Media Relations Handbook 
for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits and Congress
"The Big Blue Book"

The Media Relations Handbook is required reading for Capitol Hill press secretaries, federal agency public affairs officers, political campaign spin doctors, nonprofit PR professionals, lobbyists or anyone involved in garnering media coverage. In this Handbook, Brad Fitch explores theory and practice, discussing general principles and illustrating each point with real-life examples.

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"[T]his book will be of value to students and professionals of political communications and public relations. Summing up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections."
-- CHOICE (click for full review)

"Although targeted for new media relations staff or ones starting a new press office, even the most experienced public information officer can learn from this book."
-- Gene Rose, Director of Public Affairs, NCSL, in State Legislatures magazine, December 2004 (click to see full review - pdf )

"Want to become a media relations ace? Here's expert advice.  The book is loaded with tips for corporate communicators as well.  Impact recommends it highly."
-- Impact (Public Affairs Council), July/August 2004

"The 'bible' of media relations and a must for anyone charged with the responsibility of successfully dealing with (and utilizing) the media for their agency, group, or cause."
-- Midwest Book Review, June 2004

"Offers a wealth of practical advice on public relations that will be of benefit to governmental and non-governmental organizations alike."
-- Municipal World, July 2004

"Great advice for beginners and experienced media hands. If you are a media relations professional--either beginner or seasoned veteran--this is the book for you. Brad Fitch, who spent many years fielding reporters' tough questions on Capitol Hill, has written a timely, practical guide to handling media relations that is filled with solid professional advice. What goes into a press release? How do you develop a strategic message? You've got a digital camera and a fax machine, but what else does your office need to effectively handle the media? Before you start talking to a reporter, do you know the difference between 'on the record,' 'off the record,' and 'background'? When there's an immediate crisis in your organization, what are the eight mistakes that you absolutely must avoid? How do you handle your paranoid boss when he or she has to confront the press? You'll find the answers to these and many other everyday problems in this book. Fitch also gives valuable advice on how to set up an effective website and how to use e-mail for optimum communications. Excellent book for professionals who work in federal or state agencies, trade associations, non-profits, state legislatures or Congress. It's the only handbook you'll ever need."
-- Dennis W. Johnson, college professor and former Capitol Hill senior staffer

"Provides valuable advice for those who flack for a living."
-- Roll Call, April 21, 2004, page 3 and page 22 (pdfs)

"A superb blend of theory and practice, written by someone who uses words like Gallup uses polls."
-- Steve O'Keefe, author "Complete Guide to Internet Publicity" and Adjunct Faculty, Tulane University College

"Uncertain how to interest the press in your pressing issue?  Having difficulty preparing your media-unfriendly boss for a tough interview? Worried about the next communications crisis and how to handle it? Brad Fitch answers those questions and many more in this crisp, clear and completely useful book."
-- Tucker Carlson, TV analyst, author

"A seminar from TheCapitol.Net is one of the best ways to learn from the experts about how Washington really works. Now all that insight and information has been packed into this invaluable volume. I suggest you read it, and become your own expert."
-- Steven V. Roberts, syndicated columnist, TV and radio analyst, college professor

"Brad Fitch has performed an admirable public service by giving public relations students and professionals alike an indispensable tool. His book provides a road map on both the practicalities and principles of PR, and he shows that honest PR is not an oxymoron. Now it's up to all of us in the media and spin industries to keep our end of the bargain."
-- Ed Henry, Congressional Correspondent, CNN (formerly Senior Editor of Roll Call)

"This volume is an invaluable road map to the mean streets of a city where information is power and power is everything. Brad Fitch has written a rich 'how-to' lesson for pros and for novices who must negotiate the competitive landscape of America's new media."
-- Ann Compton, White House Correspondent, ABC News

"Media Relations Handbook is to political campaigns what The Art of War is to military campaigns: an essential strategic reference that winners should never be without."
-- James Carville, TV analyst, author

"In the Media Relations Handbook, author Brad Fitch effectively presents practical ideas and tips on how to properly conduct media relations. ... The book is a comprehensive and recommended read for anyone interested in learning more about public relations and how people and organizations should conduct their relationships with the media."
-- James J. Casey, Jr., Wisconsin Lawyer, April 2006

• Special Feature: "Fitchisms"
  

• Introduction  html  pdf

• Table of Contents   html  pdf

• Chapter 1   First Steps   pdf

• § 2.14  Press Conference Checklist    html  pdf

• § 3.9  How to Do Everything Right and Still Fail--or, Getting "O.J.'ed"   html  pdf

• § 6.5  Five Management Principles of Online Communications   html  pdf

• § 8.99 Chapter Summary: Interview Preparation   html  pdf

• § 10.6  Self-Research   html  pdf

• § 11.6  Freedom of Information Act Requests (FOIA's)   html  pdf

• § 11.7  FOIA References   html  pdf

• § 11.10  Public Information Campaigns to Change Behavior   html  pdf

• § 12.8  How to Use a Web Site in a Crisis   html  pdf

• Index    html  pdf
  

pdf version

America was founded by a public relations campaign. Certainly General George Washington's army played an important role as well in freeing the colonies from British tyranny. But it was Thomas Paine's pen, through his pamphlet Common Sense, which motivated thousands of colonists to join the rebel army to fight for the cause of liberty against their British cousins.

It's strange to think that public relations existed two hundred years ago, yet Common Sense was the first mass media campaign on American soil. In a nation of three million, an estimated 400,000 copies of the 40-page pamphlet were printed. That would be the modern day equivalent today of about 40 million voters watching the same 30-minute documentary calling on them to overthrow their government -- and most of them supporting the idea.

From cave drawings to the printing press to the Internet, leaders and their acolytes throughout human history have combined persuasive ideas and available technology to communicate those ideas to those they wish to influence. In a democratic context, the process takes on larger meaning, as the goals of the persuader are often intended to better the human condition, right a social wrong, or protect an unsuspecting public from some menace.

We think of public relations as a craft invented in the 20^th Century by people like Edward Bernays, sometimes called the "Father of Public Relations." The writings and tactics of this first great thinker and practitioner in the industry redefined both government and corporate communications in America. Bernays (who was also the nephew of Sigmund Freud) defined the topography of our profession through his concept of "engineering consent," and the fundamental tools of press releases and photo opportunities that he perfected are still staples today.

Yet whether we use pen, pamphlet and horseback or web site and satellite to carry the message, the basic principles remain the same. The great journalist Walter Lippmann said the question his communications profession faced was "what to say and how to say it." Communicators using public relations face the same question, but must add a twist: "to what end?" In public affairs, our objective must have some purpose, because the results of our work can have significant consequences. Through the communications of certain facts and how they are presented, people will vote for a candidate, contribute to a nonprofit, join an organization, or take up arms against their government.

This book is for those who are seeking the most effective means to communicate on behalf of a government agency, a national association or nonprofit, or an elected official. It will help you channel your hot passion with the cool guidance that has been gleaned through others' experience.

The author professes no unique insight into media relations in public affairs. Rather, this book is an amalgamation of the collective wisdom of hundreds of public relations professionals in the worlds of government and politics. It is an overview of the ideas that have become the accepted rules of communications in Washington, presented in one volume.

Soon before his death in 1995 at the age of 102, Edward Bernays was asked for his definition of a "public relations person." He scoffed at the notion that anyone who could write something down in a press release and hawk it to a newspaper could qualify for what he considered a meaningful calling. "A public relations person ... is an applied social scientist who advises a client or employer on the social attitudes and actions to take to win the support of the publics upon whom his or her or its viability depends." [1]

In the world of public affairs, the "viability" of the cause often has greater meaning to us and to others than those causes in related public relations fields. We are not selling soap -- we're selling ideas to improve the world. We promote a Member of Congress who wants to cut taxes; a nonprofit executive who wants to stop a timber company from clearing a thousand year-old forest; an association executive trying to build a coalition to lobby against federal regulations; or a federal agency trying to convince an industry that those same regulations might save lives and property.

The public relations profession in Washington is often derided as populated by nefarious characters, willing to say anything to promote their agenda. Like most caricatures of Washington politics, this is exaggerated and largely inaccurate. We may not be the direct descendants of Thomas Paine, but our lineage is closely connected. We mostly advance our employer's objectives because we believe in their causes; we share their faith that our goals are just and their achievement will make things better ... if only a little bit. We like the idea that we can make a difference.

To do that, you have to know how. This book is a tool in that undertaking.

[1] Stuart Ewen, PR!  A Social History of Spin (New York: Basic Books, 1996)

BRAD FITCH is CEO of Knowlegis.  He was formerly Deputy Director for the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan education organization in Washington, DC, that provides training, consulting, and research to improve the management of congressional offices. 

 

He began his career in communications at age 14, reading statistical summaries of high school basketball games for his hometown radio station in upstate New York. After working as a radio and television reporter in the mid-1980's, Brad began working on Capitol Hill in 1988. During his 13 years on Capitol Hill, he served in a variety of positions for four Members of Congress, including: press secretary for a House Member, campaign manager for a House Member, communications director for a House committee, communications director for a U.S. Senator, legislative director for a House Member, and chief of staff for a freshman House Member. He left Congress in 2001 to work for CMF, where he writes publications on congressional management, conducts training programs for congressional staff, and provides confidential consulting to Members of Congress. 

 

Brad received his Bachelor's degree from The Johns Hopkins University and his Master's degree in Journalism and Public Affairs at American University. He has taught at American University since 1997, and he is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor where he teaches a course he designed, Ethical Persuasion.

. . .

Please note that in the Acknowledgements, "Beth Gasten" should be "Beth Gaston", where the Author wrote:

"And, this book would have been considerably weaker if it were not for the enormous and important contributions of fellow public relations professional, Beth Gaston.  In addition to co-writing Chapter 11, her exhaustive editing and diverse perspective improved the work significantly and I'm grateful for her efforts." 

Media Relations Handbook
By Brad Fitch
Foreword by Mike McCurry
Contributing Author: Beth Gaston

$45
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Hardbound: 368 pages 
ISBN 10: 1587330032
ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-003-2
LCCN:  2003113070
OCLC: 54982382
Published 2004
Dimensions: 7.2 x 10.25 x 1.1
Weight: 2.1 pounds
Discount for bookstores and classroom use.
VA sales tax added when shipped to VA address.  

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• First Practical Guide to Media Relations Released By TheCapitol.Net  (April 19, 2004)

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Last updated: June 26, 2009