Museum Flack

A simple review of recent news media coverage about museums and institutional leadership shows that the field is facing public scrutiny never seen before in its history. Museums are under a microscope and their leaders are ill-equipped to handle the unexpected (and often negative) media attention. At the same time, museum executives have little experience and training when it comes to public relations (PR) and their institutions are often too small to employ a communications expert. The effect of this ‘perfect PR storm’ includes missed opportunities to positively promote museums in the news, as well as some bungled PR responses that have led to tremendous reputational damage. There are many books in the museum field focused on different aspects of marketing focused on a variety of topics including increasing membership, raising contributions or attracting new audiences. But a search for a practical guide on museum public relations and strategic communications turns up very little – three books in the past 40 years. Many museums have little help or resources to help understand the news media, social media or crisis communications. A simple how-to guide is long overdue and needed now more than ever. Steve Lott, corporate communications executive and former journalist, is an experienced storyteller who provides real-world public relations strategies and media training. In Museum Flack, Lott shares his own experience developing and executing successful media campaigns from the world of aerospace and technology, as well as case studies and lessons learned from the museum field. Museum Flack is a how-to guide that gives insider tips, tactics and tools to get positive media coverage, as well as strategies to deal with crisis communications. An effective media relations strategy requires very little budget but does require planning that can ultimately deliver positive, national news coverage or save a museum’s reputation. The target audience for Museum Flack is for museum professionals who are interested in learning about public relations and strategic communications. The book is written for a wide audience that ranges from students to museum directors and board members. This how-to guide will include museum-specific case studies and examples that will be relevant for students who are just entering the museum field to professionals who have spent their whole career in the field but have little experience dealing with the news media.