Constant Content : Legal Ghostwriting & Content : Janet Raasch : Copy for Lawyers & Attorneys, Law Firm Business Development

My friend John Temple is now blogging about journalism and the media at Temple Talk.  John is the former editor, president and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News, which printed its final edition -- after nearly 150 years -- earlier this year.

John blogs about online journalism and its impact (positive and negative) on traditional media.  Recent posts include "Pulitzers lost, what a cost," which explores the impact on public discourse when thousands of professional journalists lose their jobs.  In this series, he interviews winners of the Pulitzer Prize who are no longer at a newspaper -- for their reflections on what happened to their careers and how they view the future of journalism.  Thought-provoking stuff.

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Thanks to Mister Thorne of the Set in Style blog, who posted a nice interview regarding my practice.  Questions and answers include:

What does a ghostwriter do?

What are the ethics of ghostwriting for lawyers?

How do you "bridge the gap" between lawyers and readers?

How can attorneys get articles published?

What is it like to work with lawyers and law firms?

How does your journalism and teaching background affect your work?

What is an attorney's "on-line reputation"?

How important is design?

What are the elements of persuasive writing?

How can young attorneys use writing to enhance their careers?  Partners?

Who is your ideal client?  What is your ideal project?

What is the best part of your job?

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One of the best ways to get publicity for yourself or you law firm is to insert your story idea into the context of something that already has the attention of the news media -- print as well as electronic.  In the parlance of journalism, this is called using a "news peg."

This week alone, there has been a lot of publicity about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Wyeth v. Levine, which rules that federal law does not protect drug companies from product liability suits in state courts.  Today's The New York Times features a front page article on current layoffs and the WARN Act, which requires a 60-day notice of layoffs.

Most local media will be interested in interpreting this national news through the filter of "local impact."  If you practice pharmaceutical or mass torts law, or employment law, you should get busy contacting the media to let them know that you are available to comment on either of these two emerging news stories.  If your local business journal has a "professional services" special section coming up, you should contact the publication with a proposal to write an article for the special section.  If you belong to a trade group, you should offer to write an article for the newsletter -- or make a presentation at the next meeting.

When a subject has been in the news, people think it is important and want to hear more about it -- so any publication will be more receptive to a story idea along those lines.

You can also hang your online content onto this "news peg" by creating and posting articles and comments on these subjects to social media.  Clients will be looking for legal advice about how these changes/trends will affect them and their busiinesses.  The media will be conducting research for follow-on stories.  Both will use the Internet to search for resources -- using relevant keywords.  Your keyword-rich content and comments on Wyeth v. Levine or the WARN Act -- or any other emerging legal topic of national importance -- can lead them right to you.

Achieve publicity with a local or regional slant on breaking national news.

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The venerable  Rocky Mountain News published its last edition today, February 27, 2009 -- just two months short of its 150th anniversary.  My beloved Rocky fell victim to my beloved Internet.

Denver has long had two primary newspapers -- the Denver Post (traditionally liberal) and the Rocky (traditionally conservative).  We've subscribed to both since moving to Denver 15 years ago.  Even though I am strongly liberal by political persuasion, I've always (as a journalist) enjoyed the Rocky more than the Post.  It always conveyed a real sense of place.  From the Rocky, I learned what it meant to be a citizen of Denver, of Colorado and of the Rocky Mountain West.

Rocky editor and publisher John Temple and his wife Judith Cohn were among the first friends we made after moving to Denver from Milwaukee.  Our daughters Micaela and Hannah were in the same public school classes through high school.  We hope that our good friends will be able to stay in Denver, but who knows?  I am all about social media and the Internet, but I will sure miss opening up my Rocky Mountain News first thing every morning.  Bon voyage!

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