Writing Effective Press Releases with Business Reporter Joseph Weber

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Business reporter Joseph Weber tells how and why some press releases from PR firms inspire articles and others don’t in this media relations deep dive about the future of print journalism in the network age.

Joseph Weber was chief of correspondents for BusinessWeek, based in Chicago. Previously, he was the Chicago bureau manager. Weber joined BusinessWeek as a correspondent in Dallas.

Among his many awards are an Excellence in Financial Journalism Award from the New York State Society of CPAs, two Peter Lisagor Awards from the Headline Club of Chicago, and a Distinguished Editorial Achievement Award from McGraw-Hill.

Today, he is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

SHOW NOTES:

04:44 – Weber describes his role at BusinessWeek and reveals the details behind a typical day at work.

06:15 – Weber responds to the question, “How does the news break down in terms of the news cycle?”

07:25 – Weber goes in-depth about the process of putting timely news online.

08:00 – Weber elaborates on the hierarchy behind the decision-making processes at BusinessWeek.

10:34 -Weber on the section editors at BusinessWeek and how particular sections break down in terms of content.

12:20 – Weber discusses what channels an idea goes through before it becomes an assignment.

16:30 – Weber describes whether he feels he can predict the fate of a pitch before it gets vetted and the secrets of successful PR.

19:50 – Weber on whether we risk losing print news media journalism.

26:00 – Weber talks about whether journalists are partially responsible for missing the story of Enron.

28:20 – Weber shares his viewpoint on the deal between Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal.

29:11 – Weber remarks on the newspaper business’ decline and whether this is only a passing phase or a new reality.

31:50 – Weber explains how advertisers are moving their business online.

33:00 -Weber elaborates on the future of the bottom line and whether it will affect the integrity of journalism.

34:39 – End

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash