Journalism

Newsroom reminiscing

Posted by Megan Neher —

Listen up, kids:

Before there was such a thing as blogs and social media, there was something called newspapers. (OK, to be fair, after newspapers and before blogs there was a short-lived thing called zines, but no one remembers what those were.) And back then, newspapers were how we got most of our news. I worked as a writer for a daily newspaper in Lawrence, Kansas, and I wrote my first “blog” before we even knew what blogs were.

The assignment came from the managing editor. I’d only been a reporter for a couple of years, and the only thing I had ever written was news stories – third-person articles with quotes and facts. So, I was super uncomfortable writing a first-person column for the paper on a topic like this one. I think it was immediately obvious that I wasn’t the next Ann Landers because this was my first and last column they asked me to write.

But I never forgot the assignment. I even saved a copy after all of these years. On the 50^th birthday of the bikini, the assignment was to write what this style of swimsuit meant to me. WHAT??

Looking back on my job as a newspaper reporter and all of the news I covered in the six years I worked for daily newspapers, it was one of the greatest times in my career. I was totally green. Made a ton of mistakes. Was figuring it out as I went, and loving every minute of it. I missed the ambiance of the newsroom the minute I left – as crazy as it was. To this day, I value #localnews, believe in journalism and our #FreePress and love the beauty of news storytelling.

Take a read of the article below, and see for yourself if 25-year-old Megan’s writing style has changed over the years. (PS – 48-year-old Megan is looking for a new swimsuit this year. Anyone know where I can find a combination of a muumuu and a scuba suit?)

Lawrence Journal-World – Re-print from Thursday, July 11, 1996

Article headline: Fashion freedom isn’t cheap

I can still remember climbing into the tight flowered bikini that my teenage sisters picked out for my plump 4-year-old body.

And ever since, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the infamous bikini. Of course at 4 years old, the rolls of fat are adorable. But today, I’m a little less excited about revealing my cellulite. Still, I haven’t given it up.

Yea, I usually say I wear a bikini because I’m trying to get the almost all-over tan. But the truth is I’m a slave to fashion just the rest of us.

It’s always the most stylish women at the pool or beach who are parading around in chic bikinis. I’m just trying to follow suit. Besides, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a grandma-style one-piece swimsuit. But it hasn’t always been easy. Just ask any bikini wearer.

The saga usually begins at the stores. If you’re going to wear a bikini, you better set aside several days to find a suit that fits. Most men probably won’t believe this, but for some of us with unique body shapes, it could take years to discover the perfect style.

Nowadays, the modern bikinis are a bit more sophisticated. They offer underwire, padding, straps, slimming panels in every shape and color to assist in the quest for the precise fit. After you’ve found the right suit, the problems don’t end there. What about when you want to take a quick dive off the diving board? Forget it.

Now that you’re a bikini wearer, you have to be extremely cautious doing acrobatic water activities like skiing or tubing. The two pieces of small fabric covering the important parts of your body just weren’t built to withstand the forces of nature. Even the slightest movements can cause crunching, sliding, bunching or worse yet, untying!

The tried the gamut of styles during the years. I proudly wore a K-State purple velour style last year and before that I had the tank-style, some frills, bows, stripes, plaids and even a famous teeny weenie yellow polka-dot bikini.

And speaking of teeny weenie, that’s something else bikini wearers like me have had to put up with. Comments about the size of the garment. For years it was hard for my parents to comprehend how less than a yard of fabric could cost more than $50. “Is that a Barbie outfit?” my mom would say as I grabbed my towel and head for the beach.

“You can’t wear that outside in public, you’ll be arrested!” my dad would shout.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sometimes they were right. There have been several occasions at the pool when I just didn’t feel like “sucking it in” the entire day. During the years, I’ve been open to new trends in two-piece swimsuits. But there are two things that will turn me into a religious one-piece swimsuit wearer. The thong bikini and stretch marks.

Mar
10 ^th

Inspiration for a recharge

Posted by Megan Neher —

My senior college photo at K-State (1993). Time to go back to college!

I really love my job, and I’ve been doing it a long time. I believe there are seasons in life when it’s time for a refresh. This is the longest I’ve ever worked in the same position and I’m ready for something new.

I was thrilled when I was selected to be on a National Advisory Council at K-State. https://jmc.k-state.edu/advisory/index.html We meet quarterly in Manhattan to culminate expertise from a variety of backgrounds to advise our alma mater, the AQ Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communication. And THIS was the motivation I needed to kick off my master’s degree (which will also be in journalism) at that “other” Kansas University. 🙂

I guess I’ll have to get used to saying that I’m a Wildcat first, and hopefully soon I’ll be a Jayhawk grad too in a couple of years.

I’m not quitting what I do now. Instead I’m enhancing it. I’ve taken stock of my life, and I’m simply looking to recharge. I think the master’s degree is just what I need.

When I meet with new college graduates as part of a mentoring program or internship, I explain that their first job is only a stepping stone to the next and then the next… and sometimes not even in the same career field. Two generations ago, it was common to select a career and then you retired 50ish years later from that same career. Thank God that’s changed. I just think that would have been so boring!

Today, my life consists of two teenagers (who want to spend no time with me), a husband and an elderly mom who lives nearby. Most of my focus is on my business. I knew I wanted to sprinkle in something new. I’ve had this dream in the back of my mind for a decade, and 2018 is the year!

Working with college students or having interns has been important to me since I started my own PR firm in 2003. I’ve always considered mentorship as a growth opportunity, not just for the mentee. Darn it when I actually learn more from them than they do from me!

So when I was selected to help on this advisory council I decided that the time was right to jump in with both feet.

Ultimately, I want to find a teaching job in Kansas City where I can work in the areas I’m most passionate about: public relations, journalism, social marketing, communications or the combination. I believe one stepping stone has lead me to the next and finally to my destination, which is mentoring and educating college students. In the meantime, you will find me with a backpack, a laptop and a book, because I will BE the college student.

Nov
06 ^th

Success with Collaboration

Posted by Megan Neher —

Photo caption: PR girls should know better than to do a photoshoot on the hottest day of the summer! What were we thinking?

I’ve had my own company for 14 years and it took me the first five years to figure out how to categorize it. I started by saying I was a freelancer or a subcontractor. But as I grew and got more clients and even my own subcontractors, things began to change.

My elevator speech morphed into: Hi, I own my own boutique PR agency. But we were a unique model. Today, I don’t believe we are. We are collaborators who work virtually rather than a traditional PR firm. Most of the people I work with have their own business cards and have successful marketing, writing, graphic design or social media freelance companies of their own. I have longstanding relationships with: Ashley Cleveland, Erica Cohen, Laurie Morrissey, Kari D’Amato, Nancy Besa, Angela Presnell, Suze Parker, Robyn Caulfield, Jenny Kincaid, Melanie Deardorff, Elaine Symanski, Kerry O’Connor, Jenny Wheat and more. We exchange ideas, business leads and referrals and most importantly collaborate on client work!

I spoke to an agency owner in 2004 who had been doing marketing and PR this way in San Francisco for more than a decade. He described his business model and to this day I’ve patterned my company after his. Through Kansas City International Association of Business Communicators, I’ve met many other small/boutique PR firms and other communicators who have similar businesses set up very much the same. I knew this was the model I wanted to continue for my business.

I love working from home (at least most days I do when the kids and pets aren’t driving me crazy), and I love having the flexibility of subcontractors.

But I think the best part of this model is being able to take advantage of the collaboration of experts in the industry. When my clients have a complex challenge, it makes sense for my business to capitalize on specific individuals who I’m confident will be successful for specific strategies.

How have we been successful? Communication is paramount. Facilitating information flow across clients and the team through weekly status meetings, daily emails and other tools is just one of the ways we support each other.

What does this look like for the future? Even more collaboration! As a boutique PR firm handling social media, grassroots marketing, media outreach, influencer relations and community events, we have already been working collaboratively with larger advertising agencies and digital firms as their “PR department.” I predict that trend will continue as the industry evolves.

When working with these larger agencies, it has been so exciting to be a part of a team servicing a big client and a more comprehensive agency team. I’ve learned a few things as an “agency collaborator” and it’s been a rewarding challenge.

We’re collaborators not competitors.
Egos are checked at the door.
We must prove collaborative results and be willing to work cross agency.

Like all industries, this one continues to evolve and I’m excited about the future of collaboration and continued industry networking.

Sep
28 ^th

Millennials – Thanks for collaborating! Now, please stop texting.

Posted by Megan Neher —

(I’m not pictured yet in this photo. I’m still yet to come! I was number 5.)

I’m a gen-Xer. I’m kinda jealous of my millennial little bros and sisters. I feel like I’m the middle child; mad that the youngest is getting all of the attention.

As the baby in my own family, I remember my brothers and sisters say things like:

She got a car, we didn’t!
Her curfew is later!
She gets to go on a spring break trip, we stayed home!

Today, I feel like I keep hearing the same messaging: We must cater to the millennials.

I realize in marketing and PR, I have to pay very close attention to the millennials preferences because of their incredible buying power in the marketplace. Things like:

How they like to place their orders for food,
Online shopping preferences,
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram views,
How they communicate, and
How they consume the news.

As applicants and employees, millennials seem confident but sometimes lack in good old-fashioned persistent. We usually hire interns who don’t just send an email, but followup with a phone call because a tenacious young professional is the kind of intern that we’re looking for.

Some of the best learning experiences for new professionals in the workforce is to collaborate. I think it is important for all of us Gen-Xers and beyond to mentor (good learning experience for us too!), help motivate and show our appreciation.

I try to offer constructive criticism to interns and mentees from time to time, but something I’ve seen a few times recently in client meetings is an unconscious use of cell phones.

My advice: GET OFF YOUR PHONE.

Find something for your hands to do without it. Do not bring it to a meeting or if you do, put it away, do not text during a meeting, do not check your Instagram and do not have it out on the table. Without your phone, you might be able to:

be engaged
offer input
live your life in the moment and truly learn from us old folks some times

In fact, I learn every day from working with young professionals, and I plan to continue my education by surrounding myself with bright young minds.

Mar
09 ^th

Put a Fresh Face on Your Business

Posted by Megan Neher —

I was invited to write an article for KC Small Business’s March issue. The editor asked for an article about the importance of a small business’s marketing materials. I thought I’d share it with you here. Also, check them out online at www.ithinkbigger.com.

Put a Fresh Face on Your Business
March 2010
By Megan Neher

Most women put on their own makeup every day and think it looks good. But sometimes, they need a bold friend to say, “Honey, you really need to update your look.” Or, even take them to see a professional at the department store makeup counter.

It’s just as important that you put the right “face” on your business from the start, and keep it looking fresh. You must keep up appearances through printed materials, your Web site, letterhead, your business cards and even social media outlets.

Printed marketing materials, a professionally-designed logo and a quality updated Web site are simple ways to establish your company as professional, credible, longstanding and reputable. Creating or updating these materials doesn’t have to break the bank, but sometimes working with a professional is the best option. Below are a few ways you can get started with new or redesigned marketing materials and online presence for a reasonable cost.

Logo
This is an element where “do it yourself” rarely is good enough. Hire a professional designer to create a logo for your company. There are hundreds of local designers who work as freelancers and will create a logo from scratch for an hourly fee. You can have a customized logo that will become your company’s brand and be included on all of your marketing materials. This step is critical because it establishes your brand and begins to build that recognition. Beware of hiring your “nephew who likes to draw” or designing your own logo. It’s worth the initial cost to have your brand customized to your company’s mission from the start.

Business Cards
Your professional looking marketing materials don’t have to be expensive, but it’s important that they don’t look like they were do-it-yourselfers either. When you first start your business, you’ll likely discover a variety of perforated sheets of business cards that you can print at home on your own ink jet printer. Don’t be tempted to take this “easy button,” because it doesn’t project the stable, credible image you’re looking for. Another bad idea: The free business cards online with the message on the back that says: “Free online business cards.”

E-mail
Create an e-mail address that is professional and includes your company name. For example, if your name is Jane Doe and you just opened your own company called Jane’s Jewelry, don’t continue using your old casual e-mail, such ascooljewelrylady@yahoo.com. Instead change it to Jane@janesjewelry.com to project a more professional and established image for your company.

Web Site
The Web site you built yourself (or had a friend build) five or more years ago probably isn’t doing its job anymore (if it ever did). A Web site with visible frames, scrolling text and square, beveled buttons can’t compete with today’s slick graphic sites. Web templates are available at a reasonable cost to bring your Web site out of the ‘90s.

For a small company there are a few critical must haves for a Web site:
• It must be updated regularly. If you hire someone to create a site for you, make sure it is something that you can log into and update periodically. Then, schedule monthly Web site updates on your calendar. Even if you’re only tweaking the site, don’t let your messaging go stale.
• It must include your contact information on the home page. Nothing is more irritating than when you simply need to call or mail someone and you can’t get their phone number or address.
• It must feature your company’s brand, purpose, mission and logo. Again, consistency is crucial in marketing materials. Show your clients that you’re proud of your brand.

Social Media
This is where things get a little tricky. Twitter, Facebook and blogs aren’t necessarily marketing materials; however, if they’re representing your company you still must use the company’s logo and other branded messaging. Sometimes these online sources can be even more important than your business cards or letterhead. If someone is searching the Internet for your company name or even your name, they may stumble across a recent blog post, a Tweet or a Facebook status update. Always maintain a high level of professionalism when combining social media and your company.
Don’t let your company be seen in public without a fresh and professional-looking face. Get a marketing makeover—from logo to Web site. You’ll love the new you, and so will customers.

Megan Neher is owner of Megan Neher Public Relations, a full-service public and media relations practice specializing in inventive and strategic communications solutions.

Feb
11 ^th

I’m Flexible!

Posted by Megan Neher —

Two articles caught my eye in the January/February issue of IABC’s Communication World. Above The Fold and Make Your Own News both resonated with me and the transition my business has underwent in the past three years. It’s been a natural transition – thankfully – and one in which I’ve been excited about. Let me tell you why.

Above The Fold tells the story of the sad decline of print media. This is particiularly troubling to me because I majored in print journalism and truly enjoy reading a printed newspaper daily at my kitchen table. I started reading it each morning with my breakfast in high school and it’s been a daily ritual since. Of course, it also impacts my PR business leaving fewer reporters and publications to pitch stories.

Make Your Own News is how companies – many just like my clients’ businesses – are responding to this decline. And this is the exciting part. I’m busier than ever writing for blogs, shooting photos and video to post online and keeping up with clients’ Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.

I’m stealing a line from the article, but it’s a good one and it’s what I’m telling my clients about the transition: “used in the online environment, storytelling can reflect passion, uniqueness and immediacy.”

It’s this “storytelling” – or otherwise known as news or public relations – that can create a personality for the company. It offers an opportunity for us PR people to put some creativity into our writing, use imagery and demonstrate an identity for a brand that the old-style of PR and press releases simply didn’t allow for.

Again, I still can not accept that I won’t be reading a newspaper at the kitchen table. (My laptop doesn’t fit as comfortably on top of my cereal bowl.) But, with this transition, I’m thrilled to be writing stories that connect us with the past/present and help define what is authentic about someone… even if it is just for a computer screen.

Jan
20 ^th

KC Star’s Restaurant Critic a True Professional

Posted by Megan Neher —

I work with many local and national journalists, and few I consider friends. Lauren Chapin, the restaurant reviewer for The Kansas City Star was one of those friends. Her untimely death in December was a shock and hurt more than the death of a casual colleague should. For whatever reason, it really resonated with me because of the season, because of her writing about her family and because of our relationship, albeit a mostly business one.

And, I’m not unusual. It seems she was a remarkable person to many. The late Lauren Chapin left an indelible imprint on Kansas City’s culinary community via her restaurant reviews and food writing, so much so that local restaurants, suppliers and friends are hosting a benefit event for her daughters.

The event titled “Four Stars for Lauren” will be at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29 at the Boulevard Brewery, 2501 Southwest Boulevard, KCMO. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased in advance online at http://fourstarsforlauren.eventbrite.com/.

The tribute event to honor her memory will raise money for a college fund for her two teenage daughters.

Restaurants and other businesses supporting the event include the American Restaurant, Blanc, Bluestem, Capital Grille, Le Fou Frog, Hereford House, Jasper’s, JJ’s, La Bodega, McCormick & Schmick’s, NoRTH (my client!), Ophelia’s, Hotel Phillips, Pierpont’s, ReVerse, Room 39, Café Sebastienne, Michael Smith, Café Verona and Webster House.

I plan to attend, and I’d love to see you there.

Nov
25 ^th

Nostalgia merits newsworthiness sometimes

Posted by Megan Neher —

To some degree, newsworthiness is subjective. For example, there are those who’ve recently reported that they do not see the news value in covering the Kansas City Fairy Princess at Zona Rosa. Of course as the PR representative for Zona Rosa I would strongly disagree.

After working as a newspaper reporter for The Olathe Daily News following graduation in print journalism from Kansas State University and then later as the business editor for The Lawrence Journal World, I learned to decipher the difference between something that had news value and something that didn’t. This has become very important as I now counsel clients on this very topic as a PR consultant.

In fact, I also use this as my best piece of advice that I give new graduates or college students as they intend to enter a career in public relations. Work as a journalist – even if it is only at your student paper so you can understand news value.

If the Fairy Princess was just another Santa Claus sitting on a chair visiting with children from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day at the mall, then I too would agree that she didn’t have any real news value. I would write a press release and expect to be listed in the community calendar section of the newspaper.

But maybe those whom deemed her un-newsworthy do not know her history. Maybe those who claim she shouldn’t merit a news story in The Kansas City Star do not understand the nostalgia that surrounds her. And perhaps those who criticize the coverage haven’t heard of The Kansas City Museum and the efforts they’ve put into preserving this important history for our city.

Some might say this sounds a little over the top, and it might be. But, year after year, women and men from all over the city and beyond come to Zona Rosa to thank the development for preserving the history of The Kansas City Fairy Princess. To them she’s not just a pretty young woman who visits with children, but a relic of the city and a beloved reminder of past Christmases

Nov
16 ^th

Kansas City Star is Missing Out

Posted by Megan Neher —

The Kansas City Star is overlooking an important industry in its business coverage: residential real estate. I see coverage from time to time regarding commercial developments, but what about residential real estate?

I’m from Kansas City and grew up reading The Kansas City Star. I majored in journalism and worked as a newspaper reporter for five years before getting enticed by the world of public relations. I lived in Phoenix, Arizona where – as you can imagine – residential real estate news makes the front page on a weekly basis.

As a full time working professional, I read the business section with particular interest, but I’m dissatisfied by the constant corporate coverage. I would assume that there is only a small percentage of your readers who are interested in daily business news concerning labor, banking, telecommunications, agribusiness, technology and legal industries, but that most of these readers are homeowners.

A common topic of interest seems to be residential real estate – whether you own your own business, just moved to town, have lived in the same home for 50 years or are unemployed. It’s the one topic that is of common interest across all industries and reader demographics. (Now, to be fair, I have to confess that I have a real estate company as a client, so I’m especially in tuned with this coverage.)

And, I’m not talking about the New Home section. I understand that this special advertising section. Nor, am I talking about Sunday’s House & Home section, which is a feature section about home decorating and home styles. What I think is missing is the business news coverage of real estate.

At all times residential real estate should be a big story, but there’s no more important time than now with the recent mortgage crisis leading to many of our ecomonic problems. In fact, it’s common for many big daily newspapers, such as The Arizona Republic and the Las Vegas Sun do full section special reports annually on residential real estate.

As far as I can tell, there is not a reporter assigned to cover residential real estate – The Star and of course with the recent layoffs I highly doubt they’ll be doing any hiring. This has been an issue I’ve discussed with the Star’s editors for many years.

General story topics that are of interest to the typical reader might be:

• Where are the city’s best home values? Are new and resale homes in the outskirts of the city (Gardner, Smithville, Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit) still listing at good prices?

• Which cities offer tax rebates for homeowners? I know Bonner Springs does, do others? How is it working?

• Lake homes, such as Lake Quivira and Lake Lotawana have varied home prices. I know the homes are expensive on the lakes, but they also vary greatly from one house to the next. For example, a $180,000 homes sit next door to $600,000 homes. And, the land of these homes usually makes up about 50 percent of the home’s value – not a typical percentage for most homes.

• Where are new KC residents drawn? I just talked to a woman and her husband who moved here from California and only looked on the Plaza and Mission Hills. I was surprised.

• Are families moving to Kansas City, Missouri despite the bad reputation of the school districts? I hear they are, which in turn is improving the districts.

• Luxury homes sit on the market for months because of the low demand in this area. How do Realtors market these high priced homes?

• Where are homebuyers bidding for homes and ultimately offering more for the home than the asking value – and is this still happening anywhere now that market is down? How do you handle this situation as a buyer or as a seller?

• Kansas City, Kansas development is a big story and will continue to be one. What about the homes over there? Bonner, Basehor, Edwardsville are platting land as fast as they can to prepare for the demand of homeowners – with most of these cities planning to double in size in the coming years.

• Many real estate agents specialize in HUD foreclosures and are selling most of these properties to investors – either people wanted to fix up the home to sell or use it as a rental property. How does this business work? Who can bid on these auctions? Can you get a good deal?

• Renovations that pay – What can the average homeowner do to their home to increase its value? Do local remodeling companies have appraisal information to share with customers?

• Homeownership as an investment. I just met a young couple who bought a home in Waldo two years ago for $130,000. They just had it reappraised this year for $170,000 so they could get a home equity loan to remodel the kitchen. But, with the recent mortgage news, they’re tentative.

• Rural living in Smithville area is getting more popular. A new development is under construction featuring two-acre lots priced up to $110,000.

• Who is using the federal tax credits available to buyers? Do agents know how to market those to buyers struggling to come up with the money?

Anyway, you get the idea… And, I have many more story ideas where these came from.

I enjoy reading The Kansas City Star and will continue to do so, but I’m shocked that for the past five years that I’ve lived here, I think I can count on both hands the number of locally written residential real estate stories. I hope one day they will wake up and smell the coffee.

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