| Although it seems less common these days, there are | | | | 2. Facilitators |
| still a fair number of us public relations practitioners | | | | Face it, journalists don’t want to talk to PR people |
| who enter the business by crossing over from the | | | | — at least not on the record, and not as |
| journalist’s side of the notebook. | | | | newsmakers. |
| When you make that transition, you become | | | | Good PR practitioners know they’re not |
| something of an oracle. Colleagues and clients | | | | newsmakers. They recognize that their role is to |
| expect you to be the walking, talking answer to | | | | make stories happen, not be part of them. So good |
| the Rubik’s cube puzzle of how to gain the | | | | PR pros focus on being matchmakers, putting |
| attention of the media. If only it were that simple! | | | | journalists together with the sources who make stories |
| Landing media placements is at least as much about | | | | come alive. |
| art as it is science. And despite the prevalence of | | | | For the PR pro, as well as the journalist, it’s all |
| social media (I would argue that BECAUSE of the | | | | about the story. It’s not about you, or the |
| explosion of social media) landing the right media | | | | institutional challenges you face in making the story |
| placements is still important. | | | | happen. It’s about making the story real. And |
| First and foremost, of course, I believe it's about the | | | | that leads me to what journalists really, really want |
| quality of your story. But it’s also about you and | | | | from PR practitioners (and what we should strive to |
| who you are as a person engaged in public relations | | | | be): |
| — whether as a company principal or (especially) as | | | | 3. Advocates for communication |
| a PR professional. So just what did I learn about | | | | No journalist wants to deal with a PR person |
| succeeding with journalists in two decades of writing | | | | who’s primarily unavailable, and when he or she is |
| and editing for newspapers, magazines and news | | | | available, has a vocabulary limited to phrases such as |
| services? | | | | “no comment.” |
| First of all, a PR pro doesn’t need a journalistic | | | | All other things being equal (including working for an |
| pedigree to succeed with journalists. | | | | organization or a leader who doesn’t communicate) |
| But you do have to possess something else: | | | | journalists still give the benefit of the doubt to a PR |
| knowledge of what journalists really want from PR | | | | person whom they know to be an advocate of |
| people. I’m not talking about what journalists | | | | communication. |
| want from your story – that’s another subject. | | | | That doesn’t mean someone who’s going to |
| I’m talking about you. Do you know what | | | | speak at inappropriate times about subjects that |
| journalists want from you, as the individual who’s | | | | aren’t in the best interests of their organization. It |
| e-mailing, faxing, calling and (too often, I fear) pestering | | | | means someone who understands deadlines, editors, |
| them? | | | | the competition and the other pressures that journalists |
| Here’s my short list of attributes that will get you a | | | | face while trying to do their jobs (including not losing |
| hearing from journalists (and that’s all you want | | | | those jobs in today's tough media environment). |
| – your story will sink or float on its own merits): | | | | It means a PR professional who understands that the |
| 1. Honest brokers | | | | best interests of their organization always include |
| Journalists know PR people have something to | | | | good relationships with the news media, the trusted |
| promote — a company, a product, a point of | | | | purveyors of independent information for the |
| view. That’s not the issue. | | | | customers, employees, investors and other audiences |
| The issue is whether the journalist trusts that the story | | | | that the PR pro wants to reach. |
| is coming from someone who won’t waste their | | | | In the end, that’s what all of media relations is really |
| time — someone who has invested the effort to | | | | about: A good journalist and a good PR pro want to |
| understand them, their organization, their boss, and | | | | serve their audiences first. |
| whether the story might interest the audience the | | | | It’s not always possible for journalists and PR pros |
| journalist serves. | | | | to achieve that objective from their respective |
| Trust is fundamental — but it’s also | | | | viewpoints in every interaction. But over the course |
| earned. Becoming an honest broker requires more | | | | of time, it is my experience that, in a relationship of |
| than one conversation with a journalist. It requires | | | | trust, respect and understanding, honest brokers who |
| enough dialogue that a relationship and a history of | | | | facilitate the story and advocate for communication will |
| honest dealings can be established. | | | | succeed in landing media placements. |