Managing the media, what John Rockley
referred to as ‘Journalist Whispering’, is becoming increasingly more complex. This
was one of the opening admissions made by John at a Chartered Institute of Marketing seminar in Cheltenham
this week.
Not only are journalists busy being
journalists, they are also answerable to publication sales and marketing
directors responsible for driving advertising spend, making them twice as busy
and therefore even more elusive.
Remarkably, as with the chicken
and the egg; John claimed without PR there is no journalism. So given these
challenges, how can both PRs and journalists work together to do our jobs?
According to John, all a
journalist wants is an easy life, to be able to go home after having written a
good article which received a great response. In reality, what is often achieved
is a mediocre article, with masses of effort, and not even the slightest bit of
recognition from the editor.
In order for PRs to develop
strong relationships with journalists they need to help them achieve their
ultimate goal – to go home having made the world a better place with their
article (and a pat on the back from their editor).
John was hugely insightful and
provided sound advice on how to build strong media relationships. He also
guided his audience through the pitching process and how to secure coverage. His
suggestions were really simple and most PRs probably already do many of them as
second nature, but these are a few of the most helpful things I took from his
seminar.
Always look at the bigger picture
Give a journalist some ideas,
show them where to access the information, put the story into context and
consider the big stories consuming the media at that moment. And remember,
there is nothing wrong with piggy-backing.
Wait for those opportune moments
where you can get your, or your clients’, professional opinion across. Radio is
perfect for this. John shared an astonishing statistic, less than 1% of an
audience listening to a radio show calls in, and if they do call in, it’s to
share an often uncompromising view.
Explore all means of
communication
Media communications are evolving; when Alex Aiken said
‘the press release was dead’ he wasn’t necessarily discrediting the press
release, but stressing that as the industry evolves so should the way we
communicate. Now more than ever it is about responding
to the change in attitudes, and by developing strong media relationships PRs
will be able to determine the best way to reach the journalists.
Don’t be afraid of social media
Pretty much every journalist
uses, reads, monitors, communicates through social media. Journalists are ridiculously busy, are
rarely at their desks unless they are working to a deadline, and even then they
are difficult to reach. Social media is mobile; it can be read when they are on
their way to meet an interview or in between meetings. Ultimately, platforms
such as Twitter can be a PRs golden ticket to reaching a journalist.
Do your homework
Although they may have a harsh
exterior, be mindful that journalists are just people who like to be remembered
for their work. Mentioning that you read their last article, saw their Tweet,
listened to them comment on a particular story, especially if it is relevant to
what you are pitching, could be the difference between you building a strong
media relationship or not. If you demonstrate you know what you are talking
about and that you are interested you could become a key contact of theirs.
Be creative
Do you know what time your media contacts’ daily news
meeting is? You should, because they need to take news with them to brief the
editor. If they are struggling to find the relevance but like the angle, invite
them to see how the product, client or system works.
Always be available
Journalists will remember you for your reliability,
availability and quoteability. Remember, a journalist wants a relatively easy
life so if your copy or quotes can be lifted and regurgitated, you are more
likely to be called upon in the future.
And always remember...
Finally, John was kind enough to share his top tips,
namely things PRs should ALWAYS remember when they are talking to journalists:
- Control your mouth
- There is no such thing as ‘off the record’
- The journalist is not your friend.
“A journalist doesn’t see
you as a person, they see you as content; there is a cognitive dissonance
between you as a person and you as a story”
John Rockley, CIM
Seminar: The Art of Managing the Media, 2014.
Kalli Soteriou
Account Executive
