Like them or loathe them, you need to have journalists on your side to get coverage for the stories you want to tell.
Even with the rise of social media, reporters still have huge reach, through television, radio, newspapers and online, which you need to target.
So how can you cultivate strong working relationships with journalists?
As both a former journalist and media relations manager I may be able to help.
1 Pay attention to detail
Whatever you may think about journalists, they are human and like anyone else they are likely to get annoyed if you get their name wrong. Misspell it in an e-mail and it is unlikely you will get the coverage you are looking for. Similarly, press releases and story ideas which contain typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are unlikely to have much success.
2 Grab their attention
If you are contacting them by e-mail you need a subject line which is going to stand out because their mailboxes will be full of other people trying to get coverage. Put as much thought into this as you would the rest of your e-mail – don’t treat it as an afterthought.
3 Calling
It can be really tempting to follow up a press release or story idea with a call to journalists to see if they are interested in covering your story. But you should only really do this if you know the reporter well and have a good working relationship with them.
4 Make sure you are available
If you have issued a press release or media pitch make sure you are available to manage any enquiries. There is nothing more likely to cause a journalist to rapidly lose enthusiasm than finding themselves speaking to your answerphone or receiving out-of-office replies.
5 Respond quickly
Once you have a journalist’s attention you need to take full advantage. If they ask for further information, images, or statistics make sure you respond quickly. Don’t leave them waiting around because they will move on to another story.
6 Have a spokesperson available
There is no point getting a journalist’s attention with a good story if you have no-one available to tell it. Make sure when you send out a story idea or press release that you have someone media trained and available for any interviews.
7 Handle negative enquiries well
No-one enjoys negative media attention but journalists will remember if you deal with their enquiries professionally and helpfully at these times and will be more inclined to give you the coverage you are looking for when you have something positive to say.
8 Don’t pester
Not every story idea or press release is going to generate the coverage you are hoping for. If your story is not being covered don’t inundate journalists with calls and e-mails. They will get in contact with you if they are interested in covering the story.
9 Demonstrate you understand their audience
One poorly targeted press release will likely mean the journalist will ignore your future correspondence and have you marked down as someone who does not know who their audience is.
10 Have multiple press release and e-mail sell ins
Don’t take the easy option and just copy and paste. See above.
11 Understand their deadlines
Don’t try to get in touch when they are on deadline unless you genuinely have breaking news. Anything else will infuriate the reporter and is unlikely to be covered. Send story ideas and press release when they are likely to be less busy.
12 Get to know them
It’s called media relations for a reason. The better your relationships with a journalist the more likely they are to cover your stories. Invite them to your offices for an informal meeting. Get to know them so that you stand out from everyone else who is trying to grab their attention.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers. Click here to find out more about our highly practical Media Skills courses and presentation training.
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