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Cover letters, media advisories and how to play nice

WORKING WITH MEDIA

Media relations checklistSeven Steps For Success

1. Know your media

2. Localize

3. Be available/responsive

4. Be honest and fair

5. Be sensitive to deadlines

6. Be persistent, not annoying

7. Be wary of offering free stuff

NATIONAL Database GATHERING

There are four that most use

•PR Newswire

•Busineswire

•Cision

•Vocus

DatabaseFEATUREs

1. Media organization name

2. Mailing address

3. Telephone and fax number

4. E-mail addresses

5. Names of key editors and reporters

6. Twitter handles or Facebook

7. These are not always precise

Editorial calendars

1. Provide information about what will be covered in certain issues of a publication.

2. Often set a year in advance.

3. Many keep same special issues from year to year.

4. These allow you to play connect the dots between media and your organization.

Tip sheets

Weekly newsletters that report on

• Changes in news personnel and their assignments

• How to contact them

• What kinds of material they’re looking for

HARO is a great daily tip sheet

Why is this important?

PR needs the media to validate content.

The media needs PR to find stories they’re too busy to find.

There is a love/hate relationship.

• Many journalists think PR people are used car salesmen.• Many PR people think journalists are sensational.• This is why personal relationships matter so much.

There are two ways we initially alert media

•Pitch Letter

•Media Advisory

PITCH LETTER

PITCH LETTER OVERVIEW

• Pitch letters let media gatekeepers know something is going on.

• They are usually the first thing a gatekeeper sees.

• It’s a sales pitch that explains why the media outlet needs to cover this.

• Not should, not ought to, not that would be nice to….NEEDS TO

PITCH LETTER 101COURTESY BAD PITCH BLOG

1. Hit with your best shot.

2. Make it damn personal.

3. It’s method, man. Letters delivered by email need different content than those delivered by envelope with stamp.

4. Do not rush a letter.

5. Proofread. Proofread. Oh and then proofread again.

Actual beginnings of pitch letters that led to coverage

• I still can’t believe the ending of Breaking Bad either.

• I hope you’re enjoying the Brad Ausmus era…

• Thanks for writing about how children with autism can enjoy summer camp.

• Think beyond your brand.

• Think beyond yourself.

MEDIA ADVISORIES

Let’s Talk Media Advisories.• They tell assignment editors about upcoming news

events, opportunities or local angles

• When you can’t send a personalized pitch letter, you send these instead.

• When you host a press conference or event, you send these.

• When or have special availability, you send these.

Formatting

These are one page

• These are almost always for immediate release.• Contact Information• Headline• Brief paragraph with who, what, where, when• Logistics

• Where can I park?• Where do I go when I get there?

WORKING WITH MEDIA ONCE THEY ARE INTERESTED

How can we play nice? Six tips for media interviews

1. When reporters call, interview them first.

2. Know the purpose of the interview

3. Be prepared for questions, know your facts.

4. Don’t be combative, arrogant, evasive. If you don’t know the answer, it’s OK. Just explain when and how you can find the answer.

5. Get your message/talking points across.

6. The best PR pros think like reporters….

How can we play nice? News conference

1. Don’t use reporters for routine announcements

2. Allow all media information simultaneously

3. Allow follow-up questions

4. Schedule at a good time for reporters.

1. 10, 1 and 3 are good times.

5. Select a location that accommodates reporters’ technical needs.

How to play nice:News conference

Invite reporters a week in advance.

Establish a schedule and rules for the conference.

Spokespeople should remain available afterward.

Be tech friendly

• Webinars• UStream…

How to play niceMedia tour

If they can’t come to you, you go to them.

• Media outlet itself• Satellite media tour

• Radio• TV• Skype!!!!!!!!! • Internet or Twitter chats

How to play niceother ideas• Previews

• Opening of facility• Launch of a product • Announce a new promotional campaign

• Press junkets

• Entertainers do these all the time to promote.• They stay in one place and reporters rotate in and out.

• Press tours/trips

• Must be legitimate news angle• With bloggers, all bets can be off

How to play niceother ideas

Editorial board meetings

• Contact editor to request a meeting• Great way to build relationship with

gatekeepers• Great way to build third party

endorsments• People don’t use this enough

How to play niceother ideas

Create or host Conferences

• Use to garner support• Use to state a case • Use to introduce something• One stop shop for media and audience• Social media friendly• The key is to sell the subject matter, not

the conference itself

Media relations checklistSeven Steps For Success

1. Know your media

2. Localize

3. Be available/responsive

4. Be honest and fair

5. Be sensitive to deadlines

6. Be persistent, not annoying

7. Be wary of offering free stuff

NEXT ASSIGNMENT• You will write a media advisory and pitch letter to Terry

Smith of the Athens News about the Scripps Innovation Challenge.

• Ryan Lombardi and Dan Farkas will be available to speak about the Scripps Innovation Challenge between 2-3 this Friday inside Baker 240.

• http://innovationchallenge.scrippscollege.ohio.edu/index.html

• Free parking is available if they call in advance.

• Don’t cut and paste from the website. Create your own content.

• Assignment is due by the end of the working class Friday.