Photo by Tim Greenway. See more photos from the event here.
One theme jumped out during the discussion that particularly resonated with me as a journalist: how to handle the media. Our three panelists voiced some criticism for how and what various media outlets choose to cover, and shared frustration over a tendency to sensationalize to grab readers' attention. Colleen Hilton in particular wondered why local papers focused on negative news (like her decision to let go city officials during her inauguration) instead of the benefits of, for example, Westbrook's community garden. Megan Williams shared the fallout her organization got over a not-so-flattering photo that seemed to reinforce the perception that she and her colleagues are just "angry feminists." (It wasn't all bad, however -- the panelists acknowledged that the media can help get attention for certain issues, and Patricia Quinn cited a largely positive relationship with local reporters.)
Attendees latched onto the theme of media relations, asking the panelists questions about good PR and how to get the media to pay attention to your story. I leaned over to Carol and whispered that we could probably fill a room with a panel devoted solely to getting press coverage for your business or event.
I thought our panelists all had some great media savvy that they passed along to listeners. I'll share their tips along with my insights for getting the media's attention (with a caveat that I dislike the generalization "the media" -- not only because I think it's used more pejoratively than descriptively, and because I see little similarity between what I do at Mainebiz and what they do at The National Enquirer. But I digress.)
Develop relationships. Our panelists talked about the importance of figuring out which reporters cover their geographic area or industry and cultivating relationships with those people. Adam Lee, president of Lee Auto Malls and on the board of the Efficiency Maine Trust, was in the audience and stood up to share an anecdote: He was always getting calls from reporters about issues related to sustainability. He finally asked why he was their go-to person. The answer? "You always call back, and we have a file photo of you." If you're willing to respond to media requests when reporters are on deadline, they'll feel more favorable about taking your call when you're looking to pitch a story.
Anticipate the spin, as Megan Williams put it. I hesitate to use the word "spin," because, again, I think it has a negative connotation. But it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the kind of stories a publication generally prints and tailor your pitch accordingly. Let's say you have a story idea about a major sporting event coming to town. A daily newspaper might be interested in interviewing a local person who's participating or in covering the event itself. What if you wanted to pitch that story to Mainebiz, a publication that focuses on statewide business news? We'd be interested in knowing about its anticipated economic impact, if it's part of a regional or national market trend aimed at boosting economic development, and if there are businesses or municipalities doing something innovative to take advantage of that opportunity.
And if you can anticipate a concern a reporter might have, head it off by addressing it up front. You're jazzed about the sporting event, but maybe some residents have been publicly complaining about its potential for traffic or noise. A pitch is much more comprehensive if you can say, "Yes, there are concerns about this, but here's how they're being mitigated," instead of ignoring the issue altogether.
You might think -- "isn't it kind of silly to mention anything negative when I'm trying to get publicity for my event?" But in actuality, that kind of pitch reads much more authentic to a reporter, whose job isn't to get your event free publicity -- it's to serve the publication's readers with information they need to know. Tying into that....
Being awesome isn't enough. Even if your company is doing something completely and utterly remarkable and innovative, most reporters are going to want some context. So, instead of a pitch that simply iterates how fabulous your company is, try to craft something that shows why the company's work is interesting -- is it addressing a problem in the marketplace in a new way? Is its work having a positive effect on other businesses or industries? Has the company found a way to overcome an obstacle and is seeing some tangible results? Again, it might seem counter-intuitive to tell reporters that your company's sales dropped in 2010, but a story pitch about how your company responded to a challenge and what your learned from the process is more interesting than just, "Sales are great." We get pitches all the time from companies being recognized for their good work, so what about your company's success sets it apart?
And, one more tip from me: Don't take it personally if your idea doesn't result in a story. Reporters are juggling lots of deadlines and projects -- sometimes a pitch comes at a busy time, or a time when the resources aren't there to dig into it. (At Mainebiz, we're often asked to cover ribbon-cutting events or groundbreakings, and we usually have to say no, not because we don't want to be there, but because it's a challenge when you're a staff of four and you have an entire state to cover.) If you don't get a response or the response you wanted, it's not because we have something against you. Stay in touch, remain persistent, and keep on the lookout for a way to make a story idea fresh so you can pitch it later.
We'll get more in detail about writing a good press release in another post, but keeping these ideas in mind should help you the next time you're looking to get the media's attention.
Of course, the best way to find a captive editorial audience, at least from our perspective, is to find us at one of our receptions or networking events. There's just something about hors d'oeuvres and cocktails that make us more receptive. We'll be in Sanford next week!
Feel free to share your thoughts and best takeaways from the leadership forum by commenting below.
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