How to Build Successful Relationships in the Media Industry

By Chloë Hudson, Account Director 

The first rule of media relations is to make a journalist’s job easy. Reporters are busy people with daily deadlines and, like the rest of us, they don’t want to work any harder than they have to. Establishing positive relationships with the press and generating valuable content are the foundations of a strong media relations plan. Remember: You can help a journalist meet their objectives and, at the same time, help your organization meet its own objectives.

I interviewed Christy Fleming, the founder and managing editor of daily online newspaper Town Square Delaware, about the dos and don’ts of building and preserving media relationships.

1. Pitch a story, not your company

Your pitch should paint a story. Tell the reporter exactly what’s unique about your pitch and why it will interest their target readership. After all, you’re the one who knows your product or company the best. Be clear, concise, and timely. Capture the journalist’s attention, emphasize your key messages, and make it relevant. If you can, keep it to one page. Above all, always be authentic — follow through and write the story you pitched; don’t change it without approval.

2. Be realistic   

You’ve got to be realistic — don’t expect a published article in return for every pitch. Only 10% of the stories Fleming publishes typically result from PR pitches. In fact, you can’t even expect a response, and it’s important to always respect an editor’s final decision. It’s not worth risking your relationship by badgering them or desperately trying to convince them to publish your work. Implement a three strikes rule: follow up no more than twice — adding value and offering additional material each time — and then move on if you haven’t had any success.

3. Ask for feedback

Consider each pitch a learning opportunity! Ask for feedback: What was your pitch missing? What else could you provide going forward? Fleming makes an uncommon effort to respond to everyone who emails Town Square Delaware, and she offers an explanation if she decides against publishing. For example, she lists upcoming, local events on the website, and if someone submits a request for one she doesn’t think her readers would attend, she apologizes and lets them know why it’s just not the right fit.

4. Personalize your communication

Reporters quickly filter out spam emails. Fleming defines these as emails that say something like “we’d like to write content for your site,” or “we have stories that resonate with your readers,” but don’t even mention the name of her site. To avoid getting your emails deleted, personalize them! Make an effort to learn a journalist’s name and use it. It’s obvious when you haven’t done your homework, and this easily offends reporters. Familiarize yourself with their prior work, as well as their current style, tone, and format. Use this information to generate a pitch they could easily pick up and publish. For example, if Fleming receives a pitch that doesn’t contain images — a critical component of digital media — she immediately assumes they have not even visited the website, which is clearly filled with photographs.

5. Form friendships

The emphasis of media relations should be on the relations aspect, and Fleming commented that “relationships like these often lead to friendships” when you communicate on a regular basis. Many people also tend to move professionally from one side to the other. Like yourself, journalists have lives outside of work — ask them about their weekend and their children — get to know them as a person. Ultimately, it is a reporter’s responsibility to establish boundaries and be transparent about conflicts of interest.