So, Now You're A Journalist: Issue 1
Hello! If you’ve subscribed to this newsletter, you’re probably a marketer, publicist, or journalist feeling the content pendulum swing. I’m so excited to offer this newsletter to you. We’re covering stories that can help you navigate the blended marketing and media landscape.
In this issue: We look at the viral drunk raccoon meme through a PR lens, including feedback from PETA on the shelter and store’s responses. Plus a telling survey of how teens perceive the news (hint: it isn’t good for journalists), and we’re opening a conversation with media pros about the relevancy of legacy professional style guides.
Here we go!
STORYTELLING CULTURE
🦝 Drunk Raccoon Provides Lesson in PR
A rowdy raccoon breaks into a liquor store, gets drunk, passes out in the bathroom, and the liquor store it happened to turns it into PR gold.
Here’s the original post that got the entire internet roaring, posted to the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter Facebook page:
Image source: Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter Facebook page
Law enforcement says the animal was “very intoxicated.” They took it to a shelter to sober up and released it back into the wild.
No surprise - the story went viral. Internet culture took hold of it, dubbing the raccoon “Black Friday Bandit.” The images sparked an endless supply of memes, even Saturday Night Live took notice!
The Ashland ABC store where it happened immediately released a professional statement:
“Virginia ABC appreciates the professionalism of Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter in responding to our Ashland store, and providing our visitor with a sober ride home. We continue to work closely with local law enforcement partners across the Commonwealth.”
But once the story went viral, the liquor store and the animal shelter took full advantage of the meme-ery.
Tom Jelneck, digital marketing expert, points out, “The store owners seized a remarkable opportunity to promote the raccoon’s spirits of choice by offering raccoon specialty cocktails, and of course, a link to the raccoon’s booze of choice.”
Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter also seized the opportunity by selling “Trashed Panda” t-shirts. As of Monday, December 8th, the shelter has raised nearly $100,000 for the shelter. A spokesperson for the shelter writes, “Proceeds will fund shelter animal care and enrichment, field officer training, and equipment needed to ensure safe and humane response to wildlife calls, including the ones who occasionally party a little too hard.”
Image from Bonfire.com
5 questions to consider before sharing viral content about your brand:
1.) Is it accurate? Verify the facts. Misrepresentation can damage credibility.
2.) Does the tone fit our brand? Humor isn’t always appropriate. Match the post to your brand voice.
3.) Are there any legal or safety risks? Avoid content that admits liability, involves minors, or safety incidents.
4.) Who else could be affected? Consider employees, partners, and communities before sharing.
5.) Does this support our brand story? Ask if it aligns with your brand narrative and how it will age over time.
“There is always a fine line when potential harm comes to an animal or human when it comes to marketing,” says Jelneck. In this case, he points out the “masked boozehound of a raccoon” wasn’t hurt.
Even PETA is praising the wildlife officers for their response to the situation. Catie Cryar, Sr. Media Relations Manager for PETA says, “This raccoon did what curious raccoons do, and PETA is thankful to everyone who took care of him and demonstrated how easy it is to be kind to wildlife. We’re also glad to see that stories about this incident made an effort to stress that the raccoon was unharmed, which is a lovely reflection of how today’s audiences don’t find animal suffering amusing.”
The Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter issued an update on its Facebook page, “Thank you to everyone who’s laughed, shared, donated, and followed along with this unexpected furry saga. You’re helping us turn chaos into care for the animals of Hanover County.”
MEDIA & NEWS LITERACY
Teens Don’t Trust the News, but $500k From an AI Company is Trying to Change That.
A new report from the News Literacy Project finds that most U.S. teenagers don’t trust the news. Eighty-four percent of teens surveyed described “the news media” using a negative word such as “fake,” “biased,” “boring,” or “chaotic.”
Many said they believe journalists behave unethically by making up details, giving advertisers special treatment, or failing to confirm facts before publishing.
That distrust comes as AI-generated content floods the internet, making it difficult for young people to tell what’s credible and what’s not.
The News Literacy Project is hoping to shift that trajectory. The nonprofit just received a $500,000 grant through OpenAI’s People-First AI Fund to expand its free classroom programs in news and information literacy. Charles Salter, President and CEO of the News Literacy Project, says the money will directly fuel its mission to “help teens develop an accurate, nuanced understanding of how journalism works — and the essential role of a free press and the First Amendment in a healthy democracy.”
Salter continues, “Every resource we create is designed to strengthen some aspect of that understanding. So, any investment that allows us to sustain and expand our reach ultimately helps counter misconceptions about the news media and support young people in becoming more discerning, informed news consumers."
The organization offers a free virtual classroom on its website with lessons, activities, and other resources designed to improve media literacy.
From the Web
EDITORIAL MEETS MARKETING
Understanding Style Guides
Does your brand have an editorial style guide? These rulebooks of professional writing cover everything from punctuation and capitalization to tone and ethics. The style guide’s job is to maintain consistent and polished content.
While one guide isn't inherently better than another. There are basically two formats you’ll see in most professional media settings:
Associated Press (AP Style) dominates the journalism field.
Chicago is a common style used in books and other long-form work.
Do all newsrooms need to use one of these style guides? Not necessarily. Many newsrooms create hybrid style guides to match their brand voice. For example, this newsroom uses AP Style’s recommendation to keep sentences tight, factual, clean, and active. But sometimes, we stray from it for a more modern and conversational tone.
What’s most important is that newsrooms maintain consistency. It signals professionalism and builds trust with readers.
We asked the pros what they think about style guides:
“Must have, as far as I’m concerned. Style guides allow for publication consistency, help prevent needlessly offensive language, and settle behind-the-scenes disputes. Many places will have their own house styles, though. The point is to avoid continuity and usage errors such as spelling the same word in different ways in the same piece."
“Absolutely, although journalism in my industry has become increasingly lax. We use a hybrid AP style guide in my outlet that we developed internally, as well as a specific content format. Anyone who comes into our outlet is trained on our style guide.”
INTERVIEWS & CONVERSATIONS
Three Questions With Eryn Vargo: What’s Next for Mom Blogging
Eryn Vargo, CEO, Mom Commerce Media
1.) You started with the Orlando Mom Collective and then expanded. What led you to create Mom Commerce Media, and how did that change your approach?
I created MCM because our business was expanding in different areas and I needed our LLC to reflect ALL that we do. It has changed our approach and helped us have a more strategic conversation with clients about "marketing to moms".
2.) How has the mom blog space changed over the years, and what does it tell us about the media industry today?
Mom blogging has evolved and kind of helped to create the influencer scene on social media. It tells us that moms hold the key to social selling in so many ways.
3.) When brands reach out to you looking for coverage or looking to partner, what makes a pitch land?
A pitch lands when they do their research on WHO we are and HOW we share content and also if they take into consideration that this is a business. If they see that this is a businesses and not just "moms sharing for fun" and they include payment terms, I am more likely to consider working with them. Sometimes, we trade- but that is not always the case. We want them to see and understand the value that we bring to the local mom community,
TIPS & TRICKS
💡When citing a fact, name its original source, not just the first outlet you find reporting it. Attribution increases credibility and helps audiences trace claims back to their origins.
Until next time,
~ Amanda Green