Sharing media savvy secrets of the inner lives of the media to give you a leg
up for Successful PR campaigns.
The quote sums up for me this matter of understanding the media. (Not including
the tabloids and shock broadcasting in this picture.)
“I am not in the business of providing a free ad or promotional service for anyone whether I know them or not. My job is to write a balanced, compelling story with news value for my readers. I am more interested in issues of impact than image, and if you give me that, then and only then can we strike a deal."
Question: Do the media like to form relationships with people who are pitching them?
Answer: What I have learned from my 28 years of successful PR, branding, marketing and public relations is that the media’s definition of a relationship is, that they are interested in you playing your part. This “part” is about understanding the media and pleasing the media. Doing it professionally, with dignity, and with competency. In short, media people are not interested in being your friend.
Question: What’s the rule of thumb for inviting the media out to a meal or a drink?
Answer: This policy rests solely on the personal preference of the individual media person.
The sign above the desk of a media person I interviewed says: “Lunch Yes. Lunch with the media, NO.”
And on the other side of this is the very widely known fact of how you get the some media to an interview, a performance, a media junket or a media conference, is to paraphrase a famous movie, “If you feed them they will come.”
I have known media who prefer to do the interview over a meal because it takes them away from office and its interruptions. Conversely I have known media who shudder at any thought that involves having a face to face…with anyone.
And there are those that will always refuse your request to share the dining experience when you have an intent of getting an article or a decision in your favor on a controversial matter, or to attempt to change their already stated position. Doing this can severely inhibit the formation of an otherwise fruitful relationship.
So what’s the bottom line to understanding the media?
What you need to know is that the media are there to please their audience and their editorial bosses, not you. The ultimate concern of any media outlet is advertising dollars. Advertisers want to be where there are numbers / dollars – which translates to readership. Readership comes from great editorial.
Understanding the media, pleasing the media is giving them what their audience, editor, and advertisers want. If you do this you are the ultimate in being media savvy, and the decision makers will embrace you with open arms. Open arms means successful PR. Successful PR contributes to branding success, lots of publicity and marketing and ultimately makes you a star at relating to the public, or as we say, doing public relations.
My message to you as you try understanding the media, pleasing the media and appearing media savvy is, “You don’t know until you ask. And when you do ask…, Caveat Emptor… Buyer Beware.
…..Here’s to your many PR, Branding, Publicity, Public Relations, and Marketing successes. Sign up for my Branding Possibilities Newsletter, at http://www.promoteyourself.com filled with events, news and views to help show you the way.
My next thread, #3 in this series of Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media will answer the question, “What PR, marketing, and branding media savvy topics will make the media open their arms and say yes to giving you publicity coverage?”
Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:
“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®
Raleigh Pinskey
