How to pitch to media

There's been some discussion on Mumbrella about emailing media releases to journalists. It was prompted by the suggestion of what type and size of files to attach.

Well, here's a tip. Don't email. Just call the journalist. Of course, that depends on whether or not you have a working relationship with them. But, hey, that's what you're supposed to do if your a PR person.

Simply calling a journalist makes it more personal (something we seem to be losing in PR). You can have a chat about the weather, sport, film, and then run the storyline past your contact. You'll at least save yourself the time of having to write the release.

As for attaching files, I wouldn't recommend it. But check with the outlet you're sending to. If in doubt, don't send anything but your words (six paragraphs maximum).

I would think most country publications and radio stations would not enjoy receiving large attachments (the paper at Denmark, WA, sure doesn't). Better to send a simple link to a multi-media rich web site and let the receiver decide what to use.

As an aside, when I was working on the Gold Coast three years ago, ALL media outlets wanted their releases by fax. Strange but true. It may have changed. However, the thinking was they received so many emails, that anyone serious about PR would go to the trouble of faxing.

I couldn’t understand that logic, though, as you can fax from a computer.

PR fighting a losing battle?

UK-based academic Richard Bailey always produces provocative comments. In his latest post he examines why PR is losing the battle to get people to understand what it is.

I can't understand what the problem is. It must be the academics who teach PR. After all, they form the opinions of most people practising PR today - apart from some of those who came from the era when journalists entered PR (and some still do).

At the University of Notre Dame Australia (Fremantle) we have a combined marketing/PR degree, situated in a School of Business - an ideal combination. In their first PR lecture (2 hours) there are two topics - the history of PR (a US perspective) and the difference between PR and marketing. One of the first essay topic choices is on the difference between marketing and PR.

It's a simple process ... unless academics just don't get it (which I imagine many don't). Then again, I heard a senior PR "professional" talking about PR as just being about media. Hmmm. Maybe we are losing.

Words in my mouth

A local AM radio station interviewed me the other day. The 6PR afternoon drive-time host wanted comment on the new Labor government's missive on telling certain agencies that all media material had to be cleared through the relevant minister's office.

What the shock jock wanted me (being an 'expert') to say was that nothing had changed from the previous Liberal government. Cripes, Labor's only been in power a few weeks and already the media's beating it up.

All I could do was to continually reinforce my key message (developed quickly after his introductory comments and first question) that "it was early days and you had to give the government the benefit of the doubt".

I doubt whether this chap was really listening. He had his agenda, and I really didn't. After all, I was just there to comment.

For me, this interview was a prime example of the media trying to influence opinion, when it should be striving for balanced coverage. How blissfully naive of me - a former daily newspaper journalist.

Yes, it asked for an independent person to provide comment, but it becomes hard when the interviewer just doesn't want to see the other point of view (or even a neutral one). It's not entertaining radio.

All up, it was a pretty amateurish interview (not helped by the cliché of 'spin' as an analogy linked to the first cricket Test, which was being played between Australia and India).

I didn't hear the interview, as I don't listen to talkback radio. One of my surf club mates said he referred to me as Dr Greg Smith, from Curtin University. Well, he got the university wrong, which just proved my point about the amateurism. It was my last interview on 6PR.

PR in the TV spotlight

The ABC’s long-running TV program Media Watch will also include reports on poor PR practice from next year.

Media Watch will be hosted by Walkley Award-wining journalist Jonathan Holmes.

This is great news, as it will serve as a wake-up call for the profession.

Hopefully, one of the byproducts will be a greater professionalism in the industry. I’ve long said that PR has been its own worst enemy.

While I’m sure it will expose the charlatans, it could be a chance for PR to start to reposition itself as a serious business discipline.