Guest Trifecta: News Releases, Pay for Plays + White Burgundy with Toni Harrison

Episode 10 – Pitchin’ and Sippin’ – New Releases

A former CBS reporter, today’s “Guest Trifecta” is Toni Harrison, the founder and CEO of Etched Communication and Managing Partner and President of the Ten35 Agency. Toni has managed award-winning public relations campaigns for a diverse client roster that includes Fortune-ranked organizations, global consumer brands, governmental entities, and community-based nonprofits. As a former journalist, she also has an in-depth understanding of the 24/7 news cycle and unmatched expertise in helping clients navigate crises and high-profile interviews. Learn about news releases, pay for plays, and much more.

Highlights:

We discuss Toni’s journey from graduating college to going back and forth professionally between journalism and public relations. Spoiler: her passion for PR won!
We talk about how Toni decided to start a business of her own: she created Etched Communication, a PR firm, which then became part of Ten35, a comprehensive communications firm.
Toni explains why press releases should actually be called news releases. Also, she gives her opinion on whether the news release concept is dead or not.
Toni explains the importance of having a content strategy when using news releases: being methodical and strategic is key.
Toni talks about the realities of Pay for Plays and why the blurred lines between PR and advertising are a serious disservice to the industry and consumers.
Toni gives out her best advice for cultivating relationships with reporters, writers, and peers.
Using our voices and communication skills are key factors in order to progress towards a more inclusive world and we can’t deny it. Toni explains more of this topic in this article.