Comments on: Building Relationships with the Media

By: trishskram

trishskram — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:50:56 +0000

Great advice @Chevis! As a PR/media relations specialist in the field of health care, I feel relationship building is the main focal point of media relations. All the tips, ideas and suggestions above and in the comments are AWESOME points. I also think a great way to build a solid relationship with the media is by following their deadlines and making their job easier as a reporter. Here are my four tips: know the beat, write good "kickers," out how they like to be contacted and make sure you're truly available for inquiries. Details here: http://bit.ly/45CfNz LOVE THIS TOPIC! Thanks for sharing.

By: Face Doctorette

Face Doctorette — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:19:03 +0000

It is VERY important to research who you are contacting before you reach them. I have definitely learned the hard way even when it wasn't my fault. Thanks for the comment Eddie!

By: Tom O'Keefe

Tom O'Keefe — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:08:31 +0000

Chevis- I've never pitched the media on Twitter, but I imagine that it's similar to doing it via e-mail or the phone. You have to make sure that it's the right media person to pitch and there needs to be some sort of relationship there.

Can anyone else help out here?

By: Jason Sprenger

Jason Sprenger — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:59:56 +0000

The single best thing PR people can do for the media, and in building relationships with them, is to do a great job when working with them. This means using proper pitching mechanics (a whole series of posts by itself), doing your homework beforehand, pitching real and useful news, being responsive and helpful and doing things the right way in general.

More than anything else, journalists associate with PR people that they've had positive working experiences with – and that they trust to be worth their time. On the flip side, journalists blacklist PR people more for a negative working experience than any other single factor. So make sure journalists take positives from your experiences with them – not the other way around.

Can't wait to share more of my thoughts on this topic someday…
@JasonSprenger

By: chevis

chevis — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:41:28 +0000

I feel the same way about Twitter. I feel like I know a lot of the people I have connected with on there, but in actuality I have never met them in person.

I also love how the media is on there as well interacting with everyone. Do you have any tips on how to pitch the media via Twitter?

By: chevis

chevis — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:38:57 +0000

Thank you for the ideas Christina. What is your take on snail mail?

By: ayselvandeventer

ayselvandeventer — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:35:11 +0000

I actually just tweeted about this topic yesterday.. so this is definitely timely! I also just spoke to my PR mentor this morning and she gave me some wise advice. Like you said, you want to be a resource. The media wants to know that they can rely on you to give them a lead or a tip to a story in your field, or maybe another field of interest. To start off, do the research like you mentioned. Then you can shoot them an e-mail or even drop by if you are in the area to quickly introduce yourself and hopefully leave an impact. Send them a Thank You and give them updates. Become an expert in your field, so you can give them credible and useful information. Also, join some local organizations or communication associations. Find the places where the media hangs around and make a point to build relationships there. Also, come up with a creative press kit idea. You're bound to leave an impression on some of the media!

By: chevis

chevis — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:28:24 +0000

You mentioned some great points and ideas Katie. I love that you would arrange coffee dates while in school and I'm sure that was very beneficial to you. I love how you said that just because you pitch a reporter once they won't necessarily remember you. I always try and be nice when pitching the media without sounding to friendy.

Thanks for the suggestions!

By: Eddiemart

Eddiemart — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:27:19 +0000

Such a timely piece for me as I'm transitioning into a role where I am just starting to build my relationships with local media. I love your ideas Chevis, they are more personal than professionalm which I think reaches people.
I'm just going to reiterate that research is so important – know background on your reporters, what they cover, etc. Being well informed makes both people's jobs easier.
Great post – love it!

By: Tom O'Keefe

Tom O'Keefe — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:02:44 +0000

Well done, Chevis! Great tips!

As I read this, I couldn't help but draw a comparison to the relationships that I've been able to form on Twitter. In the beginning, I followed a few PR pros and read their tweets and blog posts. As time went on, I started re-tweeting them and then steadily felt comfortable enough to comment on their posts and reply more to their tweets to offer my opinion. Eventually, these simple things grew into a better relationship in which we were able to share more and more and help each other.

So, just like on Twitter (and real life), a relationship with a media member starts with small gestures, being accessible for help, and mutuality.

Thanks for the tips and I'm looking forward to reading more comments!

Tom
@TomOKeefe1