked, They Said - June

Tell us about a time that you successfully pitched a story to a TV station. How did the story turn out?

Meet the Press Part 2: Broadcast Media - Behind the Scenes....A Glimpse into the Studio

Join us for a sneak peak into the newsroom as we get a behind the scenes perspective from three guest speakers from national and local broadcast outlets based in Los Angeles. We'll get the scoop on what it takes to get coverage on and build relationships with key broadcast outlets.

May 16 , 2007
6:00-6:30 P.M. - Networking
6:30-7:30 P.M. - Program

Weber Shandwick
8687 Melrose Ave
7th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Weber Shandwick's Website

Steve Kozak, a segment producer at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, began his career in the music business but began working in broadcast television nearly 15 years ago. He has worked as an assignment editor for Hard Copy, news editor and writer for Real TV and a segment producer for Whose Line Is It Anyway.

Dave Kunz is the automotive reporter at KABC- TV Channel 7 in Los Angeles. Covering the automotive beat for the region's number one network television station, Dave brings viewers the latest news on everything from practical family sedans to the most exotic sports cars that only a privileged few will ever drive. Dave's segments air at various times on Eyewitness News, as well as the station's long- running magazine show Eye on L.A.

Melissa Winter is an Associate Producer at Playboy Radio and is in charge of booking the Morning Show's guests and talent. Winter recently relocated from New York City to Los Angeles where she worked as an Assistant Camera Operator on the Apprentice as well as several reality shows. She is recent graduate from Eastern Michigan University where she obtained a degree in Communication.

Parking:
Parking is available in the garage at the Pacific Design Center. Please enter through the gate on San Vicente. We will provide the parking attendant with a list of all attendees who RSVP. If no parking attendant is onsite, take a ticket and we will provide validation.

Cost (pay by cash or checks at the door):
$10 YP Members; $15 for Non- members; $5 for PRSSA Members

Mentorship Program:
If you have not met your mentor or mentee in person, this meeting is a great opportunity to officially meet them.

RSVP:
To RSVP, please reply to this email by Tuesday, May 15th. If you have any questions, please contact Phyllis Hu at phu@iwgroupinc.com or Bonnie Berkes at bberkes@jmprpublicrelations.com.

We Hope to See You There!

Phyllis Hu (IW Group) & Bonnie Berkes (JMPR, Public Relations)
Program Co-Chairs, PRSA-LA's Young Professionals

email: yp_prsala@yahoo.com
web: http://www.prsa-la.org