The fundamentals I learned in ON DEADLINE helped me create a successful media relations program. I liked this book because it helped me organize my efforts and target the appropriate audiences. Media Relations is a challenging job, and ON DEADLINE breaks it down into easy steps.

Whether you are new to this field or are on old pro, you can take away valuable tips from this book. From getting started to building trusting relationships with reporters to ethics to media events and through crisis planning, Mathews and Howard walk the reader through the challenges and rewards faced by media relations professionals.

Being on a journalist's "A" List is no accident...if you want to have a solid relationship with the media, you have to work at it. ON DEADLINE speaks to the virtues all media relations professionals must have to get the desired results for their companies. An effective media relations plan is more than a mound of newspaper clippings, and ON DEADLINE details the significance of strategic media relations planning. In Chapter 3, "Tools of the Trade," ON DEADLINE provides a no-nonsense approach to writing effective press releases that are worthy of news coverage. In addition, the main ideas from Chapter 6, entitled "Ethics - The Golden Rules of Media Relations," should be posted in the office of every media relations professional. Of course, what good is a media relations program without measuring the results? Chapter 10, "Evaluation," details methods that can be implemented to measure the effectiveness of any media relations effort.

If you want to be a successful media relations professional, ON DEADLINE is the only book you will need to succeed in this business.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:


Practical but not just a "how to do book"  Jan 05, 2007 By M. Carroggio "lettoreitaliano"
I liked it. It is a useful book but it's not just a "how to do book". It is also good for people working at the communication sector for non-profit organizations.

6 of 9 found the following review helpful:


Good, practical advice  Mar 16, 2001
I read this book after I had joined one of the nation's top PR firms. Had I read it earlier, I could have avoided some early mistakes since I did not have an extensive PR background. This book has plenty of practical advice that is on track to help you succeed in the PR world.

2 of 3 found the following review helpful:


Excellent Read  Nov 05, 2006 By Mary Ellen Brown-Herder "drama_coach"
This purchase was initially a required reading for University. "On Deadline" is well written and is a great reference book in Public Relations.
I often use this book as a reference tool and I definitely recommend this book.


The Best Overview of Media Relations  Nov 17, 2007 By David M. Freedman
If you could read only one book about media relations, this would be it. It's comprehensive, well-organized, and clear. It gives you general principles and specific examples to support them. The book is written mainly for public relations staffs of large organizations that market to consumers, though it's quite useful for people who work in PR agencies, and solo practitioners as well. The authors rely heavily on their own deep and varied experience in the fields of journalism, corporate public relations, agency PR, and academic work. But they also present the viewpoints of many other professionals in those fields, including sidebars reprinted from other sources.

The new edition covers such trends as "infotainment journalism," blogs, budget cuts for primary reportage and news gathering, and of course increasing reliance on the Internet as a source of news.

The advice on introducing yourself to reporters, editors, and program directors is excellent. Chapter Three gives several views on what is newsworthy, good definitions of hard vs. soft news, ideas for building lists of story ideas, and creating your own customized media directory.

Each and every chapter is valuable, covering fundamentals as well as discussing subtleties of the profession. The short chapter on ethics is refreshingly realistic and not preachy.

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