Unit 4: Media Relations
One sure need of all organizations that produce newspapers, magazines, television programs, radio broadcasts, and websites is material to fill up their pages and their broadcast time. In Public Relations, you need only supply media outlets with the material they crave in a way they can use it. Media releases are going to be your primary and most important means of contact with editors and reporters. The Wall Street Journal estimates that 90 percent of its coverage originates from companies making their own announcements. The best way to develop your skills in media relations is to work as a reporter in different media, but it also serves to learn to think like a reporter: what does a reporter look for? How could you present your message in a way that appeals to the media? This is such a critical topic; you will have a large number of related readings assigned in this unit as well as the next unit on Writing for Public Relations.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- describe traditional and new media outlets;
- select the most appropriate media for connecting with target audiences; and
- prepare effective communications that appeal to media gatekeepers.
4.1: Traditional and New Media Outlets
Revisit this primer and focus on module 3, which features a summary of criteria that editors and reporters may use in deciding which stories to cover and provides a brief overview of characteristics particular to specific media.
Read these articles written by public relations experts specializing media relations. These articles address the changes underway in the field, which are affected by evolving technologies, social media, and the adaptations by mainstream media.
This chapter presents several typical public relations environments: the corporate PR setting, a PR agency, government relations, issues management and public policy, and activism public relations. The authors discuss the types of writing assignments PR staff members typically write to communicate their message.
4.2: Effective Media Relations
4.2.1: Attracting Media Attention
Read these articles written by PR experts who specialize in media relations. These articles cover the topics of attracting the attention of busy assignment editors and winning more play in print and broadcast media.
Watch this video, which presents basic appeals and tactics for effective communications. This video answers questions about how to get someone's attention and what to do if you manage to catch it. Remember that though you are going through the media's gatekeeping editors and reporters, it is ultimately their audiences you are trying to reach. Have an appeal that works for their audience, and the media will help you do that.
4.2.2: The Media Release
Read these four articles written by PR experts who specialize in media relations. These articles cover key topics such as formulating your message for specific occasions, events and circumstances justifying a media release, effective alternatives to media releases, and how to tailor your release to specific media.
Read module 4 to learn how to pitch to the news media. Be sure to click on the embedded links to sample media release formats.
4.2.3: Pitching Your Story
Read these four articles written by PR experts who specialize in media relations. These articles cover the important topics of how to best pitch your story to a busy editor or reporter and how to stand out among the pile of other story pitches you need to compete against.
4.2.4: Presenting Yourself to the Media
Read these articles written by public relations experts who specialize in relations with news media.
Read module 5, which addresses the ten steps in preparing for media interviews, the types of reporters you might meet, and three interview mistakes people often make.
4.2.5: Maintaining Media Relationships
Read these articles written by PR experts who specialize in media relations. The writers discuss best tactics for maintaining healthy relations with editors and reporters so you have established credibility and respect the next time you pitch them with a story.
4.3 Writing for Owned Media
Read Chapter 4 to learn more about writing for owned media, the communications channels a company or organization owns, controls, and distributes. These outlets may include print-based and digital publications, such as brochures, customer tutorials, email marketing materials, online blogs and newsletters, pamphlets, training materials, social media posts, and special event notices and marketing materials. Understanding how your audience is connecting with your message through these different channels is important to successful PR programming. We address how to use social media in more detail in Unit 5.
4.4 Writing for Video and Visuals
Read Chapters 10 and 11, which describe how employers and clients frequently ask PR staff members to write scripts and produce visual and video content to post to their websites, distribute via social media, and incorporate into their marketing campaigns and employee training. To determine the best medium, consider how your audience will access your message: will they see it on their desktop, smartphone, or during a presentation in a large conference room. Will your audience have the bandwidth to stream or download high-quality video? Will they have the opportunity to provide you with feedback about their experience?
