PR glossary

AVE, or advertising value equivalency, expresses the value of an editorial publication as what the same space would cost as advertising.

A beat is the fixed subject area a journalist covers, such as tech, healthcare, retail, or a specific region.

A boilerplate is the standard closing paragraph of a press release with the key facts about your organization: what you do, for whom, and since when.

A brand mention is any time your brand name is named in media, blogs, podcasts, or on social platforms, with or without a link to your website.

Circulation is the number of printed copies of a newspaper or magazine per edition.

A copy editor (sub-editor in the UK) checks and improves articles before they are published: language, facts, structure, headlines, and length.

A correspondent is a journalist who reports for an outlet from a fixed base outside the newsroom, such as another country or a region.

Crisis communication is an organization's communication during an incident that threatens its reputation or operations: a data breach, recall, accident, or public backlash.

A deadline is the last moment at which a journalist must finish an article to make the publication or broadcast.

Earned media is all the attention your brand earns in channels owned by others, without paying for it: press articles, blogger mentions, reviews, and shared posts.

The editor-in-chief carries final responsibility for the journalistic content and direction of an outlet.

An embargo is an agreement with journalists that they will not publish your news before an agreed date and time.

An exclusive is news that one outlet gets to break first and alone.

A freelance journalist works independently for several outlets at once and sells his or her stories to newsrooms per piece.

Free publicity is media attention you earn without paying for it: a journalist chooses to cover your story because it has news value.

A media advisory is a short announcement that invites journalists to an upcoming event: a press conference, opening, or demonstration.

A media list is a curated set of journalists and outlets that are relevant to your organization or news.

Media monitoring is the structural tracking of what appears in the media about your organization, brand, or market: in newspapers, on news sites, in trade media, and on social platforms.

Media training teaches you to deal effectively with journalists and cameras: shaping and holding your core message, handling hard questions, and coming across convincingly in interviews.

Newsjacking is riding a story that is already news by adding your own angle, data, or expertise to the moment.

A news peg is the timely reason a story should run now: the event, date, or development the story hangs on.

A newsroom is the team of journalists and editors that produces and guards the content of an outlet: from news selection and research to writing and final editing.

News value is the degree to which a story is worth publishing for journalists and their audience.

Notes to editors is the block at the bottom of a press release with practical information not intended for publication: the spokesperson's contact details, links to image material, and any interview possibilities.

Off the record means that what you tell a journalist may not be published, not even anonymously.

On background means a journalist may use and publish your information, but without naming you as the source.

An online newsroom is an organization's press page: one fixed place with press releases, news, image material, and press contact details.

An op-ed is an opinion article written by someone outside the publication's own staff, traditionally printed opposite the editorial page.

Owned media are all the channels you own and control yourself: your website, blog, newsletter, online newsroom, and your own social media accounts.

Paid media is all attention you pay for: advertising, sponsored articles, paid social campaigns, and advertorials.

The PESO model divides all media where your brand can be visible into four types: paid (bought attention), earned (attention earned in others' channels), shared (social media), and owned (your own channels).

A pitch is a short, personal message (usually an email) offering a journalist a story idea.

A press clipping is one collected publication in which your organization appears: a newspaper article, online story, or broadcast fragment.

A press conference is a gathering at which an organization presents news to several journalists at once, with room for questions.

A press kit is a bundle of press materials journalists can use directly: company information, facts and figures, biographies, logos, and rights-free photos in high resolution.

A press release is a short, factual news announcement that an organization sends to journalists, covering news such as a launch, partnership, or research.

Reach is the number of people who potentially saw a publication, broadcast, or post.

A reporter is a journalist who follows the news where it happens: on location, at press conferences, and at events that arrive unannounced.

Sentiment is the tone of the attention your brand receives: positive, neutral, or negative.

Shared media is all attention spread through social channels: posts others publish about your brand, reactions, reviews, and the sharing of your own content.

Share of voice is your slice of all media attention in your market: how often your brand is mentioned relative to your competitors combined.

The silly season is the period when there is little news, usually the summer vacation and the weeks around the holidays.

A spokesperson is the person who speaks to the press on behalf of an organization: answering journalists' questions, giving interviews, and guarding the message.

Syndication is the republication of an article or press release by outlets other than the one that first ran it.

Thought leadership is the position in which you or your organization counts as the leading expert voice in a field.