Want Better Media Coverage? Know the Media!

One of the keys to generating better media coverage is getting to know the media better. There are several aspects to this quest.

The right story for the right media outlet.

One of the biggest challenges that junior PR pros face is a lack of perspective — they often feel that the news release they’re writing at that very second is a “stop the presses” type of story, an idea destined to lead the network newscast that evening. More seasoned public relations professionals recognize that there are levels of newsworthiness and that often what may be perfect for one media outlet may fail miserably with another.

For example, television stations/networks are ALWAYS looking for the visible aspects of a story. Limited visible aspects to a story idea translate into limited chances that story will make the air.

Similarly, trade media outlets (think Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, CRN, Dentistry Today, etc.) are ALWAYS looking for news tied to the specific industry they cover.

Hence, a story idea about an upcoming bicycle race has no chance of getting covered in Dentistry Today — UNLESS the race was founded by a dentist! 

Deadlines now occur 24/7.

Back in the day (pre-Internet), it was safe to say that every reporter was working on some type of a deadline — stories had to be filed (submitted) by a specific time.

Although most media outlets still work off of deadlines (particularly because they need to go to press or start a newscast), more and more media outlets are now publishing around-the-clock. This is a huge change in the editorial world and has similarly huge implications for anyone working in media relations.

If the story is big enough, juicy enough and/or controversial enough, editors (and producers) can jump the gun on normal publishing timeframes to get the story out on the ‘Net NOW! This is probably the biggest change in the publishing world in the last 10 years.

Know your reporter — or producer or editor or reviewer (etc.)

Here are a couple of examples. 

Steve Oberbeck, a business reporter with the Salt Lake Tribune, is typically the first business reporter in the office. After working with Steve on and off for more than a decade, I know that he gets numbers and digging into financial stories. And he loves finding “dirt” on companies.

Turns out that there is no technology beat, per se, at KSL-TV (the Salt Lake City-based NBC affiliate). However, if you’ve got a visual tech story, Keith McCord digs technology and is therefore a great contact. (That’s Keith on the right; the original photo is at http://www.ksl.com/?sid=21817&nid=166.)

And at Into Tomorrow (a nationally syndicated technology radio program that runs on more than 100 stations in the U.S., as well as on the Armed Forces Network), host Dave Graveline and colleagues are always looking for quirky factoids, data and tidbits relating to technology. Such items are a key component of the news product Into Tomorrow delivers to its audience.

The point is that regardless of beat assignment, EVERY journalist is a person with his/her own idiosyncrasies, likes and dislikes. And the sooner communications professionals understand this, the better off they will be.

It’s all about the beat.

Just as every song has its beat — 2/2, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8, among others — the same is also true for every reporter.

Matching the right story idea to the right journalist (at the right media outlet) is critical to increasing your media coverage success.

And be aware. Some journalists are more than happy to help you re-direct an incorrectly targeted story idea. Others, however, can be downright hostile should you contact them with an idea outside of their area of responsibility.

Identifying the right journalist.

If you’re not sure of the right journalist to contact with a story angle, here are three tips for you.

1. Go online. Any media outlet worth its salt has a presence on the Web today. Go to the outlets Website and dig around for its listing of editorial staff members. For example, here is the Salt Lake Tribune editorial listings page, as well as the Deseret Morning News listing of staff members (all of ‘em).
2. Sign-up for a subscription with an editorial contacts database company.There are lots of companies that research and compile/aggregate journalist contact information for public relations practitioners. Many of these subscriptions are now available through an online, Web-based service, such as Bacon’s MediaSource from Cision (the service we subscribe to). These are great resources.
3. When in doubt, contact the media outlet directly. In the print world, the Editorial Assistant is a great place to start. A Managing Editor or Producer is another great person to contact with such questions.

AND REMEMBER: Be sensitive to the deadline-focused nature of the news business.

If you call, ask up front if she or he has time for a quick question about identifying the right person on their staff for a story idea. If yes, proceed forward. If not, ask who else you might contact instead or when you might call back.

Better yet, if your query is not time-sensitive, send an email instead.

Conclusion.

At the end of the day, understanding the news media — both the nuances and focus of the outlet and the journalists in question — will help you generate greater media coverage. 

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