Having started out in the PR industry more than 20 years ago I’ve seen the relationship between PR and journalist evolve, changing the way we interact with one another.
The media landscape has altered considerably as we all embrace different platforms and news outlets, seeking out and consuming content in different ways.
As well as opportunities to embrace there have been challenges to overcome as we adjust to the shifting dynamics of how we work together and the role that PR plays.
When it began with a phone call
There was a time when a pitch to a journalist started with a phone call. In my early days as an account executive, working my way through a list of media calls often saw me taking a few deep breaths and standing at my desk rather than sitting down as it made me feel more confident in my delivery!
We also didn’t think twice about meeting a journalist for breakfast or lunch to pitch an idea, discuss a product or potential interview. Press visits also featured heavily with a day of appointments with key national press and consumer magazine contacts a great way to connect face-to-face and build interactive relationships.
Creating connections
Now with editorial teams shrinking, journalists often working remotely and email generally the preferred way to get in touch, it can be harder to make meaningful connections. Yet building these relationships remains key, and once made, nurturing and maintaining them is more important than ever in helping to cultivate communities and interactive relationships with the media.
Equally, we support our clients by building communities and encouraging customers to become active, engaged brand advocates. Working with national brands like Specsavers, we leverage the power of communities locally and regionally to help form meaningful connections and foster engagement. We tailor national stories for local audiences and support individual stores across the country to connect with their communities through local media, Facebook Community Groups. This also includes leveraging event and sponsorship opportunities and working with local influencers.
The importance of media relations
Media relations is still at the heart of what we do and relationships with key media and journalists remain essential. Column inches continue to be a crucial measurement for success both from a client’s point of view and when demonstrating our expertise to prospective clients.
However, it’s clear that forging and developing mutually beneficial relationships with the media has now broadened far beyond print and broadcast. The pace of content required has changed as the digital landscape has expanded and print media has declined.
The digital landscape also continues to shape the way we connect and what resonates. As a result, we work with influencers with a focus on user generated content (UGS), bloggers and podcasts too, further broadening both outreach and our community from an online perspective.
While digital tools have transformed media relations, with social media and digital platforms offering further channels for relationship building the importance of person-to-person contact remains unchanged.
Stories and angles drive relationships
It can be challenging for an email from a PR to stand out when journalists are receiving hundreds of emails a day, but it is still a vital channel for accessing timely information, key sources and newsworthy stories.
Tailoring an email to a journalist and with a specific publication or media outlet in mind was an important part of our work with Archery GB, providing press office support in the run up to, during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris last year. Whether it was a precursor to a call or to follow up a conversation we needed to be able to cut through the news noise with compelling content and accurate information. This enabled us to not only to shine a light on the specific athletes competing for Team GB and Paralympics GB, but to showcase the sport of archery too.
By cultivating connections and a community with key broadcast, national press, online and regional journalists and sports correspondents in the run up to the Games we were able to collaborate with them to offer interview opportunities, comment for news pieces as well as insight, stats and background detail for more in-depth stories.
The power of community
The way PR and the media interact and keep in touch may be different now to when I first started out in the industry, but the overarching objectives are still the same. Building relationships with journalists is at the heart of what we do.
In an era of information overload the role of community is powerful. From driving participation, encouraging support, enhancing reputation and raising brand awareness we use our PR and communications expertise to build engaged communities for our clients and maintain meaningful connections with the media to drive engagement and showcase the work that they do and the important stories they want to share.