Managing PR: How to handle media-related PR gripes published April - May 2006 Because of the intangible nature of PR, agencies and in-house PR employees face a range of gripes when media-related activities don’t go according to the expectations of management, many of whom have little understanding of PR.  Five of the more common gripes:  1.      Why did some media use our media release and not others? Media make their own judgements as to what interests their readers, and what will be seen by one editor as of interest might not be seen by another the same way. Media are also competitive and some media will choose not to use the story if their competitors have already run it - judging it ‘old news’.  2.      Why did media choose to take our release but then include our competitors in the story they published? It’s called media balance. If Company A makes a statement good journalistic practice is to cross check the validity of the claims and/or get reactions or contrary viewpoints. Therefore it’s not uncommon for a story generated by Company A to feature quotes and opinions from competitors, suppliers, retailers or commentators. Normally if the story is solid these quotes and comments won’t detract from the main story - in fact they can give it more substance. 3.      Why does Competitor A and B always get coverage in our sector no matter what the story is about and how relevant their products are? Clearly the media regard them as either the major players in your sector - or their spokespeople are more accessible, seen as more newsworthy or they give better quotes. In any sector media will often have three or four companies or people it regards as the benchmarks for any story they write. If you want to be one of the favourites of the media in your sector you need a good media/PR strategy to get yourself into that position. 4.      Why do media accept an invitation to an event or media conference and then not turn up - and not even bother to advise in advance or apologise? Unfortunately this happens more often than is desirable. Sometimes it’s just a different mindset. In business appointments are kept; the media often regard an event as something they would like to do - if time permits. On other occasions there are genuine reasons why, despite the best of intentions, a bigger news story develops and the priorities change. At the end of the day management has to understand that many media regard their attendance at a media event as doing the company a favour.  5.      Why do we not get more coverage for our press releases? The prime reason is probably because what you are sending out is a) not newsworthy b) not written in style that meets the media needs. Also without some degree of personal relationship with the media your chances of breaking through the media barrier are not high unless you are well known company in your sector. The fact is that organisations send out a huge amount of rubbish to media that promptly goes in the rubbish.  Five things your management need to understand about the media:      The media exists to publish news. One definition of news is: ‘something that is new or previously unknown’. Editors and journalists are the sole arbiters of what fits this definition.   Companies and products need to compete for news coverage - there’s no automatic right to receive coverage because of your size or history. You can no more expect media coverage as a right than you can expect people to automatically buy your product or service. You have to earn it.   The best media coverage results from having a planned media engagement policy. That means working with the media that are most relevant to your organisation in a constructive manner over a period of time - not just emailing media releases. To do this you need - among other things - knowledge about how the media works and good writing skills.   While good media relations can be built at a functional level within an organisation at the end of the day media want access to the most senior people. Therefore senior management can’t say ‘go get us media coverage’, they have to participate in the program and they need to understand that the media work to tight deadlines and will need comments sooner rather than later. If they don’t get a quote from the senior management in time then they may go to a competitor for a comment.   Individuals that get the most media coverage are those that make themselves the most accessible to the media - when it suits the media, not when it necessarily best suits the executive. Richard Branson of Virgin is an extreme example - but he will seemingly do anything to ensure that he gets his brand in front of the media. Your management doesn’t need to go this far - but if media is a priority for your management they need to invest some time in it.   For additional reading on this topic go to:   25 commandments of media relations to memorise and live by   Media - how equipped are you to handle this important area?   10 ways NOT to handle your media relations   There are more than 30 articles on various aspects of media in our Media Section Network PR, publishers of PR Influences, provide media relations services for a range of organisations spanning the corporate, IT/B2B and consumer and lifestyle sectors. If you would like to have a no-obligation discussion about how a media relations program might benefit your organisation, click here

PR Influences Australian Newsletter. Article:10 common gripes that PR people face. Information Content:Media,Professional PR, Tips, Corporate