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Pitch Perfect: Communicating with Traditional and Social Media for Scholars, Researchers, and Academic Leaders
This book is intended for scholars, researchers, and academic leaders who have a passion to share their knowledge outside their classroom, laboratory, or institution; who want to make a difference; and who believe that the information they possess and ideas they offer are important for a wider public. Pitch Perfect is a practical guide to communicating your knowledge and research to broader audiences. How do you get yourself heard amid the volume of news and information in today’s 24-hour news cycle, and get your message across in an environment where blogs and Twitter vie with traditional media? To break through, you need to amplify your ideas and make them relevant for a wider public audience.Bill Tyson – who has been successfully advising scholars and academic leaders on media relations for over 30 years – shows you how to undertake early and thoughtful communications planning, understand the needs and workings of the media, both traditional and digital, and tell your story in a way that will capture your audience. Bill Tyson is strategic in his advice, no less so when discussing how to engage with such social media as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts or wikis.Whether you are working on research or a new initiative that has public implications, or have a story that deserves wide telling; whether you want to address funders’ requests for communications plans to promote the programs they are supporting, or whether you want to know how to publicize your new book; this practical guide offers insider advice – complete with case studies – on how to communicate your message. An appendix lists key media in North America, Australia, and the UK.
- GenresBusiness
244 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 9, 2011
This is my business, media pitching in higher ed. I like this book because it spoon feeds the biz to faculty, who sometimes think they know it all. Or hate giving interviews because they've done it badly in the past. Or speak in jargon. I will recommend this to any professors who want me to pitch their expertise to the media--especially if they don't have a hook for me.
December 15, 2011
As its subtitle indicates, “Pitch Perfect” aims to help scholars, researchers and academic leaders communicate through traditional and social media. While PR pros may not be its target audience, the book still has much to offer those of us in communications who work in an academic setting or aspire to do so.
The book focuses on two ways in which faculty and administrators can contribute to public understanding of important issues and enhance their institutions’ reputations — by becoming known to journalists as expert story sources, and by effectively releasing new research findings to the media.
PR pros working in academia will be glad to call upon the book when seeking to explain the ins and outs of media relations to faculty and institutional leaders. Orienting all of his advice to the perspectives of scholars and administrators, author William Tyson addresses the benefits of engaging with the media, how to manage expectations of the results, and the preparation necessary to avoid pitfalls.
Though the book does cover basics that will come as no surprise to communicators, PR pros seeking to work in an academic environment can still learn much from the volume’s specialized look at media relations. The owner of a national firm that serves higher education, policy institutes and foundations, Tyson draws on more than thirty years of counseling scholars and academic leaders as he details the media relations process.
Frequently citing the advice of journalists and providing relevant case studies, Tyson progresses through the topics of newsworthiness, strategy development, media outreach and responding to reporters. Along the way, he describes the appropriate use of phone calls, emails, press releases, meetings, press conferences, opinion articles, letters to the editor, speeches and social media. Highlights include Tyson’s explanation of how reporters choose expert sources, an entire chapter devoted to releasing new research findings, and a look at the increasing role of blogs in book promotion and scholarly reputation building.
Overall, “Pitch Perfect” is a precise and inspiring guide to communicating complex ideas that enrich public dialogue and advance institutional reputations.
The book focuses on two ways in which faculty and administrators can contribute to public understanding of important issues and enhance their institutions’ reputations — by becoming known to journalists as expert story sources, and by effectively releasing new research findings to the media.
PR pros working in academia will be glad to call upon the book when seeking to explain the ins and outs of media relations to faculty and institutional leaders. Orienting all of his advice to the perspectives of scholars and administrators, author William Tyson addresses the benefits of engaging with the media, how to manage expectations of the results, and the preparation necessary to avoid pitfalls.
Though the book does cover basics that will come as no surprise to communicators, PR pros seeking to work in an academic environment can still learn much from the volume’s specialized look at media relations. The owner of a national firm that serves higher education, policy institutes and foundations, Tyson draws on more than thirty years of counseling scholars and academic leaders as he details the media relations process.
Frequently citing the advice of journalists and providing relevant case studies, Tyson progresses through the topics of newsworthiness, strategy development, media outreach and responding to reporters. Along the way, he describes the appropriate use of phone calls, emails, press releases, meetings, press conferences, opinion articles, letters to the editor, speeches and social media. Highlights include Tyson’s explanation of how reporters choose expert sources, an entire chapter devoted to releasing new research findings, and a look at the increasing role of blogs in book promotion and scholarly reputation building.
Overall, “Pitch Perfect” is a precise and inspiring guide to communicating complex ideas that enrich public dialogue and advance institutional reputations.
January 29, 2013
I will stop just short of a rave review for Tyson's Pitch Perfect. He delivers a very useful overview of media outlets with very practical advice on how academics can lean into the media fray. He made me think.
In terms of criticism, two relatively minor things come to mind:
1. The book is visually boring. There are no illustrations, diagrams, or pictures. Tyson deviates very little from a straight presentation of linear text.
2. For me, I did not get a real sense of story in the narrative. That is, it felt like a "just the facts" recitation. I loved the material, but without a sense of story it did not jump off the page.
Overall, Tyson has done a nice job. This will be a useful tool for the target audience - scholars, researchers, and academic leaders.
In terms of criticism, two relatively minor things come to mind:
1. The book is visually boring. There are no illustrations, diagrams, or pictures. Tyson deviates very little from a straight presentation of linear text.
2. For me, I did not get a real sense of story in the narrative. That is, it felt like a "just the facts" recitation. I loved the material, but without a sense of story it did not jump off the page.
Overall, Tyson has done a nice job. This will be a useful tool for the target audience - scholars, researchers, and academic leaders.
December 16, 2017
Material useful for reference.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews