5 reasons that reporter isn’t calling you back
GroundFloor Media / PRGN, Denwer / USA, 29.03.2012
Gil Rudawsky z GroundFloor Media pisze o odwiecznym pytaniu pracownika PR: dlaczego dziennikarz nie oddzwania?
Having been in a newsroom for two decades, I can attest to how inundated reporters are with email and phone pitches from PR pros. And with shrinking newsrooms, I can only image it has gotten much worse.
To help PR pros tasked with cold-calling reporters and editors with pitches, here’s a basic list to help understand why journalists are not calling you back.
First, let’s just assume that reporters do not actually pick up the phone when you call, because they rarely do. Blame it on not enough time, deadline, or that they are out in the field getting stories.
Why would a reporter not call you back?
- Your pitch is not engaging. Yes, this is the primary reason reporters ignore your pitch. Newsworthiness rules, and “so what?” pitches will be deleted immediately.
- You’re pitching the wrong person. There has been shuffling of assignments under the guise of doing more with less, so pitches that go to the wrong reporter will be deleted rather than forwarded to the right reporter.
- You are from out of town. This one is hard to swallow, but reporters assume that calls from an out of town PR agency will not be newsworthy for local readers. This is especially true for smaller media outlets.
- Your pitch does not have a local angle. Publications rely on wire services to cover national stories, and they will rarely pick up on a regional or national story unless there is a strong local angle.
- You have a track record of providing lame story pitches. This is about relationship-building and being a good source for reporters, not just a mouthpiece for a client. If you regularly fill up voicemail with nominal pitches, even the most newsworthy pitch will get deleted. Be a good source, understand when to avoid pitching junk, and remember that no one owes you a favor.
Source: GroundFloor Media – PRGN member from USA
Clients and Culture: Lessons From the Goldman Op-Ed
CooperKatz PR / PRGN, Nowy Jork / USA, 27.03.2012
Should I stay or should I go? To pytanie, postawione dekady temu przez muzyków z The Clash, jest wciąż aktualne, również w życiu zawodowym. Melissa Connerton z CooperKatz zastanawia się nad zamianą pytania 'czy?' na 'kiedy?' As I was conducting my daily ritual of reading The New York Times yesterday morning, I stumbled across an Op-Ed piece that got me thinking –...
An industry goal: Turn frantic prospects into valued partnerships
Landis Communications / PRGN, San Francisco / USA, 22.03.2012
Agencja Public Relations - partner i konsultant, czy raczej wyrobnik i mało istotny element biznesu? Przeczytajcie tekst Roba Farmera, dyrektora w Landis Communications. A jakie jest Wasze zdanie? In business, it’s always exciting to hear phrases like “We are launching in a week” – especially if it’s your company that’s launching. But in the...
2012
Marzec
- 5 reasons that reporter isn’t calling you back
- Clients and Culture: Lessons From the Goldman Op-Ed
- An industry goal: Turn frantic prospects into valued partnerships
- Dear Bosses: What Young Employees Wish They Could Tell You
- Paula Deen Misses the Sweet Spot as Spokesperson
- YouTube Sensations and Sensational YouTube – What Happens When Videos Go Viral?
- Dispelling PR myths with first-hand experience
- From New Kid to Corporate “Kat”
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- Never Do This: Ghost Comment
- Boosting team effectiveness through multi-generational strategies
- SAO – Search Agency Optimization
- An Emerging Trend for 2012: The Collision of Social Media and Crisis Communication
- Working Hard, Not Hardly Working at the Internship
- NEWSFLASH – sap is best left to trees.
- ‘Off the record’ vs. ‘on background’: What every PR pro should know before talking to the media
- Social Media Revolution or Evolution?
