How to Manage Media Relations: An Analysis (part 4)

Reporters (part C)

by

Charles Lamson

Test Your Knowledge, Involvement

There is no sin in admitting you do not know an answer; simply say you will check it out and get back to the reporter. But if that happens very often, you should ask yourself some soul-searching questions:

• Am I doing everything I can to keep current on company activities and industry trends? Should I expand my regular reading or use of the Internet or blogs? Make a point of keeping in touch with people in other departments? Be more active in trade associations or professional societies?
• Am I anticipating news and activities in this organization that would cause media interest and preparing to handle news queries in advance? 
• Am I---or is my boss---included in planning meetings and in the decision-making process? Do I have the confidence of top management so that I am among the first to know what is happening within the organization? (If not, you cannot be considered a spokesperson; at best you may be a well-qualified reference point.)

Recently, a fellow media relations practitioner complained that he was left out of the planning and media announcement activities when his company was awarded a major government contract in a bid against a Japanese company. But even superficial questioning made it clear he had not kept up with the current highly sensitive government negotiations on lowering foreign import barriers. Nor was he aware of the various congressional committees conducting hearings on international trade at the time. And he was not a regular reader of the trade press or visitor to Web sites covering his industry. So he was never up to date on what his company's competitors were doing or how the industry viewed his company. Little wonder his boss---and perhaps his CEO---felt that he was not qualified to be the company's spokesperson on this critical subject.

George V. Grune, retired chairman and CEO of The Reader's Digest Association told the public relations directors of its worldwide operations that one of management's key expectations of them was that they have a thorough knowledge of the business. "That means you need to understand our corporate strategy, our marketing plans, our products, our competition, our internal challenges and our future opportunities. Go out of your way to build working relationships with your operations colleagues," he advised. "They are your clients and excellent sources of information. Attend marketing meetings and ask the project managers to brief you on their plans. Participate in brainstorming sessions, join task forces and become more proactive in the way you act on key business issues."


Master the Fundamentals

Equally important is that you master the basics of your craft. that means you have to be an outstanding writer and editor in all media---especially news releases and other media relations materials such as photographs and videos.

Watch to see what happens to your news releases. You will soon come to accept the fact that reporters will rewrite your carefully crafted sentences. If they do it too often, however, you might ask yourself why. Are you following the accepted rules of press style? (The New York Times, Associated Press or another widely accepted stylebook is a must to be kept handy as a constant reference source.) Or maybe the reporter's sentences are shorter and easier to understand than yours.

Another excellent feedback vehicle is a media audit---hiring an outside research firm to ask reporters covering your organization (and those who do not whom you would like to attract) how you are meeting their needs. If your question list is short and to the point, most journalists are willing to answer because upgrading your skills and services helps them as well as you. This also is a good opportunity to get their views on the usefulness of your Web site.

A reporter is a lot more likely to get your position right---or indeed, use your statement at all---if it is a "quotable quote." Similarly, the public is a lot more likely to agree with you if you speak in terms they can understand. It is critical that news releases and statements be written in plain English---not in "legalize," and not in corporate gobbledygook, defined as incomprehensible or pompous jargon of specialists. To communicate is the beginning of understanding, surely it must also be true that we must all comprehend the terminology.

Organizations bring much  of the public's misunderstanding and mistrust upon themselves when they issue news releases and statements full of highly technical jargon and industry lingo. You can get so lost as you read or listen to so-called information sources. "You're not more informed," says Tom Rosenstiel, a former Los Angeles Times media critic, "you're just numbed."

*SOURCE: ON DEADLINE: MANAGING MEDIA RELATIONS 4TH ED., 2006, CAROLE M. HOWARD AND WILMA K. MATHEWS, PGS. 79-81*

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