Meeting journalists
With all the buzz around social media and digital channels, some of the PR tactics that have been around for a while might seem a bit old-fashioned. But they’re still relevant. Let’s look at meeting journalists for a coffee or a lunch.
Why should you meet journalists?
1. to build relationships
2. to find out what they cover, and how they work
3. to get quoted in their articles
4. to see if you can contribute to their publication
What are the rules for success?
1. Know who you’re meeting & why
2. Read up on them - find out what they cover and try to understand their style
3. Have something interesting to say - about big picture issues as well as just what’s happening at your organisation
4. Be nice to them - but remember they are a journalist and you should assume you’re ‘on the record’. A simple rule is - if you don’t want to see it appear in print/online tomorrow morning - don’t say it!
5. follow-up. If they ask you to send a photo - send it! Availability and reliability are key to good relations with the media…
Next time we’ll cover writing contributed articles for trade magazines.
- Mark