What do we need to know about the media

There are many channels for communication. More arrive every day. What do we need to know about them if we are going to use them for public relations activities?

Here is a small list:

1. Title (e.g. email)

2. Definition

3. History (wikipedia or another resource)

4. Fast Facts (how would you explain this channel for communication really quickly)

5. Communication platforms (p.c, laptop, cell phone, print - yup I guess the dead tree society deserves to be included in social media resources).

6. How do people (the public/s) contribute to this channel? To what extent is this common (past/now/future)

7. How does the public share knowledge of content in this channel - using this channel and across other channels. To what extent is this common (past/now/future).

8. Risk analysis (issues, future opportunities, threats - read the lecture and fill out the risk assessment matrix )

9. What services are available to help you set up/deploy this channel (software, suppliers and/or contractors; are there expert people that you could employ on behalf of a client)

10. How to implement the technology (what are the steps involved)

11. Internal/external policies (examples of such policies will be needed if you are going to use this channel)

12. How do you optimise this channel to help people find/use it (e.g. Search Engine Optimisation)

13. Monitor (what is there out there that can help you monitor the effect of your work using this channel - e.g. can you set up and RSS feed or a search engine monitor. Can you monitor how this channel is affecting its audience and how? Do you need to use a monitoring company and if so who has the expertise - and how much will it cost?)

14. Metrics (what numbers are available in the public domain? What numbers are available in the private domain? Is this best measured as page views or is it the number of references it generates in Digg) or a combination or are the metrics completely different?)

15. Evaluate (How do you set realistic targets and outcomes; how can you measure how hgood you are at using this channel for communication; how can you evaluate the effectiveness of using this channel for communication as part of a relationship building campaign?)

16. Overcoming barriers to dominant coalition (what are your arguments; how are they supported with real and verifiable evidence; can you call on quantifiable evidence and case study supported reasoning?)

17. Case studies of good and bad practice (Can you find case studies and can you look at the best examples and the worst and then identify the risk mitigation or opportunity optimisation policies you need to have when using this channel for communication).

18. Relevance to organisations and practice

19. Training (training resources, training examples, etiquette)

Did I miss something?