It’s a love-hate thing

Rawaa AbdallaDecember 2009

These slides will provide you with the tips you need to strengthen your relationship with the press, and maximise

your ability to secure high-quality coverage.

Journalists and PR professionals have always had a peculiar relationship. One fraught with suspicion – and, on some

occasions – barely suppressed hostility and tension

It’s a curious situation since the relationship is underpinned by mutual need: Journalists need PRs – for information, to

highlight developments, or interesting news stories that otherwise may not make it to the mainstream; and PRs need

Journalists: measured on their ability to consistently source and

write stories. No byline: no recognition

PRs: measured on their ability to consistently generate stories. No

coverage: no recognition

So, if each has something the other needs, why not exist in peaceful symbiosis?

The root of the uneasiness stems from perception, with both sides believing the other is pursing an unspoken personal agenda. Journalists occupying the moral high ground while

propagating hysteria and scaremongering; PRs blinded to the

Although there may be vexatious behaviour occurring on both sides, these slides are concerned with addressing the issues the press can experience when dealing with PR practitioners. Media outreach is a major component of most marketing

With that in mind, Athena conducted a poll of journalists working across national consumer publications to unearth the irritations they experience when dealing with PR practitioners.

Predictably the same issues were highlighted by journalists across the board, and tended to fall into one of four

categories:

The oblivious PRThe time wasting PR

The dishonest PR

The invisible PR

The oblivious PRNot knowing the publication/readership/journalist

Selling a feature to a news journalistUsing obscure PR jargon and missing data

“Weird PR jargon like giving us a “heads

up” – and obscure PR-speak acronyms like

KOL…”

“…read the papers! There’s nothing worse then getting a

pitch on a subject you’ve just written

about.”

“…there are basic data missing and it’s obvious that

they haven’t even read the paper. If they had, they

would know I cover news – not features!”

“…I hate being pestered about stuff that never has a chance of being a

story for me – and that any PR who actually reads what I write should

know will never be a story for me…”

The time wasting PR Calling to follow-up on an email

Ringing for a chat in the middle of the afternoonDisrespecting deadlines and sending information too late in

the day

The worst thing a PR could do is waste a journalist’s time. Send a brief pitch by email or call when you know

the reporter isn't on deadline or preparing for

morning conference

“we have surprisingly early deadlines these days, if we see something at 3pm it’s very

difficult to get it into the paper!”

“…if I’m interested in a PR email and want to follow it up, I will. I’m at the point where I rarely answer my phone unless I recognise the number,

since 8/10 calls I get are from timewasters”

The dishonest PR Overpromising/under-delivering

Selling an ‘exclusive’ to more than one publicationBurying data, manipulating statistics or bending the truth

“…telling me at 4pm that the ‘exclusive’

I’ve been working on all day has also

gone to the competition”

“… why do some PRs insist on ‘up-selling’ a story? Journalists have long memories – if your

story falls apart under scrutiny, we definitely won’t bite the

next time you pitch something”

“I don’t want to find out from my editor that the patient you’ve introduced me to has already been in the papers!”

“stat fiddling! Impressive numbers that turn out to be relative rather than

absolute risk…”

The invisible PR Disappear when needed

Not providing information you’ve promisedNot returning calls/responding to emails

“…being fobbed off drives me mad. Don’t

make promises you can’t keep – and keep the

promises you make!”

“…I’ve been pestered non-stop by a PR to cover a story,

then when I need more information, they’re nowhere

to be found!”

“Put your contact details out there. I don’t want to spend

hours tracking you down to follow up on an interesting story”

“…nothing is more infuriating than missing out on a story

because the PR is out of contact. Next time, we simply won’t come to you for comment”

Unsurprisingly, research has shown that there is a world of difference between journalist opinion of PR practitioners with whom they work, and the

profession as a whole.

So as a PR professional, how can you ensure your calls are always taken, your emails read ‒

and your stories treated with respect? What steps can you take to ensure your news makes it onto

Be prepared:Prior to picking up the phone, formulate what you’re hoping to achieve from the coverage and consider your headline. Is your story good news or bad? Is it data-led news or a case-study

Feature articles: cover a given topic in more depth than news, enabling

more detailed information to be conveyed to a broad target audience

The editor: pitching to a journalist is only the first step; if they like

your story, they must in turn convince their editor to run it

What does it do?How does it work?

How good are the data?Is it new?

Is it different? Does it save lives?Does it kill people?

Is it licensed? Is it available?

Where is it available?Is there a postcode

lottery?Is it approved by NICE?

If not, why not?How much does it cost?Are there spokespeople?How does this affect my

readers?Why should I care?

Retain a sense of perspective:Once you’ve pulled together your story, be brutally honest and consider whether anyone would be interested. Journalists, like

everyone else, are motivated by their own interests and no amount

Exclusive: a story given to one journalist only. Never provide the same exclusive to more than one

publication!

Journalists: measured on their ability to consistently source and

write stories. No byline: no recognition

Even if the journalist writes the story there is no guarantee it will appear –

all publications over commission articles

Know your audience:Look past the publication and picture the reader in your mind: Are they

male or female? What are their politics? How do they spend their free time? What are they interested in? Do you have a case study that will resonate

Case studies: real life experience is an essential element of a consumer media article, and is shown through

the story of a patient case study

WHO AM I?

Journalists are motivated by reasons that have nothing to do with your client needs.

However, by being professional and respecting their

“Public sentiment is everything. With it nothing can fail. Without it nothing can succeed.”

— Abraham Lincoln

AthenaJanuary 2010