By Haley Pandelos
One of the core aspects of being a public relations professional is knowing how to interact with the media.
So, what is media relations?
Media relations is described as engagement and interaction with news outlets and journalists for the purpose of informing the public on a client’s mission, practices, and initiatives. The goal is to put the organization in a positive, credible light. Here are a few aspects of media relations that can help build your skills.
Media List Building
You can’t start pitching stories to the media without a thorough background on reporters and their respective outlets. Creating a media list is a great way to organize all of your notes, news organizations, and contacts in one space. Using Muck Rack as a tool to assist in finding journalists can help quickly organize your list. Twitter is also a great resource to find your target reporter on social media. Remember that the quality of your list is more important than the quantity. You want to take the time to research journalists who are actively covering the topics that match your pitch and make meaningful relationships with them. Aspects to consider in your list include the journalist’s name, outlet, beat, recent coverage, contact information, and any notes on how to pitch them. Once you have a decent list, you’re ready to begin pitching!
Creating a Pitch
A pitch is a brief, engaging message that outlines the value of a story or topic and why it should be published. With there being fewer journalists in the world than public relations professionals, it’s essential to make a strategic pitch that will stand out in a journalist’s inbox.
To make a savvy pitch, you want to start with an enticing hook that leads into the key messages and basic information that the reporter needs to know. This information allows them to judge whether the story is newsworthy and fits their story strategy. The second part of the pitch is your call-to-action. This is where you specify what you want the reporter to do with your proposal. For example, it could be setting up an interview with your client’s head executive or integrating their perspective into existing coverage. Newsjacking is a technique that professionals can use to add the client’s thoughts and opinions on breaking or existing coverage. Acknowledging recent coverage can be useful in creating relationships and connections with your target reporter. Lastly, you want to explain how your story adds value to what they’re covering and why they should be interested.
Media Monitoring
As a PR professional, you need to be checking the news regularly and keeping up with what is going on in the world, especially on coverage that involves your client. When media monitoring, you want to watch and record mentions of your client over various platforms, including news outlets, blogs, and social media. This activity allows you to track media placements and any news that may be pertinent to your client. Creating a weekly report or clipping media with online tools can help you stay organized when monitoring the media.
Media relations covers many different aspects, but these are just a few that you can practice to stay on your media relations A-game. Building relationships with the media is essential in the public relations and marketing industry, and there are always ways to improve this skill set.
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