SOME TACTICS OF MEDIA RELATIONS
Four questions form the base of media thinking, or media savvy:
? Whoto reach?
? Howto reach them?
? Whatto say?
? Whatis in it for them?There are many tactics to use when considering the answers to these questions, including:
❑ media conferences, for big news;
❑ media briefings, media availability sessions, and media conference calls;
❑ news releases or pitch letters, for items you want covered;
❑ interviews with relevant people;
❑ tours of your facility;
❑ public service announcements (PSAs), usually for nonprofits only;
❑ reaction to unfair reporting;
❑ feature stories to publicize what you want featured; and
❑ crisis communication.If you have to write for any of the above, or approve them, or have them written:
- Decide on the message.
- Use short sentences and good paragraphs.
- Use simple, familiar words.
See ☛8.2 Direct Communication tool for more information on large-scale communica-
tions.
HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL
“...key to good media relations strategy is to make the newsperson’s job easy. That is, give him [her] news of
substance, with facts [s]he can rely on—all this conveniently packaged and delivered in good time.”
—Richard Detweiler, Public Relations ConsultantSECTION 8 TOOLS FORCOMMUNICATION 261
into the official system. Make communications a
priority in your area. Don’t wait until you needthe
media.
✔ Develop your ownmedia awareness: Become media
savvy, noticing the kinds of news items covered about
businesses, organizations, and issues that might have
relevance to your organization, and become familiar
with the reporters who cover them. In this way, you
will become aware of media possibilities and can
communicate them to others.
✔ Build a mutually beneficial business relationship with
the media. Reporters and writers, like most people,
reciprocate care with care.❑ Send the media a sheet of one-paragraph news tips that
reporters can follow up themselves.
❑ Make sure that stories about your organization have a
local angle or content, and are relevant to the reporter’s
publication.
❑ Be availableto the media. Don’t wait until you needthe
media; maintain contact.
❑ Keep media contact lists up to date.
❑ Set up an information storage and retrieval system in
which you maintain fact sheets, complete articles,
interviews, background information, photos, and stock
video footage. Tell journalists what is in this system,
and that they can have access to it whenever they wish.
Update the information regularly.
❑ In the case of a crisis, have a designated spokesperson;
brief that person immediately.