Beth Casteel

The way people consume news has changed dramatically. Social media, podcasts and personalized newsletters have overtaken traditional outlets, creating an unpredictable and fragmented media landscape. Information now spreads faster than ever, and with that speed comes new risks from echo chambers that rapidly spread misinformation. But these changes also create opportunities for our clients. The […]

Planning can provide playbook for successful issues management When a crisis arises, it is tempting to try to stonewall, responding only to what reporters and the public already know, hoping to limit the damage by keeping all the details out of view. But as Kate Middleton and the British Royal Family painfully learned, this strategy […]

When people ask me what I do, I sometimes say I’m a matchmaker — but not the romantic kind. I match our clients’ needs and narratives with the needs of journalists to bring attention to the organizations’ expertise, accomplishments and issues. In the jargon of public relations, I specialize in earned media. To be an […]

One of the worst sins when I was in journalism school was to write a “wooden lead.” The grizzled—or should I say seasoned—editors who taught newswriting and editing at the University of Oklahoma would scowl at empty words at the top of a news story, crossing out one, two or even three dull opening paragraphs, […]

Public relations and communications professionals have many skills in our toolboxes that we develop and refine over our careers. One of the most important—and one of the least discussed—is the power of empathy. It could be called a skill sharpener because it can make every other tool we deploy more effective. Seeing the world from […]

A popular theory of evolution serves as a good analogy for approaches to media pitching, whether we are promoting scientific research or increasing awareness of a health issue. In biology, organisms are classified according to the evolutionary “strategies” they use for reproduction and long-term survival of the species. Humans and elephants are known as “K-selected” […]

One of the pleasures of working for a boutique health care public relations agency is the teamwork that is possible or, in my view, required, to do top-notch work for our clients. The Reis Group has small teams dedicated to each of our clients, but we readily reach outside assigned teams to tap the strengths […]

It’s easy to see why some communications professionals dread the task of pitching ideas to the media. Reporters can be brusk and impatient and often ignore emails, especially when they’re caught on deadline or being pressed to cover a story that’s clearly not in their wheelhouse. The PR pros who love pitching have a secret: […]