Going
Beyond the Pitch: Building Meaningful Media Relationships
When I first started out my
internship stint at Orchan, the very first few things that Christina taught me
was media relations. What is media relations and how does one explain it? I
knew that media relations involves working with the media but I didn’t know how
or why. Why is media relations important, specifically in the Public Relations
industry, and how do we ensure we have a good relationship with the media?
After being involved with
different projects at Orchan, I learnt that media is an important aspect of the
industry. Media and Public Relations go hand-in-hand; together we can build a
strong rapport, creating and delivering powerful messages to readers and
audiences.
In the following, Shannon Felder shares her opinions and thoughts on building and maintaining a good
media relationship, reminding us that media is a crucial piece in the Public Relations
chess game.
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| Source - blog.lewispr.com |
Sometimes, in the depths of our pitches, in our tallying
of KPI’s and in our innate eagerness to meet account needs, we forget that the reporter we are pitching on the other end of the phone or email is just like us.
They may be from our alma mater, they may have the same fitness passion or they
may be having a very stressful day.
Since starting my journey in the world of public
relations, I’ve run into many reporters who fall into the above categories, and
more. I’ve connected with fellow college classmates, hobby runners just like me
and even journalists that I now consider friends. But it took a few instances
for me to realize that we, the reporter and the PR representative, are more
alike than we realize – not only by way of the “business” but also, as peers.
Here are a few tips for building meaningful media relationships:
1. Do your research beyond their writing topic.
Have you ever thought of researching a reporter beyond what they write about? If you know a
specific editor or reporter is the perfect fit for your client – why not find
other ways to connect with them? Take a look at their Twitter account, LinkedIn
page and content that they write outside of their beat. You may be surprised to
find you share a common interest – whether you are a diehard fan of the same
sports team or you share the same pet peeves.
2. Be considerate of time. We’re all on the clock.
Journalists and PR professionals share similar schedules of deadlines, changing deliverables and top-line expectations. Often
times, time is money – or the difference between making or breaking a deadline.
Empathize with this shared similarity. If you’re pitching in the midst of a
large conference, around breaking news or on an announcement with a short
embargo, present the information quickly and efficiently – just how you would
like to get information for a last minute press release change or rescheduled
interview.
3. Reach out about something not related to your clients.
As stated in tip number one, you may be surprised to find
a common interest between yourself and a reporter. Maintain the cadence in that
conversation by reaching out about it! Whether it’s the latest news in the
running world, your favorite shared sports teams’ success (or peril) or any
other commonality that has been discovered through building your relationship.
4. Keep tabs on what you know.
If a reporter tells you the news you presented isn’t of
interest – take note and do not reach out with similar news in the future. If a
reporter shares topics they are focusing on, take note and, whenever possible,
give them that news with some extra lead-time. If a reporter takes their time
to tell you a bit more about them, what they cover or connects you with a
colleague, take note – and don’t forget it! If they take the time to tell you
extra bites of information – always take note, whether in an excel document, special notebook or any other organized method.
As a PR professional, our relationships with the media
are golden – and they can and should go beyond just an exchange of emails
around what you are trying to tell them! What other ways have you tried to
build lasting relationships with reporters?
Cheers,
Ru Jun
Cheers,
Ru Jun
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