As a journalist for more than 15 years, it was part of my morning routine. I’d get my cup of coffee, position myself at my desk, check out the news, and then proceed to the most arduous task of all — clearing out the PR emails.
Sometimes there were only a few. Other times, there were dozens, especially after a long weekend or vacation. The vast majority were met with an eyeroll and an immediate strike of the delete button, and it became a reflex.
That reaction was inspired by the fact that these email blasts from well-meaning PR professionals rarely related to my beat or were even marginally interesting. It created fatigue and muscle memory to simply ignore.
Now, a few years into my career in PR, I try my best not to inspire eyerolls and apathy, and communicate to our clients how we can effectively garner quality media attention, select the right reporter for the right story, and not just chase cheap clicks. Fleshing out and presenting meaningful stories is not only a strategy for short-term goals, but it also lays the groundwork of building relationships with media that will serve them in the future.
But outside of the obvious — pitching quality stories to reporters who are on the beat you’re looking for — there are aspects of finding the right reporter that might get overlooked.
Thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and competence. Not just in writing ability, but in curiosity, skepticism, and a willingness to push past the surface. Familiarity with their work is integral to making these distinctions, but it is also key to glean how they work. Are their published stories balanced and well-reported? Once you make contact and pitch your story, are they talking to other sources? Are they pursuing angles that are pertinent to that story, even if they don’t directly serve your client?
As tempting as it might be to find an easy mark, a reporter who will essentially regurgitate whatever you hand them before the day is done, an incurious or lazy reporter can hurt your objectives just as much as they can help. If they are willing to publish whatever press release or set of facts you hand them, without talking to secondary sources or doing independent reporting, the lack of inquisitiveness could also lead to a poor-quality, misinformed, and ineffective story. A poorly reported story not only reflects negatively on the reporter and publication, but it can reflect poorly upon the sources and damage credibility. In the long run, that kind of media coverage rarely moves the needle and can even backfire.
I’d much rather have our clients fully prepped to participate in an act of journalism — full of life, color, and context — than a quick, branded headline and story that nobody wants to read. It may not play out perfectly for the client. A wart or two may be exposed, and it’s not 100% safe. But nothing worth doing is. Participating in one authentic piece of journalism can go miles farther than a hundred, inch-deep rewritten press releases.
If you sell a quality reporter on the story, which isn’t necessarily your story, you’re not only establishing trust and confidence with the journalist, but you’re also creating value for your clients. Quality reporters have long memories for who can and cannot be trusted, and once that trust is violated, it’s difficult to get it back. And once earned, that trust often opens doors that no cold pitch ever could.
Creating those relationships of trust through media relations just might allow you to avoid the dreaded eyeroll and delete button.