A lot has happened in the media lately that makes me shudder. Some of it has to do with the art of media relations, some has to do with media not doing our jobs.
• N.C. Rep. Thom Tillis put out a press release Jan. 28 saying, “I have concluded that most (but not all) of the mainstream media will not report on a balanced basis. … Therefore, effective today, I have resigned myself to embracing this reality and making the best of it.”
A local TV station soon reported that Tillis was “resigning from local media.” And WCNC was compelled to report “Thom Tillis not resigning.”
• I got this press release: “We can tell you how to easily and naturally prevent a hangover. Are you ready? Its nothing you’ve ever tried before. It’s 100 percent natural, healthy and green. More importantly, it works. It’s algae.”
When I could not delete my address from the writer’s email list, I wrote, “please do not contact me again.” She promptly wrote me back.
• Here’s another: “I didn’t receive a confirmation on the press release I sent, so I am sending this e-mail again. Please advise if you have received this e-mail! Thank you! Have a GREAT DAY!”
I deleted twice and did not confirm twice. I did not know this sender from Adam. A word of advice: Having relationships with the media that are important to you matters in the long run.
• This PR message from a law firm was useful: “Are you working on any stories with a need for professional legal opinions, quotes, interviews for articles? If so, please let me know. We welcome the opportunity to assist you. I look forward to hearing from you.”
As the editor of business newspapers in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., I encouraged reporters to keep lists of industry experts for future stories. The payback for them is the chance to be quoted as an expert source in a story.
• Here’s an interesting one: “ATTENTION — Please disregard this email previously sent to you today. We do not have permission to use Dr. Reniker’s photo and name associated with this article. She was not involved in any way with the article. I am very sorry for any inconvenience, and greatly appreciate your cooperation in deleting this article completely. The article was sent out prematurely, and we apologize for the mistake.”
We receive almost daily press releases from this particular hospital, so disregarding this one was effortless.
In my opinion, this hospital has confused a stream of press releases with advertising. I checked in with an editor at another publication who said: “Honestly — without attribution — I generally delete them as they come in six at a time.”
Leigh Whitfield, the director of marketing at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, did not comment before our press time.
• • •
Watching the Red Line debate unfold has been fascinating. While I’m neither a proponent nor an opponent of any transit project, I am an advocate of decisions being made based on complete information.
But because of the lack of almost any kind of media relations effort, the Red Line is awash in a sea of negativity before its shortcomings and benefits are fully understood. There were no meetings with select opinion leaders up and down the 25-mile line beforehand. There was a brief “media availability” prior to the unveiling of the complex Red Line funding plan back on Dec. 13, but not all members of the media were invited.
The plan was duly rolled out with abundant negative comments from some of the people in the audience, and the feeding frenzy got under way.
Here are some tips on how to deal with the media from Analisa C. Malek, owner of LKN Media in Mooresville:
• First and foremost, understand that reporters are the people who pull the information together and shape the way stories unfold. After pitching a story, it is absolutely critical to be very respectful of their news cycle times and production deadlines and have a sense of urgency when responding to their inquiries.
• Members of the press are inundated with press releases and pitches and I believe that to be successful you need to understand the difference between a newsworthy story and content that is perhaps more suitable for advertising. My approach in working with the press has been to provide only relevant, newsworthy ideas, supported by quotes, facts and details. If I don’t believe that the story has merit from a news perspective, I do not want to waste their time.
• Approach press releases as you would a news article. Writing in a journalistic fashion can serve to help shape a story and help reporters be more efficient in their jobs without having to spend a significant amount of time chasing down the details.
— Dave Yochum is the Editor of Business Today |
