The Dos and Don’ts of Working with the Media
To gain publicity in any area you must make the effort to establish a good relationship with the media.
It is also important to understand the media and its capabilities. If you get a journalist offside you can almost guarantee that that journalist will never use your media material again.
PR consultants work extremely hard at maintaining good relations and building a rapport with key editors and journalists.
It is vital that a good working relationship is developed with journalists and also maintained for future interaction. The following is a list of what you should and should not be doing when interacting with the media:
DO:
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Be a reliable source of information;
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Be as cooperative as possible;
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Be available-remember that journalists often work shifts;
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Find out who might report your organisation or cause and ‘cultivate’ them;
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Build up favour with specific journalists by giving them exclusive stories;
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Know you organisation. Always ensure that you are up to date and that you understand the organisation’s policies, attitudes and important questions;
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Admit if you do not know the answer to a question- Tell the journalist you will find out the answer and respond to them as quickly as possible;
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Assume that everything you say is on the record;
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Remember that there will be times when your aims and theirs will be incompatible so be objective in your approach;
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Respect journalists professionalism;
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Meet the journalists deadlines;
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Always give direct and honest answers to journalists questions; and
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Use short sentences and positive words.
DO NOT:
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Slant the facts or tell half the story;
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Provide false information- This includes improvising, speculating or guessing as good journalists check the facts and if they don’t check out, your credibility will be destroyed;
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Respond with a ‘No comment’- This will allow the journalist to speculate and assume you are hiding something;
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Repeat ‘facts’ or opinions which have come to you as second-hand; check the accuracy of your sources;
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Take the approach of ‘winging it’, it’s too easy to say the wrong thing;
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Assume the journalist knows what you’re are talking about- don’t use jargon or insider lingo, translate your words into a language the journalist and the audience will understand;
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Use clichés;
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Get aggressive about a question or topic- even in print, your tone can still be picked up and repeated by a journalist;
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Stand between a journalist and your spokesperson. Instead be the go-between, arranging an appointment or interview when requested; and
The most important factor, as with most things in life, is to be prepared. Make sure you can easily recall on important information such as dates and times and relevant statistics. If you aren’t prepared with such basic information, you will lose credibility as a spokesperson.
A good idea is to prepare a number of questions that the media is likely to ask, including the difficult ones.
Arming yourself with information to answer the tough questions will ensure you are prepared and preparation can be the difference between a positive or negative interview.
Skilled PR consultants are experienced in the field of training for the media and offer specific training to meet client’s individual needs. Training can help you shape key messages and ensure they are delivered effectively.
If you require any assistance, Marketing Elements runs personalised Media Training so please don’t hesitate contacting us.