Fitch Ch. 4 - Interacting with Reporters
- Most important aspect of day-to-day public relations work --- must create GOOD relationships!- Crucial in defining how successful that person is in his job
- Interaction with reporters transcends into your image and interaction with thousands or millions of the reporters' audiences too
- Reporters view themselves as representatives of the people and the most important defenders of the First Amendmen
- Rule #1: respect reporters' role and understand the power that they possess
4.2 Pitching a story
- Extent of organization depends on the complexity of the story
- Steps in pitching a story :
1) Narrow the topic
2) Organize and compile documents that may be necessary to augment the story
3) Develop talking points on the most newsworthy aspects of the story
4) Discuss is principal can be interviewed
5) Call reporters and pitch the story
- When dealing with local reporters, identify local or regional angles to the story
- Research past stories on your topic and develop a list of reporters who are most likely to cover it -- consider a tailored pitch targeted to a few reporters
- The time of day when you pitch your story is very important: best time to pitch a story is between 10am - noon.
- Pitching a great story at 4pm does two things:
1) It diminishes the likelihood you'll get covered
2) It annoys the reporter who has to stay at the office until later than expected
- Keep your pitch story to thirty seconds or less
4.5 Handling Reporter Calls
- Helping reporters (who ask innocuous and simple questions) do their job is a straightforward and easy way to advance your principal's and organization's goal
- Reporter requests fall into two categories:
1) access - to principal or an expert in the organization
2) information
^ provide them both
- PR prof needs to ask the reporter:
1) What are you writing about?
2) What sort of information do you want from me?
3) What information or interviews have you already compiled?
4) How big a story will this be?
5) Do you want an interview with my boss or someone else in my organization?
6) Do you have any documents related to this story that you can send me?
7) What's your deadline?
- Don't say anything until you know what you're dealing with
- "I'll get back to you" is an acceptable answer -- don't have to give out detailed answers on the first call
- "I don't know" is acceptable as well -- they need answers by the time of their deadline, not the first time. Tell them you will follow up with them.
- Make sure to return all phone calls even if you have nothing to say -- it demonstrates respect to the reporter and the responsiveness of your organization
- How press secretaries handle negative stories defines both the principal's reputation and the public relations professional's reputation
- Handling a single negative story well can significantly reduce the likelihood that it will turn into a full-blown crisis
- Remember that a particular line in a speech could be quoted out of context
- The first important challenge is to identify that you're dealing with a potentially negative story
- A clever reporter will try to lull you into a false sense of security and pounce when you don't have your guard up
- Listening between the lines is important
- Most reporters will be upfront and tell you about the purpose of their call
Ask yourself these additional questions:
1) Is the reporter telling me everything?
2) Is there someone behind this and what's her motivation?
3) What tone should I take that best portrays your position?
4) What is our liability (did we make a mistake)?
- Always remember to stay calm and don't say anything that could be quoted -- develop strategies on how to respond in cases where you may not want the story veered in a certain direction or the reporter to know some details
- In some cases, PR professionals can kill a story by appealing to the reporter or his editor
- If the reporter is way off and there is evidence to disprove the allegations or accusations, he may drop the story
- On using a surrogate spokesperson...seek one who has a unique status and has little connection to your principal or organization, and also someone who will offer a balanced perspective
- "No comment" = admitting guilt
- Anything that conveys activity as opposed to ignoring the problem is better than "no comment"
4.9 Arguing with the Media
- These relationships are rarely equal
- Reporters, editors, news directors, and anchors always get the last word because they are controlling the medium
- Sometimes they'll play devil's advocate just to get an emotional reaction out of you
- Refute all negative points with documentation
- Cannot argue with media after the story is run -- if you plan on writing a letter to the editor, impugn the facts of the story and not the messenger -- Attacking the credibility of a news org usually appears undignified and whiny
- A second-day story is risky because it inevitably will include the negative info from the first day's story and there's no guarantee you'll get a better play on the second day
4.10 Common Reporter Problem
- It's very hard to change a reporter's mind about a story once he has it made up
- Reporters' experiences, values, and opinions are often reflected in a story
- Freedom to speak is also the freedom to not speak -- if the reporter refuses to give you information on what he is writing about or from what angle, he has no right to expect your full cooperation
- The reporter will likely run the story with or without your comment
- Don't be afraid to let some stories slip by -- never let a news org's deadline make a decision for you that you wouldn't otherwise, given the time
Television reporting
1) Television reporters often can't or won't do certain stories -- public policy stories are discouraged in local TV because they are hard to translate into people's day-to-day lives unless they have great visuals
- If there aren't visuals to accompany the story (oftentimes cases deal with numbers and budgets that are hard to put into visuals) it's a weak TV candidate
2) TV has extraordinary time restrictions -- the avg local newscast has 11 - 14 minutes
3) TV's simplicity in writing can overlook important details and context
4) Since it's conveyed in such a short time, it often cannot capture the "big" story around it -- but if it is aired, make sure the info, values, and emotions of the story are conveyed
4.12 "Off the Record"
- It means that the info will be known only to the reporter (maybe her editor) and cannot be used for the story
- This rule is sometimes broken -- using this tactic should be based on how well you know and trust the reporter
- You must negotiate in advance what "off the record" means to this particular reporter
- When talking "on the record" -- a seasoned PS professional engages a part of the brain that censors everything
- When talking "off the record" -- that part of the brain relaxes a little and it becomes more conversational
- When it is used: when giving information that could damage the credibility of an accuser, or to embellish the reputation of the principal or organization
--> An "on the record" quote could make the PR professional look self-serving, but an "off the record" comment will influence the reporter and increase the likelihood of a more favorable story, can be used to enhance credibility by providing background info
- Best way to limit reporter's quotes to today's news is to give all background info "off the record"
- "On Background" = the official will be quoted or paraphrased but his name will not be used -- instead be known as some generic term like the head of something
- This status is used with abandon to hurl insults and accusations against enemies with the comforting knowledge that the media will convey the attack and that it is unlikely harmful
- "Deep background" = the reporter will use the information and could convey that info to another person, including someone else involved in the story
- Must discuss all the details of the above cases with the reporter before any interviewing begins / info is conveyed
4.14 Embargo
- Used by PR professionals to provide information to the media and to restrict its public release until a specified date and time
- often, PR specialists place an embargo on info in order to have it hit the public at a particularly advantageous time -- should be used sparingly
4.15 Dealing with Trade or Specialty Press
- Specialty reporters often have more time and space to delve into a topic, providing PR professionals opportunities to tell more of their stories
- PR specialist must provide specific, detailed information for a highly versed audience
- Less likely to write negative stories --> their interest is to tell a story in detail to a targeted audience, not to criticize or embarrass a public figure
- A media strategy that incorporates the use of smaller, niche publications can lead to broader coverage
Fitch Ch. 5 - Overview of the Media
-Each form of media - print, radio, TV, and the Internet - has unique characteristics and must be dealt with differently- Knowing the differences helps public relations professionals correctly develop strategies, pitch stories, and handle potential negative news
Print Media
- It's a valued media with its history
- recognizing the formative role that newspapers play in setting the agenda is a basic first step in considering PR strategies
- Print is also the target for the stories that are difficult to tell on TV, such as any stories dealing with numbers, policy or "think pieces," studies that don't have logical or easy accompanying visuals, or long-term trends that don't have obvious symbols to convey the agenda facts
- What appears on the front page is sometimes driven by business, not journalistic motives
- Newspaper devote more personnel to the gathering, reporting, and writing of the news than any other media
Key players:
- Publisher: sometimes the owners of the paper
- Editor: top decision-maker who often guides key stories or front page
- City Editor: top decision-maker for local section of paper
- National or "A" section Editor: Top decision-maker for national or "A" section paper
- Section Editor: Top or influential decision-maker for various sections such as sports, lifestyle or style, local/metro, and business
- Assistant Editor/Assignment Editor: Assistants to section editors who make editing, news, and assignment decisions; they are often the only decision-makers at a newspaper after normal business hours
- Reporter: Primary author of the story
- Newspapers allow individual department heads to select the content for their sections
- Important to establish a relationship with the editor of the local section as well as it is to establish one with the reporter who covers you
- Deadlines: daily news have their entire world set up in a 24-hour cycle
- Good idea to reach the reporter earlier, when he is still building the story
- If you wait until the last minute to do an interview, you'll lose the opportunity to shape the story and will merely see the quote plugged into available spaces
- Public figures who talk to reporters early in the day has the potential to influence the framework for the story
- Major Wire Services: AP and Reuters -- seek to file stories in accordance with print and broadcast deadlines
- Employ a follow-up strategy after a story is on the wires, contacting key media outlets that might want to run it
- Wire service stories are easiest to correct
Television
- Discussed in ch 4
- Broadcasters have less time to find, research, and tell the story -- it is your job to provide them with everything they would want
- Visuals dominate the story on TV -- even if the message is negative, if the pictures are positive then the audience will convey the story with positive emotions
Key Players:
- News Director: Leader of the news department -- often this person makes final budgetary and personnel decisions. In larger stations this person usually avoids the day-to-day management of the newsroom.
- Executive Producer: Overseer of news content (could be merged with News Director)
- Assignment Editor: Air traffic controller of TV news. Manages and directs all the assets in the newsroom, assigning reporters, camera crews, and satellite trucks. Primary target audience for pitches.
- Producer: Responsible for overseeing the gathering, writing, and production of an individual newscast. Determines story lengths, sometimes works on heavier pieces about investigation etc and write the stories.
- Assistant producer: ^^
- Reporter: primary author of the story
- Photographer or "photog"/cameraman: self explanatory
- Editor: Edits the story
- It's important that public PR professionals interact directly with assignment editors and producers to ensure that their story idea is brought into the meetings
- "Sweeps Weeks" -- (Feb, May, July, November) tracks ratings of all TV shows in the nation and the advertising rates are largely set based on these ratings, so there's a strong incentive to show good numbers during these times
Distinctive Pitching and Response Techniques
- A PR professional has about 15 seconds to sell a story
- Best pitch usually has a connection to something that already has been covered
- They know that the audience has knowledge of the print story -- find a new angle to capture the viewers' attention
- The key to getting covered is:
1) having a message that fits into their preconceived hole in the story
2) being available to do the interview on the timetable they lay out
3) having or suggesting good pictures to accompany the story
- Deadlines: main news is 6pm and 11pm - get your news in before 3pm
- Location: pick a spot that reflects your story and that is appropriate -- outside interviews in decent light are usually better than inside
Radio
- The most effective time to reach audience -- 7am ~ 9am morning commute and 4pm - 7pm evening commute
- Morning radio audience is 3x larger than any time of the day
- Rarely ever a primary target of media -- but it complements a strategy to extend out print and tv stories
- Radio reporters often make decisions faster than TV reporters because they must produce ten stories with only 25 minutes of each other
- Radio reporters usually aren't doing a ton of original reporting -- they're following the story from the morning paper and trying to add a sound bite to get it on the air asap
- Try to pitch a story before 6am
Internet: Websites, Blogs, and Social Media
- blogs are morphing into regular websites with credible information, or a news platform like other mediums
- bloggers also seek solid content, fast turnaround, and access to individuals who can provide both
- some blogs are social commentaries, taking issues covered in news stories and adding the blogger's personal commentary on them
- Communication professions can't really "pitch" this community, but can feed them leads with a stream of relevant data and commentary
- What differentiates this medium is the frequency and the ability for readers to comment as well
- Understand that they often know their issues very well and maybe even better than you and your principal
- Instead of sending them a press release, send them a government report that your principal requested or give them an advance copy of an amendment your principal is introducing
- Treat them as experts and they will treat your principal as a leader to the issue
Successful bloggers usually operate under the basic rules of debate:
1) the authority of your source
2) the power of your ideas
3) the strength of your argument
Most have two requirements
1) Access to the principal decision makers and operators closest to the action
2) making your information linkable
- Social media is more of a community relations effort
- You have control of your efforts on different platforms but only at the consent of the community
- Social media is NOT a place to pitch a story -- but it's a place to tell them and discuss them
