Secrets Of Success From Those Working With Standard Media

March 9, 2008

Understanding how the media works, what makes news and how to make the news can be valuable knowledge for any business. Favorable media exposure means recognition in the business community and a higher profile among potential investors and employees.

So here are some inside tips on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to gaining media attention for your business.

Choose the right media

Although all the media search out and welcome news stories, TV, radio and newspapers each have unique characteristics that will affect their likely interest in your story…

…Print

What makes the print media unique is its ability to provide in-depth commentary by way of longer news articles and the fact that newspapers and magazines have long shelf lives (compared to radio and TV). Business news with its financial results and long-term strategies make a nice fit with print media.

…Radio

Radio may not be the first choice when it comes to business coverage but when speed counts radio has the advantage of being able to produce and air a broadcast report minutes after news breaks. Also, morning drive-in shows and evening rush hour programming often have large followings and loyal listeners, though they are unlikely to be a strictly business audience.

…Television

Television’s strength is its ability to blend pictures with storytelling to create a compelling and visual broadcast that can leave an impression for a very long time (I.e. Gulf War, ‘72 Munich Olympics hostages, O.J. Simpson trial). When it comes to business coverage, television is at a small disadvantage since most business stories are short on visual elements (pictures). Nevertheless, many special television programs, such as Venture, W5 and 60 Minutes have over the years aired strong and compelling business stories.

Understanding what makes news and knowing who cares!

Your business may have doubled in size this year but for some reason the national newspaper doesn’t care. It certainly can be a frustrating experience trying to sell your story to media outlets, but understanding what makes news can go a long way in breaking down the media barrier.

What makes news?

It has been said that news is what people are talking about. A nice simplification, but you need to know more. If you want a reporter to be interested in your story, you need to meet one of the following criteria.

Timeliness:

Nothing beats breaking news. Such news stories often command front page attention at newspapers and lead air time at radio and TV stations. Breaking news is immediate news about something that just happened and that matters to a defined audience, like the business community. This has to be news that people will talk about.

Proximity:

Most media are first and foremost interested in stories with a local angle. If you are in an area of the city, there may be a reporter that is dedicated solely to covering news in your area. Learn what these people write about by watching columns and articles in your local business journal and newspaper. Even if you are part of a national organization, your local media will want to know your involvement rather than the activities of the group nationally.

Conflict:

Like it or not, conflict, whether it involves people, companies or government makes news. What may seem to be a simple rivalry between two business competitors is often a good news story for the media. And don’t be fooled by those who say they don’t read negative stories - they do and news editors know it.

Eminence and Prominence

Some people are newsworthy simply because of their fame or their position of power.

Consequence and Impact

What may be a simple business decision to you may be of tremendous consequence to your neighbor. The more people affected, the bigger the story.

Human Interest

People are interested in people. It’s a fact and a strong element of news. Those who read, listen and watch the news like to learn about others. Though a business story at first glance may not seem to be about people, playing up personal elements in your story will make it more interesting to viewers and readers.

Other factors affecting what becomes “news”…

“News Holes”

Why is it that your competitor’s merger made the news last week but yours didn’t? Often, space limitations (a busier news day and more stories) will result in your big event being dropped from the paper.

“Focus of the medium”

The monthly e-commerce magazine has a different editorial mandate than the business section of the daily paper or the local TV station. Understanding what mandate each medium has is key to working effectively with the media.

Competition among media

No one wants to cover old news. An editor or reporter is far less likely to write about your business if the competition had the same story a week earlier. On the other hand they may be very likely to run your news story if you approach them with an “exclusive” and give them the chance to cover the story before anyone else gets it.

Approaching the media

Once you understand what makes news, its time to “pitch” your news story to the media.

Here are a few tips.

Know your media

As mentioned before, print, TV, and radio each have different requirements when it comes to deciding what makes news. Understanding what is “newsworthy” for each media outlet is key to pitching your news story. In simple words, TV needs pictures, radio needs voices and print needs quotes. Organizing a press conference with a product demonstration is good for TV. Having the CEO answer questions makes for good quotes in print. Some media also have different departments or sections. For example, your local Journal’s section on “business” might be interested in business processes and the ins and outs of growing a business. Your latest software product release is not likely to spark interest from the editor of this section, although the tech editor may want a shot at it. However, the retraining of the 50 engineers who worked on the product release may be a news story worthy of consideration. Trade publications often are product-oriented and more likely to be interested in the latest version of your award-winning software. Have a number of different story angles when calling various media and choose your targets knowledgeably.

Get to the point

Not only are you busy but so are reporters - so get to the point! Reporters face daily deadlines and between faxes, e-mails and telephone calls, they receive hundreds of story suggestions each week. Reporters have good news judgment and can often decide within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your “pitch”. More than five minutes is too long. (NOTE: When leaving a phone message, leave your name, number, company name and a BRIEF description of the story idea). Remember, if they say NO, it means NO. So, say thank you and move on.

Don’t confuse advertising with editorial

Nothing upsets reporters more than the suggestion that buying an advertisement warrants a news story. Though on occasion the protocol is sometimes breached, the rule of thumb is that advertising is separate from editorial (news) content, like church and state. It is NOT a good idea to have someone from your advertising department phone an editor. Appoint someone who understands the editorial side of the media. If you have a good newsworthy story it should be able to stand on its own.

Call early but DON’T call often

If you are sending out a press release, it is important to follow-up with a media call as soon as possible. Be specific when calling. Ask if the reporter received your release and whether or not you could have two minutes of his or her time to explain the contents of the release. Don’t forget to tailor your pitch to the specific media. If the reporter says NO, more often than not it means NO. Thank them for their time and move on. If the reporter is interested, he or she will let you know. Then half the battle is won. If you are the media contact, be available for the media. There is no use putting your name on a press release if you are not willing or available to talk to reporters.

Be prepared to run around

If a reporter likes your story idea, then you are halfway to getting coverage. But you still have work to do. Reporters will often ask for background information and contact names - make sure you have them on hand. Media outlets with daily deadlines need information quickly, whether or not you have it available can decide whether the story runs or not.

Objectives and Unintended Consequences

Know from the outset what outcome you want in seeking media attention. Remember that once you attract media attention you can’t always control how it will turn out, what message will be communicated, what ’spin’ a reporter will put on things, who else they might contact to verify information, or how far they might dig. Another thing that drives reporters crazy is when people ask if they can read the final piece. Do not do this! If you have submitted a guest column, the editor has the liberty of editing it. If you don’t feel comfortable with this, it might be better for you not to work with the media. There are strategies for working around the media so that your message ends up being as close as possible to the final word.

Only give information for the story you want to tell. When you prepare for the interview, be prepared for questions reporters may ask and be ready to give answers that direct them back to your angle. This is much like a job interview – you start with the end in mind.

Be excited about your story. Enthusiasm is contagious and reporters will delve into that which they find interesting. Why would they want to put a different spin on a story that is already interesting?

Be a good student of your target media. Whether it’s your local news or your local Journal, you can easily see what the medium believes is a good story. Make sure yours is up to the challenge.

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