The world of PR is benefiting from the dramatic changes in the way media is delivered through your desktop computer or PDA of choice. Perhaps the hassle of ink on your fingers is being replaced by a severe case of "Blackberry thumb" - and yet, get the coverage of electronic media has never been easier or more mobile.

These changes and promote the development of new tools for content providers and new software to help better manage and analyze the coverage of the media. Automation occur database level and through real-time delivery of news organization, internal and external stakeholders, is now almost taken for granted. And the holy grail of public relations - to automate the analysis and measurement of the media - is already underway, but that software should stop to make way for a human analysis?.

Media analysis programs can save countless hours quantification and classification of the media on any number of ways, including the circulation of the region, the equivalence of advertisements, programs and services company, and competing brands. But do you really want a computer program for classification as each story affects your organization? It's a gamble with a small mouth.

Say no
The automation of tone and sentiment has already been incorporated into some software, but how can it be accurate? Every story, by any means, have a totally different meaning or impact of the various organizations and their stakeholders. Behind the News arise from both winners and losers.

For example, if a negative story breaks about a strike at a bottling plant will be a blessing for its competitors. The ability to determine which companies are adversely affected by the news is very limited. Moreover, understanding the true tone or bias current of the journalist on an issue it is impossible to automate. News is as much about delivering the facts, which is causing a reaction or emotion of the reader. Analysis solutions media can certainly help to decipher the facts, but the rest should be left to a team of communications professionals.

Too subjective?
The argument against the coverage of the media tone has often been too subjective - if the news can be interpreted differently by each individual, that is not bias the results in the end? The truth is that - but this can be easily solved with the introduction of a standard tone 'scorecard' to be applied consistently to every story.

These dashboards can actually vary depending on the type of analysis you want to deliver at the end. Many organizations chose to pitch stories for the classification as positive, neutral or negative.

Using these three words is the one where problems can creep in. subjectivity Along with the team brainstorming and training sessions on how the tone can apply a quick fix is ??to use the Balanced Scorecard in place CBS :


Critical use (rather than negative.)
Balanced use (instead of neutral)
The use of support (rather good)

After reading an article, it is much easier to answer the question "Was that story critical and balanced, or support of our organization?" Instead of: "Was that story negative, neutral or positive?"

When it comes to a tone that is not always black or white, but I prefer to leave the gray areas of a professional trained in communication rather than the speculation of a software application.

When it comes to a tone that is not always black or white, but I prefer to leave the gray areas of a professional trained in communication rather than the speculation of a software application.

Beyond the classification of articles by the tone Scorecard CBS, other indicators and meanings can be used together to create even stronger and analysis. The scorecard below, using a wide range of scores from - 5 to + 5, to provide a deeper analysis.

Assessment Criteria
5 + Mention support four of the following: Key message: Interview, photos, call to action
4 + mention of support for three of the following: Key Message, Interview, Photo Call to Action
3 + Mention support two of the following: Key message: Interview, photos, call to action
2 Mention support + one of the following: Key message: Interview, photos, call to action
Support 1
Balanced 0
Critics -1
-2 + Critical Mention one of the following: Executive mention negative mention the positive competition Consumer Complaints Direct pending
-3 + Critical Mention two of the following: Executive mention negative mention the positive competition Consumer Complaints Direct pending
Critical + -4 mention three of the following: Executive mention negative mention the positive competition Consumer Complaints Direct pending
Critical + -5 mention four of the following: Executive negative Mention Mention positive competitor, live Consumer Complaints; ongoing issue



After each story is sung, the rest of the analysis can automate your software solution. The tone can be used independently to determine the success of the campaign by the percentage of stories from CBS, but the tone can also be used along with the rest of the analysis to identify possible media bias or problem areas region or publication. The media is always the analysis of their organization ... Why not return the favor?

New media technologies for monitoring and analysis are certainly changing the face of the relations of media activities and provide a huge return on investment, but determining the impact of a story in your organization must have in the hands of man for the moment.