Guide to Media Relations

Media Relations is a Public Relations tactic that involves working directly with members of the news media in an attempt to garner editorial coverage. News coverage costs only our time to generate it and typically carries more credibility than advertising.

There is no great mystery to good media relations. Anyone mastering some basic principles can become a good spokesman.

Reporters are young, intelligent and have a strong desire to succeed. For the most part, they are college graduates, perhaps with advanced degrees. Reporters are, for the most part, liberal. Their reward is not money but the power that comes with the job. They are idealists. They are creative. They love controversy.

Editors, on the other hand, come down out of the hills after a battle and shoot the wounded...and they get plenty of practice. With a little planning and preparation you can remove the adversarial aspect from media relations and position yourself as a reliable, fast-acting, knowledgeable source of information on your area of expertise. That is the goal of this special report.

What Is News?
Non-news professionals often have a hard time understanding why their ENORMOUS news announcement, creates barely a ripple in the media.

That's not to say a news release shouldn't be done about it. There are audiences besides the media - like employees, customers and trade allies - to whom news releases may be sent. But the media is interested in things that are different from the norm. So, generally, bad news gets more play. Let's examine these six categories to help us better understand what the media wants.

MONEY TALKS - In an age where cash is king, financial matters concerning your company can be big news. Mergers, acquisitions, good or bad earnings reports, new technology that will save or make money, all are good copy. Coverage increases the more you mention amounts and values.

TAKE THE GLOVES OFF - This category has a couple of dimensions. First, is in the arena of controversy. Whether it's DOS against LINUX, Beta against VHS, or DSL against Cable Modems, the media loves an argument about which standard is better. If an argument is good, an all out war is better. Ford vs. GM, or Apple vs. IBM - those are the kinds of battles that get an editor's attention. Don't be afraid to take sides.

GIVE ME A HUG - Editors even like a good love story. It could be a strategic alliance or an outright merger between two companies. No matter, the media are interested, particularly if there are questions about the cooperative effort's chance of success.

LEADING EDGE - The rarified air where technological history is made intrigues the media. Show them tangible evidence of how the technology will improve things in the here and now, and they'll cover the story.

CARRY A BIG STICK - If your name is not GM, Microsoft, or IBM, don't worry. You can take advantage of a big brand name. Leverage a new agreement, alliance or partnership between you and one of the big boys for your benefit.

CHANGES - Established companies with proprietary methods like the status quo. Shake it up a little with a new system that changes the paradigm and you have the beginnings of a story.

The best stories will include something from each category, and then they will have major media staying power. Rarely does a release get covered if it centers on only one category.

For the business media, focus your efforts on MONEY TALKS and TAKE THE GLOVES OFF categories. Getting trade media coverage typically is a little easier. Although the first two categories will ensure coverage, LEADING EDGE, CARRY A BIG STICK AND CHANGES together are good enough for some ink.

Are You Newsworthy?
There is something newsworthy happening right now at your organization, but you must first think like a reporter before you issue that press release. (See the list of newsworthy occasions below.)

Too many news releases go out from the company's perspective and land with two dull thuds. The first thud is on the reporter's desk, and the second is in the trashcan. Let me illustrate how this often happens with a client.

Phone rings. On the other end the client says, "hey let's do a press conference on our new window blinds. So, here's some information: they are easy to hang by the homeowner and are painted with a new paint in fashion-forward colors."

"Yeah," I say, "but the last ones were easy to hang and were in cool colors. Besides, we only hold a press conference for the second coming. We could do a news release, but we need more. What about the hanging mechanism? How many colors? Can the customer get special colors?"

"Nothing new on the mechanism. Ten colors. No customization."

"Hmmm. New paint, you said. What about that?"

"Oh, yeah. It resists dust."

"Blinds you have to dust less often! Now, we're talking, and maybe a press conference is called for."

Not every story has the potential of a product I actually helped launch, Levolor's DustGuard™ blinds. But, with a little thinking, any story idea can be made more newsworthy. Here are a few things to remember as you think through your story ideas:

• Reporters Don't Care. You spend at least five days per week working in your industry and thinking about your business. You care deeply about them. The unvarnished truth is that reporters are not in the business to care about you. They want information of interest to readers, and they want you to make their job easier.
• ROI. Ask, what makes this relevant, original or impactful? Consumers don't care about 10 colors of blinds, but they sure care about not having to dust them as often. That's relevant.
• Hype Not. Corporate hyperbole will not endear you to reporters. In the news release, tell the facts, just the facts and nothing but the facts. This is as important as ROI, particularly if you are trying to build long-term relationships with reporters.

Possible Newsworthy Occasions

• New Products
• Business Start-Up
• Partnership
• Strategic Alliances
• New Or Innovative Business Strategy
• Restructuring The Company
• Going Public/Going Private
• Company Comeback From Adversity
• New Employees
• Important Executive Retiring/Resigning
• Executives Comment On Business/Economic Trends
• Employee Promotions
• New Branch Offices
• New Divisions Established
• Headquarters Relocating
• Research Results Announcement
• Major Anniversary
• Major New Client Acquisition
• Company Revenue, Sales or Profit Growth
• Company Name Change
• Winning Major Awards Or Receiving National Or Regional Recognition In The Media
• Company Presenting An Award
• Receiving Important Accreditation or Certification
• Holding Free Seminar or Workshop
• Availability Of Guest Articles Or White Papers
• Issuing A Position Statement On Topical Subject
• Free Consumer Information Available
• Company Speakers Bureau
• Company Philanthropic Support
• Major Company Milestone
• New Board of Directors

Now, get out there and alert the media.