Sandra Beckwith’s novel, Publicity for Nonprofits, is a guide for public information officers looking to grow coverage on their organizations. The book is filled with case studies and tips for how to work with the media. Although it is informative, it is mainly geared towards an audience with little public relations experience. In the following, I will discuss the positive attributes of the book, as well as what it lacks.
To begin, this book succinctly discusses all the various aspects of public relations and applies them to the nonprofit sector. The book begins by outlining how to work with the media. It then outlines all the different media materials like news releases and PSAs. In order to illustrate how these practices have worked for other nonprofits, Beckwith includes case studies. One example was “State-by-State Report Card Makes News.” This was included in the section on cultivating media relations. In this example, the March of Dimes wanted to raise awareness on newborn screenings. The campaign included real families showcasing this important issue. The communications team compiled press kits and distributed them with pitches via phone and e-mail. In the end, they generated national media coverage, as well as an increase in newborn screenings.
Also, case studies are used when discussing how to create a publicity plan. In the example, Through the Ages has a specific objective that will guide its entire publicity plan. The organization holds a dinner that features a celebrity speaker each year. For the upcoming year, George H.W. Bush will speak. To cover the costs they want to increase ticket sales and increase exposure for the organization. The plan involves looking at target audiences and crafting appropriate objectives, strategies and tactics. These are heavily focused on media. This example would be ideal for nonprofits looking to gain media coverage to an event. Beckwith’s outline of a plan would be beneficial to any organization.
Although the case studies are interesting, the book is outdated. It spends the majority of the time discussing news releases. Even though I believe a form of a news release will always be around, it will not be used as much as the author claims. It also states mailing or faxing press releases. This book could be greatly improved by having an updated version. Nonprofits should be advised on how to use social media. If an organization’s goal is to reach a younger population, it is more effective to learn about best social media practices, as opposed to media relations. This book has some great tips and examples of how to succeed, but for it to be effective the author should edit the book to be more relevant.
To conclude, this book has some great tips for nonprofits, but it ignores some of the new and innovative public relations techniques. I would recommend the case studies of this book to a public information class, but not the whole book. This is mainly because it is outdated, but also because it is geared to nonprofit professionals not public relations specialists.
REVIEW BY MEGAN TURNER
To begin, this book succinctly discusses all the various aspects of public relations and applies them to the nonprofit sector. The book begins by outlining how to work with the media. It then outlines all the different media materials like news releases and PSAs. In order to illustrate how these practices have worked for other nonprofits, Beckwith includes case studies. One example was “State-by-State Report Card Makes News.” This was included in the section on cultivating media relations. In this example, the March of Dimes wanted to raise awareness on newborn screenings. The campaign included real families showcasing this important issue. The communications team compiled press kits and distributed them with pitches via phone and e-mail. In the end, they generated national media coverage, as well as an increase in newborn screenings.
Also, case studies are used when discussing how to create a publicity plan. In the example, Through the Ages has a specific objective that will guide its entire publicity plan. The organization holds a dinner that features a celebrity speaker each year. For the upcoming year, George H.W. Bush will speak. To cover the costs they want to increase ticket sales and increase exposure for the organization. The plan involves looking at target audiences and crafting appropriate objectives, strategies and tactics. These are heavily focused on media. This example would be ideal for nonprofits looking to gain media coverage to an event. Beckwith’s outline of a plan would be beneficial to any organization.
Although the case studies are interesting, the book is outdated. It spends the majority of the time discussing news releases. Even though I believe a form of a news release will always be around, it will not be used as much as the author claims. It also states mailing or faxing press releases. This book could be greatly improved by having an updated version. Nonprofits should be advised on how to use social media. If an organization’s goal is to reach a younger population, it is more effective to learn about best social media practices, as opposed to media relations. This book has some great tips and examples of how to succeed, but for it to be effective the author should edit the book to be more relevant.
To conclude, this book has some great tips for nonprofits, but it ignores some of the new and innovative public relations techniques. I would recommend the case studies of this book to a public information class, but not the whole book. This is mainly because it is outdated, but also because it is geared to nonprofit professionals not public relations specialists.
REVIEW BY MEGAN TURNER