Thursday, July 25, 2013

Working with the Media


MSAE's Communications Networking Group had a lively discussion on Working with the Media.  Participants discussed how to tell your story to the news media, leveraging media resources to "get the word out" about all the great work your organization is doing and the importance of PR in your organization.

When working with the media, here are the top 10 things you need to know, a list created by Weber Schandwick
  1. What is newsworthy changes.
  2. Follow the news and reporters closely.
  3. Reporters are in control.
  4. Reporters don't care about your story.
  5. Newsrooms are hectic and constantly under pressure.
  6. Get to the point.
  7. Be quotable.
  8. Provide visuals.
  9. It's not only about the relationship, its always about the story.
  10. Make it easy to tell your story.
Takeaways from the meeting:
  • Ask yourself what is newsworthy.  Talk with other colleagues and find out what is important, newsworthy and of interest to others.
  • Create a media list. What does your audience read? Look for journalists in your industry and follow them. 
  • Press releases can improve the visibility of your organization and recognize key people and events. Include live links in your press releases.  Include the press release in the body of an email as well as attach the document. A killer title is key. Get to the point. Use quotes. Include background information. Have contact information and visuals always help.
  • Including a press room on your website is a great way to continue to keep stories alive. Key words in your press releases can always improve your SEO. Use images, links, video or anything to help tell your story.
  • Tweet, re-Tweet and favorite reporters in your industry or ones you follow.
Discussion was led by Tara Loftus, Adapta Interactive.

Download meeting presentation here.

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