It’s simply impossible to craft and execute a successful public relations strategy without research. A good strategist will begin the process by asking a few essential questions: Which media outlets are likely to cover our story? Which journalists are likely to be adversarial? Who can I count on to be friendly? What other issues might have an impact on our story? What are our competitors doing?

Every day, public information officers must effectively communicate news and information about their organizations with speed and accuracy. And because most of their work is reactive, immediate access to what the news media is saying is imperative.