Dealing with Journalists

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by Peter Cooper

One of your key roles in developing your business enterprise should be encouraging the media to give you free publicity, in the form of coverage. Journalists are often crying out for leads and stories, perhaps your product or service would be of interest to them.

If you read our recent Writing a Press Release article, perhaps you're already preparing to promote your business to journalists. Alternatively, you may be already dealing with the media but are unsure of how to deal with the journalists who call you.

I've only been working full-time as a professional journalist (as well as an editor) for two years, but in that time I've worked full-time for 2 large blue-chip .coms, as well as for eBoz! now. Having previously worked as a PR Assistant myself, I do have a good grasp on the concept from both sides of the fence, and not just in Internet journalism, in print journalism too.

Before we cover some key points in dealing with journalists, perhaps we should try to understand what a journalist is and what they do.

So, what is a journalist?

The word 'journalist' could bring to mind a number of images from a Lois Lane style investigative reporter to a large bearded chap writing a weekly column about upgrading your PC. The truth is, you can't really stereotype a journalist, either in appearance or in the way they work. Some journalists may not even be open-minded, even though they're supposed to be. It's a mixed bag and the sooner you appreciate that a journalist might never become your best friend, the better.

Journalists observe and report on current affairs, matters of interest to the general public and, to be blunt, any topic which they will be able to sell or get paid for. Journalists are immensely free thinking, and so probably won't be swayed by your demands to know 'when will the article about my company be published?' or exaggerated press releases. You need to treat journalists with respect, since the basic rule of journalism is for the journalist to report on a topic which they believe their potential readers will be interested in and which, possibly, is their interpretation of a story. This could mean that, after all your efforts, your company might get a bad write-up. If this happens, there's probably something going wrong, and you'll want to solve it before continuing with your press campaign.

On the positive side, many journalists are friendly and professional who are usually willing to talk to people who may have new leads for them. If they're freelance journalists then this will definitely be the case, as they have to pitch many stories and news items per month to keep themselves in business. To get details of freelance journalists you might try finding their personal Web sites, or investigate into the writers of specific articles on Web sites and in the media as a whole. Most publications will not be wary in giving out details of their freelance writers, but don't expect miracles either.

Things to Avoid

Like most of us, journalists don't want to deal with unpleasant people. If you start to get heavy handed with a journalist, they will simply pull the plug on you. On the other extreme, they don't want to be treated like royalty either, this will make you seem like a 'suck' and they could get the impression that you're trying to over impress them.

The best manner to retain during all contact with a journalist is one of professionalism. If you meet a journalist, look professional. If you're talking on the phone to a journalist, be professional. Light heartedness is not taboo but, at the end of the day, you don't want a journalist to leave thinking that you're a wierdo.

Journalists also try to avoid or ignore any marketing speak, sales waffle, irrelevant news or pure hype that they are presented with. If you continue to promote your company to them as if they're a potential sales lead then any mention of your company will probably not be favorable, and you'll be described as pushy, at best. The other thing to avoid with a journalist? Do not waste their time or they will be unlikely to ever be happy to hear from you again.

What you need to be able to give a Journalist

Inherently, journalists do not want to know about your product. All that they are interested in is what angles or stories you may be able to contribute to them. Remember this when first contacting a journalist. You will want to have an interesting angle for them to use, rather than just sending them a dry press release.

You will need to develop a story surrounding your company, and also present yourself as an approachable figure who has views on a plethora of topics. Even if a journalist doesn't run a story about your company/product/service, they may wish to use you as an 'expert' in another story. For example, if you develop computer security packages, they may wish to quote you within a story about hacking. Anywhere where you can get yourself into the press is an opportunity for you to get your product into the press. Don't be too pushy, but remain helpful yet firm.

Media Training

If you're the CEO of a start-up, and it appears that you're going to be required to appear on countless TV interviews, and will need to deal with the press on a near daily basis, then media training will probably be a requirement. Media training is a useful tool for anyone to learn how to act under interview situations, and how to deal with the press in general, to a depth far deeper than this article could cover.

However, media training is generally expensive, although you will discover that many journalists offer the service at varying rates. You will need to choose a journalist with a lengthy experience in journalism, ideally in TV and Radio as well as in print. You could still, however, pay anywhere up to $2000 per day, although there are far cheaper deals around. Just remember, buyer beware! Get their testimonials and check out their references.