I work hard to gain a journalist’s trust. And I find that generally that trust is reciprocated. Like any relationship, there’s a learned contract –…
Peter WilkinsonJuly 4, 2022
Your mobile rings; it’s from a journalist asking for a response to a damaging story being published in an hour or two. What happens next…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 28, 2020
When I left 60 Minutes to be a public relations adviser I can remember being genuinely surprised at how scared people were of journalists.
Peter WilkinsonOctober 30, 2018
Think of your social media asset as a classroom, and you are the teacher. How do you use the carrot and the stick to inspire,…
Peter WilkinsonOctober 7, 2018
Create a knockout headline first, then an amazing first par, then a fantastic picture. A great story will follow.
Peter WilkinsonAugust 26, 2018
Becoming a victim of a data breach can leave you feeling violated and helpless. But you have options.
Peter WilkinsonAugust 3, 2018
Media Training: Overview Photo: Channel 7 News In this now hyper competitive environment, CEO’s must be able communicate on behalf of the company to external…
Peter WilkinsonMay 1, 2018
There is a basic first step in media interviews: answer the question. It’s dead simple.
Peter WilkinsonApril 24, 2018
Social media manipulation, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the allegations of Russian troll farms distorting elections, has brought sharply into focus that people are…
Peter WilkinsonMarch 26, 2018
In Australia there's a conversation, an undercurrent, about replacing PM Turnbull. Some say "Why, who else is there?"; others say "Why not replace one lack…
Peter WilkinsonJune 19, 2017
It’s a sensational period for good journalism. In the last short period: 1. The Washington Post scooped that Trump leaked classified information to the Russians. 2. The…
Peter WilkinsonJune 7, 2017
Trump’s war on media last week shone a light on its critical role in a democracy - unfettered and frank two-way communication between the people…
Peter WilkinsonMarch 1, 2017
It’s the communications professionals who have failed social media. By not taking responsibility we’ve spoilt it for the rest. Traditional media has set an expectation.…
Peter WilkinsonFebruary 8, 2017
The CEO, a new client, asked me last week, “How do we measure our Public Relations?” There are two answers I know of and neither…
Peter WilkinsonOctober 19, 2016
I've written before that social media strategists need to behave like clever newspaper editors - concentrate on giving their customers the information and entertainment they…
Peter WilkinsonOctober 11, 2016
Think like a newspaper editor. Eventually, your career will depend on it. Here’s a prediction: go forward 2-3 years. More and more journalists will be managing…
Peter WilkinsonSeptember 14, 2016
The importance of values I do a lot of media training, which these days includes social media training. Training people on the use of social…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 23, 2016
ABC bashing – a poor sport On Saturday the Minister for Communications, Mitch Fifield, was reported in The Australian as asking the ABC to ‘Please…
Peter WilkinsonJuly 26, 2016
The use of that hashtag is an angry shout for the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. There’s what I think is a misguided…
Peter WilkinsonJuly 12, 2016
I’m often asked this and I wonder if it’s wise to be too prescriptive? Switzerland with 60 Minutes PR is a growing sector, journalism is…
Peter WilkinsonMarch 22, 2016
People often ask why Millennials are fleeing traditional media. To me it’s too dismissive to say “They’re apathetic” or “It’s the Twitter generation”. Here’s my…
Peter WilkinsonMarch 15, 2016
Here’s a different slant on a story that’s been doing the rounds for the last week, about yet more redundancies amongst journalists, with The Independent…
Peter WilkinsonFebruary 23, 2016
Is it a contradiction that one of the most effective and easiest public relations and communications tools – social media – has about lowest use…
Peter WilkinsonJanuary 25, 2016
A lot of the Do’s in social media are changing as fast as viewers’ habits change, but others are as old as journalism: Who are…
Peter WilkinsonSeptember 4, 2015
The reaction on social media to the shooting of Cecil demonstrates the power of social media - even though it happened after the fact. Dare…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 2, 2015
This story in the SMH (here) is a lesson in Crisis PR; it reflects a lot of current sentiment, and you can see plenty of…
Peter WilkinsonJuly 24, 2015
Three amazing events last week: - Twitter’s live streaming app, Periscope, launched – March 26 - Netflix and cut price on-demand TV launched – March…
Peter WilkinsonApril 2, 2015
I hate watching what’s happening to where I worked for 30+ years and where my colleagues still struggle. But what disappoints me more is the…
Peter WilkinsonMarch 24, 2015
This is a Crisis PR tip I picked up from Lord Tim Bell. It's going to sound over-protective, but it pays dividends. I was a…
Peter WilkinsonDecember 7, 2014
Holidays – should be more of ‘em shouldn’t there? Having just taken 5 days to go camping at Coolah Tops National Park, I’m a supporter.…
Peter WilkinsonNovember 12, 2014
Are you finding some phonecalls slightly irritating? I do! There are now so many options for communicating, so how do we ensure they enhance our…
Peter WilkinsonNovember 4, 2014
This week I helped a significant Australian company with a media crisis - an attack by a TV program alleging it had ripped off another…
Peter WilkinsonOctober 13, 2014
Still feeling uncomfortable about signing up to the social/digital age? There is now increasing evidence that one of the critical leadership qualities is familiarity with social/digital media.…
Peter WilkinsonOctober 6, 2014
We’ve now introduced a program in which every staff member is required to undertake a 'MOOC' annually as part of their structured learning program. Has…
Peter WilkinsonOctober 5, 2014
The social/digital revolution has created a blind spot for CEOs. Traditionally, culture is strongest at the top and weakens down the line. The mission, vision…
Peter WilkinsonOctober 4, 2014
The six most influential business books in 2014 have been chosen as finalists in the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award.…
Peter WilkinsonSeptember 29, 2014
The other 30% is Responsiveness... A study group has analysed the world's top 500 universities and the importance of their websites to student recruitment. It has found…
Peter WilkinsonSeptember 26, 2014
For the first time, the prestigious universities globally have been bumped down the search list by superior online marketers. It is a further indication that social media…
Peter WilkinsonSeptember 26, 2014
An example of an organisation's Social Media Protocols for employees: Dear Staff, The Internet has democratised publishing and we recognise how natural it is for…
Peter WilkinsonSeptember 11, 2014
Up until recently many organisations were forbidding staff from going social. Now it’s almost impossible to stop. And, competition is demanding increasing customer engagement. So,…
Peter WilkinsonSeptember 11, 2014
‘Go ’til I say Stop!” - the 8th tip. We’ve passed the period when CEOs are questioning the value of a digital team. But how do…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 27, 2014
This is one of the great dilemmas for corporate affairs practitioners. Journalists hate owning up to making mistakes, but it happens. And the more pressure placed…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 24, 2014
With journalists under so much pressure, it’s worth this reminder: do journalists a favour by preparing a press release with TLC. Here’s a handy checklist…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 23, 2014
Old paradigm: A traditional newspaper delivers say one hundred stories, which you filter according to your interests to read a dozen or so. Then, once read,…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 20, 2014
Lack of balance, trivialisation, inaccuracy, failure to pursue the truth – the complaints are recycled in every media training session. Here are two wonderful articles…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 20, 2014
In very practical terms, the survey (by Oracle) tells us: 81% of Twitter users expect a same-day response to questions and complaints posted at the newsfeed…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 20, 2014
Here is a really interesting report (IBM CEO survey: ‘Leading through Connections’), because it reinforces what we have been writing about, concerning CEO attitudes to…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 20, 2014
The below link takes you to a McKinsey Quarterly report - one of the early reports (Nov 2011) that is now a chorus of high…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 20, 2014
Below is a reinforcing take on the powerful survey by The Economist Intelligence Unit and PulsePoint. As e-Marketer reports (below), CEOs are collectively acknowledging positive…
Peter WilkinsonAugust 20, 2014