Vicky Agnew

5 Reasons Journalists Should Consider PR Work

Okay, so you swore you'd never do it -- cross over to the dark side and all that. I said that too-- all the way up to 2004 when I began to suspect the newspaper industry was headed for the rocks. And when I also suspected I could make more money outside the newsroom. For worse and for better, I was right about both.

If you were a journalist, looking for a job in p.r. may not yet be a happy event. You probably thought you'd die at your desk waiting for the afternoon budget meeting to let out so you'd know if you'd be on 1A. Instead, you may have taken a buy-out or been laid off without any severance. What's happening to newspapers is a shame on so many levles, and my heart goes out to you. 

So, now you need work, probably a whole new career path, and you recall hearing that p.r. can be great place ex-journalists. That's mostly true, but there's more to it. You may be coming to this process kicking and screaming, but I'd like you to keep an open mind. Here's why:

1. You Can Finally Advocate for Something on the Job. The many years of standing by with your notebook pretending you don't have feelings about the issue in front of you are over. As you think about your new career path, pick a field or industry that's meaningful to you. Organizations need thoughtful, articulate advocates. This could be you.

2. You Can Change What You Don't Like about P.R. Just because I'm in p.r. doesn't mean I don't know that some people suck at it. They send crappy releases to the wrong reporters and editors; they call and pitch stupid stuff that benefits only their client; they write badly and speak ever worse. I seem to recall some dead weight around the newsrooms I worked in too.

So, do it the right way. There are plenty of earnest, talented, effective people in p.r., and more are needed. You decide how it gets done.

3. Your Skills Transfer Really Well. At the end of the day, the skills employed by good p.r. people and good journalists aren't all that different. Good writers, good talkers, good researchers, an aversion to b.s., and the ability to deliver on multiple fronts. If you think all p.r. people are slick and salesy, it's time to ditch the snark. Get to know some others. Again, do it your way.

4. It's Fun. Depending on which industry you choose, p.r. work is fun! You sniff out cool new things your organization is doing, you find the interesting angles, and you get to talk and write about it. You're always learning something -- and teaching others about it through your work. You're still telling stories.

5. You Can Make Bank. Okay, here's the down low on what you really want to know. I go home (or wherever I want) almost every day by 5:30 pm, I have 13 paid holidays, and in four years I doubled my income. Still sound dark to you?

Advice for PR Pros Still In Love with the Media

Stay in the Relationship but Consider Taking a New Media Lover

As a former print journalist, I’m keeping a very close eye on what’s happening to the world of print journalism. It's bleak.The medium is collapsing in on itself, and no one seems to know what to do. Until recently, when something went awry with circulation, the brain trust in the newsroom would call for a redesign and spend big bucks on a consultant instead of actually improving the news product. Guess what, it’s too late for a redesign. But I haven’t given up hope.

I believe that the world needs good, experienced reporters who adhere to the fundamental principles of journalism. There are lots of people who wonder if the blogger-as-voyeur and the greedy stockholder will win the day - and stand by as print journalism sinks into the tar pit like an old mammoth. I worry but am keeping the faith. So, I’ll finally get to my point.

What does this mean for p.r. pros who have built good relationships with overworked journalists (the ones left after buyouts and layoffs) those who rely on the press release as the sole form of communication? It means that you nurture those important relationships with reporters – they’re hard won and valuable – but it’s time to consider adding the newest tools to your bag of tricks. It’s long past time to find out more about blogs, podcasts and optimizing your press materials. We p.r. folks are living in exciting times, indeed.

It’s Not What Reporters Can Do For You – But the Other Way Around….

If you stick with the blog long enough, you'll find that I never will grow weary of the following topic -- managing the expectations of your clients or boss when it comes to media hits. You will always have to deal with this.

One of the most frustrating parts of being in public/media relations is managing the expectations of clients and/or an organization’s leadership when it comes to getting hits in the media. If I had to cite the most fundamental misunderstanding business owners or executives have is that media exposure is there for the asking. So here we go with the cold, hard truth – garnering media hits is not like ordering a pizza. You can’t call up a reporter or editor and order something written just the way you want it – on the front page, no less – just because you think your company has news.

Sure, you can ask, but it’s important to remember: you don’t get to decide what’s newsworthy. That’s the reporter’s job. I think the misunderstanding comes about because most people are more familiar with marketing than with media relations. Simply put, with marketing, you pay for what you want, and you get what you pay for.

With mainstream media (MSM), things couldn’t be more different. The sooner business folks grasp that, the sooner they’ll be able to score that third-party, independent endorsement that comes with a newspaper article or tv news story. So, what’s a business person to do when he/she has a truly newsworthy story that warrants coverage in the MSM?

The answer: think like a reporter. It might not always seem like it, but reporters work for readers and viewers. They are not in business to give you free exposure. They’re in business to serve their audiences. So, you’ll be way ahead of the game if you if keep a reporter’s needs in mind before pitching your story. If you can help a reporter see how what you’re pitching will serve his/her audience, you’re chances of scoring publicity are much better. Go for it!

Taking the Media's Interest to the Next Level

I blogged recently about one of the most important principles of public/media relations – which is helping a reporter serve his/her audiences with a relevant story and NOT treating the media as if they’re in business to give you free exposure. So, let’s say you’ve managed to catch a reporter’s attention with a timely, well-thought-out pitch. You’re half-way there, but there’s still time to botch this, so listen up. Most important to remember - reporters,editors, and news producers are overworked and have tons of story ideas competing for their attention. If you’re not ready to deliver on your promise of a great story, they’ll drop you fast.

So, here’s your strategy: make it easy for the reporter to do your story. Here are a few hard and fast tips:

• Be available – accommodate the reporter’s timeframe for interviews/visits to your business. Be as flexible about this as you can.
• Offer photos/video/sound – make sure to mention you have “art” available to augment the story. Publications and news stations may want to know what’s available. Your chances of being covered increase if you can offer the public more than one way to access the story - and that happens through visuals and sound.
• Offer customers or clients for interviews – reporters like to put a “face” on a story, so be sure to mention that you have some customers/clients available for interview if the reporter would like. Don’t forget to clear this with the clients first.
• Work with the reporter’s angle – while you should definitely prepare for an interview with your most important messages, bear in mind that the reporter is not intentionally producing a marketing piece about you. The resulting story – since you pitched it – will most likely be positive for you, so don’t try to compel a reporter gush about you. Remember: the reporter doesn’t work for you.
• Keep it real - never speculate, fudge facts or otherwise misrepresent yourself or your business. Don’t break into jail by lying to a reporter. If the interview strays into an area you don’t want go, there are ways to deal with that. I’ll address that in future blog entries.
• Be a resource (not a nuisance) for reporters – a single interview can be the beginning of a great relationship with an MSM contact--that's mainstream media. For example, if you’re an expert in interior design, chances are you’re an expert in running a business or client satisfaction. You also then can be source in business-,lifestyle-, and DIY stories, to name a few. So, make sure to familiarize with all the subjects a reporter covers and figure out how to stay useful. If you’re accessible and credible, you may get more coverage than you bargained for!

Think You Can’t Have a Crisis…Think Again

I’ve long been a fan of Jonathan Bernstein. You can subscribe to his email newsletter on his website’s home page http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com. Jonathan, whom I’ve never met, often writes about big businesses that make gigantic blunders because they’re either not prepared or too arrogant to handle a crisis properly. Even if you aren't a corporate titan, there are lessons to be learned. There’s an old cliché that we’ve all heard celebrities tout – that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.” As a business person, you’re courting disaster if you believe that. You’ve been warned.

Who’s Afraid of New Media?

I don’t know about anyone else, but new media, social media, Web 2.0 – whatever you want to call it – comes as a big fat relief to me. Since moving into p.r., after many years as a print reporter, I can’t tell you how happy I am to have new, valid and exciting ways to talk to the public.

Currently,I am the director of strategic communications for the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. Prior to this, I worked in public relations for Cleveland Clinic, one of best hospitals in the world, and for a boutique p.r. firm in South Florida. For a while after transitioning from journalism to public relations, I worried that I was in the wrong career because I couldn’t get comfortable with the hyper-reliance on mainstream media (msm) for exposure about truly noteworthy things my employer or clients were doing. It seemed to me - that with the truly legit things organizations and clients have to say -that running everything through msm is like trying to force a basketball through a garden hose. Or since I work in a hospital, shall I say it’s like a colonoscopy without some type of anesthesia. Either way, it’s painful.

So, as I immerse myself in new- and social-media strategies--like blogging, podcasting,SEO,and Twitter--I find that while I’m no early adopter, I am still ahead of a lot of smart p.r. people I know. What gives with that? Let’s agree that just like any other p.r. strategy., new media tactics have to make sense for the situation or the client. We shouldn’t dive in without checking that there’s water in the pool. So, that begs the question: what’s everyone waiting for? New media, done thoughtfully, makes a heck of a lot of sense. Plus, it’s fun and inexpensive.

Well, one of the places I’ve been going for answers is Eric Schwartzman, of Schwartzman PR and iPressroom, and his podcasts called On the Record…Online. I have a dozen downloaded onto my iPod and find them so engaging that walks with my black lab, Jack, are getting longer and longer as I listen – regardless of the weather. Eric’s podcasts are dedicated to exploring how new media is affecting mainstream media and public relations. Great stuff! I’m hoping my blog will grow and ultimately catch the attention of thoughtful folks. I’d like to hear who is -and who isn’t – using new media, how and why.