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Media relations The Rules
by
Jane Herbert
1.NEVER SAY ANYTHING TO A JOURNALIST THAT YOU WOULDNT BE HAPPY TO SEE IN PRINT! (or carefully edited for television)
2.Never ask to see copy before its printed. Journalists are not obliged to show you copy in advance of publication. They may on rare occasions show directly attributed quotes, or sections of copy, purely for checking facts. You will not normally be allowed to change any copy you see in any case, unless there is a serious factual error. Sending copy for review goes against the very nature of journalism it is the caveat you accept when dealing with the media.
3.If a journalist has an urgent request it requires an immediate response. Two days, three weeks or sometime never is not acceptable to get back to journalist. Not responding swiftly to requests from media not only loses you the opportunity for coverage, but makes the journalist think youre uncooperative they have plenty of people who are prepared to co-operate and next time they have an opportunity theyll go elsewhere.
4.Dont assume a piece of editorial will appear just because youve supplied information or done an interview, even if a journalist says it will. Editorial can never be guaranteed.
5.Journalists have their own needs and objectives find out what they are and work with them you cannot change them and you cannot get them to work to your agenda if it doesnt fit with their own. Journalism is notoriously competitive journalists are interested in furthering their own career, not yours.
6.Do not attack a journalist even if they have done you down. If they have printed something that isnt true, or been unfairly critical, it is acceptable to respond to set the record straight, but treat all such situations with caution. Journalists will always have the last word so there is no benefit in making enemies of them.
7.Concorde landing safely isnt news to quote a senior editorial executive at a leading newspaper group. Journalists are interested in the unusual, the topical, the controversial or downright scurrilous. They are not interested in bland company does well stories, or in providing free advertising.
8.Journalists are not desperate for stories to fill their empty pages/air time, quite the opposite, they have far more than they can accommodate, so they have to be very discriminating make sure what you send them is relevant to their readers.
– ENDS –
Jane Herbert has nearly 20 years experience in public relations and is managing director of PR agency Pilotmax
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