More Tips on Working with the Media

I recently attended a Business Wire presentation on dealing effectively with the national wire services. The participants (see below) represented the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, MarketWatch, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal.

The reporters made some good points, which apply to almost any media. Here are some of their major observations and recommendations.

Exploit multimedia.

In some cases, video can drive print and online coverage. So provide (or at least identify) your story's visual component.

Be accessible.

Invite the reporter to your office for a "getting-to-know-you" meeting. Publicize your expertise on services like LinkedIn, which reporters sometimes use to find experts on particular fields.

Blog.

Blogging is one of the best ways to become "visible" to the media. Most reporters read several blogs. However, they typically regard the blogs as less credible than traditional media because they believe that bloggers are not held to the same standards as traditional media is.

Provide context.

Explain how your pitch or story fits within your industry. "Here are the competitors. Here is the greater scheme, the big picture, the trends."

Also provide context within the publication itself.

Does the story relate to other articles that have been covered? Does it fit a particular section of the publication?

Develop your pitch carefully.

Identify the conflict, the controversy. Stories need push and pull.

For example, a start-up might get coverage if it is in a controversial or "hot" category, if it solves a fundamental problem, or if it can change its industry in a fundamental way.

Be willing to give up control of your piece.

Your pitch may inspire the reporter to write a completely different story than the one you envisioned.

In a recent survey, reporters estimated that only between .5 to 5 percent of PR pitches became printed stories.

However, a PR person had played an important role in the vast majority of stories these same reporters covered. So accept the fact that the story angle may change, but that you probably can still get your message out.

All in all, good advice for dealing with any kind of media.

The participants were: Rachel Konrad, Silicon Valley Correspondent, The Associated Press; Jeff Taylor, Bureau Chief, Bloomberg News; Alexander Davis, Managing Editor, MarketWatch; Eric Auchard, Chief Technology Correspondent, Reuters; and Steve Yoder, Bureau Chief, Wall Street Journal. The moderator was Duffy Jennings, Vice President of Strategic Communications, Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

2008, Communications Plus

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