Helping Reporters Do Their Job

Shrinking newsrooms make it tougher to pitch story ideas, but it also puts a premium on PR enterprise to outline a great story idea that is easy to follow by a stretched-thin reporter.

"If you can sketch a story and help a reporter fill in the blanks, you are well on your way to a successful pitch in today's evolving media environment," says CFM Account Executive Hannah Smith.

At a minimum, most newsrooms are looking for more than just words on a page.

"They want images, video, contacts and any relevant context," Smith says. "In short, they want help with their homework." This includes finding credible people who use products or are affected by policy decisions for reporters to interview.

This kind of scripted journalism requires PR professionals and anyone else pitching stories to keep their integrity front and foremost. "If you steer a reporter into a ditch or blindside them," Smith says, "don't be surprised if you find them unwilling to work with you on your next pitch."

Changing media platforms, such as the rise of longer-form journalism on iPads, creates new opportunities for PR professionals. "You have more options for structuring a story pitch," Smith explains, "just like you have more media channels to reach."

One thing about media pitching that hasn't changed is the human touch. Reporters and editors don't respond all that well to pitches conveyed via social media. "They want to talk to a real human," Smith says. "Getting to know a reporter on social media is a good strategy that works. Pitching a story, on the other hand, is a personal contact sport."

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Getting Off the Front Page

Most organizations drool over the chance for front-page publicity. But what if the news and accompanying spotlight is uncomfortable? Got a Page One exit strategy?

Say, for example, a government agency is about to issue a less than glowing report of a business or contractor. Or an agency is undergoing a stormy relationship with a citizen group. More often than not, such issues of contention are not a surprise, but are situations that slowly have built to a head.

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Blogging Through Open Meetings Swamp

Keep an eye on the City of Lake Oswego, where a spirited debate is underway – with statewide implications – on whether a blogger is a journalist, and whether a blogger from non-traditional media may attend a closed meeting.

Under Oregon’s open meetings law, the elected leaders of local governments may hold closed “executive sessions,” where certain sensitive issues may be discussed but no formal final decision made. These issues include labor negotiations and legal strategies, real estate transactions and personnel discussions, among other issues.

Caption: Must news bloggers apply for local government press credentials, such as a press pass, so they may attended closed-door executive sessions at city hall or the county courthouse? Some Oregon communities are mulling that option.

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Public Access TV: Lights, Camera and Confusion

A useful public affairs tool? Bringing the future of public access TV into focus.As communicators, we're always seeking avenues to engage the public in ideas or promote products. Although a small marketplace, public access television is an overlooked and little-used channel for PR professionals dealing with public affairs issues.

It's true, public access productions reach small audiences. But if original programming can be repurposed for reuse on the Internet, thereby gaining extended life and value.

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Pitching Public Broadcasting

With all the tumult in the media business – smaller audiences, shrinking revenue and fewer traditional outlets – one traditional news source remains a sure bet for reaching a key audience. Story pitchers should stay focused on public broadcasting, a relatively stable platform during the past few years.

Business communicators tend to overlook opportunities to place stories on the many great public radio outlets in the region. They shouldn’t. For instance, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) attracts a sizable audience and reaches key population centers in the state. Two years ago, OPB said it reached 350,000 radio listeners in Oregon each week. Its audience is growing.

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