I went to OSCON a couple of weeks ago and attended a session called "OSS
Project Press Relations." I took a ton of notes on it, and I've attached
them here in hopes of starting a discussion on how we can apply them to
Gentoo.
Thanks,
Donnie
Josh Berkus
Open-Source Press Relations
Resources
volunteers
press contacts
reference users
press kit
a little money
Volunteers
writers/designers
press releases
web design and graphics
handouts and articles
translators
regional contacts
press/biz experience
email/phone for work hrs
one per country/region/language
PR contributions are as valuable as code
Press contacts
collect a list
bloggers/reporters in your community
reporters who have covered your project
lists from conferences
biz cards
manage the list
keep in central, secure location
don't want it stolen, or reporters spammed
separate into categories
"warm", "cold", "intimate" contacts
Reference users
Testify that your project is ready for production use
You need them
Quotes, interviews, case studies
Get them through community
mailing lists, consultant clients, conferences
Keep contact info handy
Press kit
1-stop shopping for reporters
"what is" doc
"latest news" doc
case studies, reference users
contact info -- regional contacts
logos/graphics
self-booting CD (optional)
have same info everywhere
updated on website
paper handouts at conferences
Handling the press
Reporters are people, too.
Don't insult them when they get something wrong
Contact them, but be nice. Leave your contact info!
But thank them when they get something right
There is no "off the record"
Make a list of talking points, and things you want to avoid
FAQ is good
Don't send out the second list
On second list: e.g., don't rip on other
distros/MS
Make their job easy -- provide facts, quotes, numbers, contacts
Do _not_ ask to preview the story
Figure out what the "news" is, and tell them
Press releases
-8 weeks: draft release
Do it open source
involve advocacy group
use mailing list and wikis/VCS
many eyes make bugs shallow
allow 3-4 weeks
Doing it in the open is not a problem
Use professional release format
Top-down
Emphasize news value
Have a "theme"
1-1.5 pages
If it's too long, they won't reach the link to
more info,
and they may throw it away
8 parts
contact info -- need a phone number!
on deadline, they need phone, won't run
the story otherwise
dateline
required! their spam filters toss out
badly formatted stuff
summary 'graf
5 W's: who, what, when, where (not that
imp), why
theme 'graf (opt)
1-3 quotes, no more
biz users, someone famous
needs to be by "external" user
need person's full name and title
ask them what their title is,
some people wear many hats
detail info
link to more info, prolly the press kit
about 'graf
also may have about 'grafs from the
companies you quoted
-4 weeks: create press kit
release, plus:
links to more advocacy info (case studies, etc)
full text of quotes
detail that didn't fit in release
info about quoted companies
contact info
links to regional contacts
get website ready to roll
"bit flip" to activate all content at once
CMS good for this
links to downloads
homepage announcement
traffic monitors
release to translators
-1 week: embargoed releases
contact "trusted" press
must agree to not release till release date
must be willing to postpone/cancel release in case of
problems
say "i will contact you 24 hours before release
to let you know
whether it's a go"
good way to "reward" reporters you like
additional advance contact
Q&A about release
demo, if appropriate -- send them a CD or download
arrange interviews with devs/users
be aware of press schedules
file release with PRWire
it's free. you don't need to pay them, but it may be a
3-day delay
instead of a 1-day delay. you might want to
give them the
minimal amount.
most useful when you have a small press list
-12 hours: stuff up on website
last chance to postpone
check with lead devs
put up on web
press kits
downloads -- consider cascade delay on mirrors
docs
lists of regional contacts
check that regional contacts are ready
0 hour: send out release
contact embargo reporters and give them all-clear
spam your whole press list
use a script or a mailing list
do NOT use BCC, spammers use this so it gets filtered
tell regional contacts/translators "go"
panic!
+1-5 days: follow-up
follow up with key reporters
collect links to press coverage
put up on website
send corrections if needed -- polite!
slashdot it!
find someone in project with high karma rating to post
it
update press list
thank volunteers
