All Posts Tagged With: "reporters"

Over at theprlawyer.com, author Gina Rubel weighs in on the use of canned quotes by reporters. She references a blog post by Michael Doyle, a reporter for the Washington bureau of McClatchy Newspapers, in which he says reporters welcomes quotes they can cut from a news release and paste into their stories. “It’s E-Harmony,” he says.

Wow! Unless good journalism has changed in the last few years — come to think of it, maybe it has — most respectable reporters would be loathe to use canned quotes in a story of any substance. At the very least, they would want confirmation from that source that the quote was accurate. And using a prepared quote doesn’t allow for any follow up questions that curious reporters might have.

Anyway, if you are preparing a press release and hope that the reporter will use canned quotes, here a few guidelines:

1. Cut the fluff. Self-serving platitudes are the first thing to go. In newsroom, they’re called “throw-away quotes.” If they somehow make it into a story, they are the first to get cut.
2. Make it interesting. Don’t quote your CEO as saying the company has been around for 20 years or that sales are up 20 percent. Have him say something insightful, controversial or memorable.
3. Write the way he speaks. Some quotes from CEOs sound stiff and rehearsed. Try to make it sound like he actually said it.
4. Anticipate follow-ups. Think like a reporter. What else might be asked? Stay on message but provide answers to additional questions.
5. Offer to arrange an interview. Let the media know your source is available for questions. Providing quotes and then denying access to the source throw up a red flag.
6. Prepare your source.. If the media does call, go through a mock interview with your source. Ask the same tough questions the media will ask. Be confrontational, if necessary.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Back in July, I asked the question “Are Newspapers Becoming Irrelevant in Public Relations Campaigns?” My theory was that with newspapers cutting editorial staff and fewer people subscribing, perhaps expending much effort trying to cultivate reporters and editors might be a waste of time.

Well, I’ve changed my mind. It’s not that newspapers have made some remarkable comeback; on the contrary, some of the bigger chains are on the verge of financial meltdown because they have or soon will default on debt payments. More cuts could be forthcoming.

Rather than a challenge, I’ve come to view the slow demise of newspapers as an opportunity. With editorial staffs cut to the bone, editors and reporters are more desperate than ever for good story ideas. I’ve always felt that one of the most important roles a PR person can fill is to make life easier for journalists. The more you can do to provide background and access to sources, the better chance you will have of seeing your story in print.

A well-written press release that follows AP style and isn’t too company oriented is still a powerful tool. The major dailies will continue to develop their own stories, and the small community weeklies will print every word, assuming you follow basic guidelines. But I’ve noticed that some regional dailies — with declining but still significant readership — have become much more receptive to running press releases with minor adjustments. Photos, too, are more acceptable than they once were.

Of course, this is not to say newspapers still carry the influence they did, say, 15 or 20 years ago. You still need to include the Internet, with its myriad of social media outlets, in your PR mix.

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My clients would rather pay me to get a story placed in the local media than to pay for an advertisement.

Why is that when they are in complete control of the timing, the placement and the message in an advertisement? Pay your money and see your ad. Pretty simple stuff.

That kind of control is not possible when you’re dealing with a reporter, who may or may not relay the message you want. You could end up at the bottom of page B-6 or on the 5 a.m. newscast. You may want the story to hit on a Wednesday, but for reasons unknown, it doesn’t reach the media until Friday.

The difference is credibility. Readers tend to believe what they read about you in the paper or see on TV. It’s kind of like a third-party endorsement. Plus, its good for the ego. Did you ever see a CEO proudly show off his company’s quarter-page ad in the business section?

Ads can seem self-serving and not necessarily believable. It’s easy for them to get lost in the shuffle.

Working with the media can be a challenge. They have different priorities than we do, and in these days of newspaper cutbacks, reporters are more overworked than ever before. They need to feed the beast and our job as PR professionals is to make that as easy as possible by wrapping up stories in neat little packages for them.

Here are a couple of things you can do today to enhance your working relationship with the media:

Understand what the reporter/editor wants. Don’t pitch a lifestyle story to the business editor or an education story to the City Hall reporter. Sounds simple, huh? You’d be surprised how many times PR people pitch stories to the wrong desk.

Don’t waste anyone’s time. Although most newsrooms operate 24 hours, there is always a deadline looming. Find out the best time to call and stick to it. Never ask a reporter to return your call.

Skip the small talk. Get right to the point. Make your pitch and get out of there. There will be other opportunities for socializing.

Offer to follow up in writing with additional background information. Tell the reporter or editor you will call back in a couple of days to answer any questions.

No need to say thanks. If a reporter does a good job on your story, refrain from getting too excited. Never send a gift or other token of appreciation. The best way to say thanks is to pitch another good story.

Popularity: 60% [?]

As he prepares to testitfy before Congress, it seems the public has already convicted pitcher Roger Clemens of using performance enhancing drugs to prolong his Hall of Fame career. Although there has been no concrete evidence to prove he used steroids of human growth hormone, most people believe that he must have been doing something illegal to perform at such at high level at such an advanced age.

Clemens and his handlers have done a lousy job at waging the PR war for public opinion. Although I guess it says something about our society that we are quick to to believe an accuser, not the accused, when it fits our preconceived notions (see the Duke lacrosse scandal), they have done nothing to turn the tide. Their lame attempt at a statistical analysis of Clemens’ career backfired when it was refuted by professors at the University of Pennsylania’s Wharton School. And Rusty Hardin’s ill-chosen words about Clemens eating the lunch of a federal prosecutor smacked of bullying. So did his combative press conferences when the news first broke.

Admittedly, they have a tough fight. People seem eager to tear down icons these days. For one thing, Clemens’ image-makers could have done a better job preparing him for facing the media spotlight, perhaps having him project a hurt, humbled persona rather than an aggrieved one. That would have helped shape the public’s perception very early on. He should have cried when he talked about how the accusations might keep him out of the Hall of Fame, rather than abruptly walking out on reporters. Of course, that would have been out of character for the bull-headed, hard-nosed former Texas Longhorn. But that’s exactly the kind of reaction that might have created some sympathy and encouraged people to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Popularity: 44% [?]