Ok, so let’s assume that you are at the start of your business journey and dealing with the media is something that you have just never done before. It’s a little bit scary right? You’ve heard all these rumours about how journalists are out to “get the story” and would sell their Granny in order to get it. They’re a vicious mob to be approached with caution…a little like a sleeping dragon. Right?
Wrong!
Providing you know what you are doing and how to do it the journalist and the media can very much become a friendly face and not a foe to fear. So here are some very simple rules to remember when dealing with the press.
- Always remember – because a journalist will never tell you this – they NEED you as much as you need them. Without you and countless others like you they don’t have a story/scoop/angle/comment. They often forget this, but you never must. However there is also one hundred “unwritten rules” when dealing with them and one is that you must never mention certain things…one of them being never to remind them of how much they need you! Journalists are very much a diva bunch and will flounce at the drop of a hat – or at a reminder of their precarious relationship!
- Again…some journalists expect you to dance to their tune and will throw their toys out the pram at any one given moment if you don’t. So press releases, some of the more *ahem* shall we say “lazy” journalists expect to be able to simply lift word for word what you have written in your press release without having to alter/amend/write any copy themselves. (I know can you possibly believe it?! 🙂 ) So a journalist will not want to see a “teaser” press release, giving them only a glance at the actual story. Nope it must be full and complete. This is s general bugbear of most PR companies…in that they feel that lots of journalists now subscribe to lazy journalism and expect them to do their work for them. In defence of the journalist who will get hundreds of press releases in a working week…well you imagine trawling through badly written press releases to finally find that one nugget of gold…hmm…difficult at the best of times but even worse when a print deadline is looming and you’ve got nothing for your editor! The sign that you are doing a great job with your press releases is when they start being printed word for word almost! (But more on press releases in part 2 though!)
- Never, ever feel pressured into giving comment to a journalist. If they turn up at your premises (very unlikely unless you have just employed David Beckham as your new tea boy!) or if they phone you looking for a comment and you feel you’ve been caught on the hop, it is more than acceptable to say “you’ve caught me in the middle of doing something which I just need to finish, but I’m more than willing to give you comment on this, give me a contact number and I’ll call you back in 5 minutes.” Then give yourself five minutes peace and quite to jot down the points you really want to get across. So for example…your company has say…found the cure for cancer. You’ll probably want to briefly explain how you did it, how many hospitals have already taken the vaccination on a pre order, how many lives will be saved by the new treatment (if you can get the correct stats), and of course you may want to publicly thank members of the team for their hard work, so make the press aware of who did what in the team to bring about the treatment. You may also want to offer the journalist the opportunity to visit your Labs to see the team and the work in progress too for a photo opportunity. (Of course this is an extreme example and for something like this you are probably going to call a press conference rather than have the media door stepping you however you get the idea!)
- Remember that what you say to the journalist will in all likelihood will be quoted. So if you are sworn enemies with someone and the journalist asks you something about them…don’t use it as an opportunity to have another pop at them. Smile sweetly and say something like “I think I’ve already made my position clear on that issue/person before so let’s talk about the all new latex coated widget that my company has come up with.” If they continue to press you about a contentious issue/person, simply say “I’m sorry but I have no comment to make on that person/issue.” and steer them back again to you and your company. Never ever get rattled, that’s what they are looking for and you will only be adding fuel to a side story that detracts from the actual message you want to get across!
- The only bad news is when people aren’t talking about you…Well let me tell you it ain’t exactly true! Bad press can be hugely damaging and yes over the course of your business life the chances are you are likely to get some bad press. You have two options…if something is printed about you or your company and it is false and damaging, you do have redress as this is defamation and you can go to a specialist media solicitor who will defer to a media barrister (your first cost is right there!) to see if you have a case that would hold up to prosecution. If you do then you could seek to get an injunction to prevent further lies being printed and look to seek a printed apology and compensation. However this is not guaranteed and is not cheap either. Defamation cases are historically the most expensive to take to trial. So you need deep pockets. The second option is to suck it up and ignore the allegations. Black list that particular publication from your press list, black list the journalist and his editor and where ever they go next make the publication aware that you will not deal with that particular editor/journalist and why. Petty…yes but then again why make their life easier when they have previously printed lies about you? Why feed them stories if they have done you no favours in the past? But mainly remember that today’s scandal is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappings.
- Journalists hate fluff, spin, hype and blatant advertising. So don’t do it. Even if you think you are the most incredible thing since sliced bread…you will loose all credibility with a journalist if you try to hype your company or product up! It is what it is and that’s that as far as they are concerned. Instead present yourself as a willing and available expert in your field. Make yourself available for comment at short notice to the local radio/tv stations and they will use you time and again. Build up those good relationships by not harassing journalists, constantly nagging them to see if they are using your comment…if it’s good enough they will! however the chance are that providing you aren’t too blatant you will be able to get away with a little bit of advertising…”Yes Bob, here at Homefinder UK we strong believe that the HiPs should be abolished as they present no significant advantage to the home purchaser in the UK.” See it just slipped in there and on live radio or TV once it’s said it can’t be edited…just don’t take the Mickey as you’ll not get invited back again if you do! 🙂
So get these few rules down to pat and you’re well on your way to building a working relationship with the media. Just remember though…that’s exactly what it is…it’s a relationship and that makes it a two way effort. You need to play your part and you need to make sure that you know the unwritten rules that journalists play by and that they are sticking to their side of the deal too. Remember too that they are getting from you what they need…column inches filled with articles that are of interest to their readers and you get the coverage that will bring your company to the front of people’s minds and make you more and more recognisable in your field!
Good luck in taming your media monster!
From my past experience in the newspaper industry Freya, your advice is spot on. I was the retail art director for nine years. We were the dark side to the editorial department. One thing I learned about journalists was not to trust them. They are forever trying to get your guard down, then “Wham, this is not what I expected to read in the paper”. It’s not fair to judge them with a wide brush, but their laziness and failure to check facts amazed me.
From time-to-time I have a sit down with a journalist, I am very aware of what I am saying and to whom. If this is something you must also do – following Freya’s advice will help to make it a more pleasant experience.
(Although I must say, that one local reporter has proven their integrity to me and that counts for something)