The Five R's of Media Relations: Becoming a Better Resource

Chapter 1: State of Media Relations

The Five R’s of Media Relations: Becoming a Better Resource By Glenn Gillen n the practice of media relations today, blogger is interested in stories about African- perhaps too much emphasis is placed American entrepreneurs.” on the former and not enough on the If you subscribe to one of these databases, latter. Whether working for internal or by all means read what it has to say about the external clients, public relations profes- individuals you wish to engage. Be aware, sionals are often too focused on short-term however, that databases are not always up- Iresults such as pickups and total impressions to-date, and that some journalists and media when they should be focused on developing outlets don’t list any contact information. long-term relationships with journalists. When researching journalists, see if you Journalists are viewed as a means to and can answer these questions: end rather than as partners in disseminating ■■ Are they an appropriate contact for my messages to select publics. The key to effective press release or pitch? If not, which of long-term media relations is developing good their colleagues is a better contact? one-to-one relationships with editors, report- ■■ When is the best time to reach out to ers, bloggers and photojournalists. them? Likewise, when should I not The time invested in getting to know contact them? What are their recurring journalists as individuals and providing them deadlines, so I know when not to bother with the information and visuals needed to them? help them do their jobs will be rewarded with ■■ What are the major topics/issues they are increased trust and consideration. interested in presently? Have I read their recent articles or asked them directly? Get to Know Journalists ■■ Has one of my colleagues worked with Before the advent of the Internet, personal them before? information about journalists was harder to ■■ Where else have they worked? come by. Research took the form of consult- ■■ Where did they go to school? ing the massive Bacon’s Directories, consult- ■■ Are they on LinkedIn or Twitter? ing experienced colleagues, or phoning the By better informing yourself about the in- main number of the media outlet. dividual, you will be better prepared to pitch Today, we have access to vast subscription- journalists at the right time with the right based databases (e.g., Cision, Vocus, MEDI- message. Atlas, MyPRGenie, etc.) that list particular details such as, “This editor doesn’t take The “5 R’s” of Media Relations phone calls,” “That beat writer welcomes Many believe that the current model of email pitches on Wednesdays,” or “This news delivery is not sustainable. According

to the Pew Research Center’s State of the Ethical Media Relations News Media 2013 Annual Report on Ameri- The Public Relations Society of America’s can Journalism (www.stateofthemedia.org), Code of Ethics expresses several values and pro- there are 30 percent fewer newspaper journal- visions that impact media relations. Among them are the following: ists in 2013 than there were 2000. Shrinking newsrooms have left the remaining journalists Honesty stressed and overworked. We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public. Respect journalists when Fairness they can’t or won’t cover your We deal fairly with clients, employers, competi- story. Ask them what might tors, peers, vendors, the media and the general better capture their attention public. We respect all opinions and support the next time, and accept that right of free expression. some things are beyond your Free Flow of Information control. Intent: To maintain the integrity of relationships with the media, government officials and the public. By helping journalists do their jobs quicker and easier, you can position yourself and your Guidelines: A member shall: Preserve the integrity of the process of communication. Be clients as valuable resources. honest and accurate in all communications. Act The following are what I call the “five R’s” promptly to correct erroneous communications of media relations that can help you build and for which the practitioner is responsible. Preserve sustain relationships with members of the the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring that gifts are media: nominal, legal and infrequent. Be respectful. A television news assign- ment editor relayed to me that a PR represen- tative once cussed her out for not sending a online articles or blog posts. The reality is reporter to cover a specific event. That type of that you should provide the means for them behavior is unacceptable. Respect journalists to contact you at all times. That means giv- when they can’t or won’t cover your story. Ask ing out your cell phone number and regularly them what might better capture his/her atten- checking email from your smartphone. Reply tion next time, and accept that some things to them as soon as you possibly can. are beyond your control. Find out deadlines and try to get them In general, extending courtesy and polite- answers or interviews as soon as possible. If ness to stressed journalists costs you nothing you don’t have an answer at hand, let report- and can bolster your image as an ethical PR ers know you’re looking into it and will relay pro (see sidebar at right). For example, if you the information as soon as you have it. find a major error in a story, politely ask for Be reliable. In short, being reliable means a correction framed within the context of doing what you said you would do in the time providing the most accurate and up-to-date frame you promised to do it. Reporters will information possible. reward you for this with increased trust. Be responsive. Today’s journalists are A journalist once contacted me in a pinch working on tighter and tighter deadlines, when one of his prospective interviewees sometimes just minutes in the matter of failed to show. He mentioned specifically that

his colleagues said I could be counted on to ing a contact and a resource is that contacts quickly arrange a Q&A with my client. are just names, numbers and emails while a Does the reporter need a high-res photo? resource is a known and valued asset. Being Send it. Links to the company’s annual re- a good resource means reporters will actively port? Here it is. Industry data referenced in reach out to you when working on a story. an interview? Out it goes. One trick to being a good resource, how- On the flip side, swallow your pride and ever, is to not always be “selling” the reporter. apologize when you are not able to deliver. Occasionally send them a tip, report or study Do what you can to make amends, and work that has nothing directly to do with your with them toward an agreeable solution. client. Pass it along as an FYI and see if they Be realistic. Let’s face it—not every press acknowledge that you’re thinking about their release, media advisory or pitch is suitable needs. for every reporter. As optimistic as you or The more you get to know journalists as your client may be, the information or mes- individuals, the better your chances of build- sages you wish to disseminate are not always ing relationships are. In that regard, treat relevant or actionable to a reporter. Work to- them as business partners and recognize that wards a better understanding of what types of not every communication has to be self- stories a journalist or outlet covers and what serving. Congratulate them on promotions they do not cover. You can do yourself a huge or awards. Compliment them on good stories favor by not wasting reporters’ time. they’ve done. Retweet or favorite some of Sometimes your announcement just war- their tweets. Comment on their professional rants a news brief. Or your press conference Facebook page. If you discover some mutual is scheduled for a particularly inconvenient interests, occasionally contact them about time. Or a major news event bumped your that rather than about work. story. Understand where your news fits into Don’t overdo it or you’ll come off as disin- the big picture and adjust your expectations. genuous. One of our clients has a motto that I believe applies well in regards to media rela- Occasionally send a reporter tions: “Don’t be annoying.” a tip, report or study that has Practice the five R’s of media relations and nothing directly to do with you will improve your chances of developing your client. long-term relationships with journalists who know you, trust you and want to work with you. PRN Be a resource. The previous four R’s are all negligible if you’re not what matters most—a Glenn Gillen, APR is a senior account manager good resource. The difference between be- with S&A Cherokee.