Maintaining a Positive Relationship with Journalists as a PR Practitioner
Publication Date: June 10, 2021
Importance of Establishing the Relationship
As a Public Relations (PR) Practitioner, interacting with the media and journalists is an everyday occurrence, which makes your relationship with them both individually and as a whole crucial and advantageous. The relationship between journalists and PR practitioners mutually benefits both parties involved and could even give you an edge over the competition. It’s essential to have the right contacts to grow your product or service and know who to contact when you want to gain public exposure and attention through the media.
Maintaining the Relationship
Communication between PR practitioners and journalists is key, it’s imperative that because there is that understanding of mutually beneficial contact, that you keep the relationship positive and strong to ensure you have the potentially useful and reliable contact and resource of the journalist. However, it is also a line that should be walked on with caution. For example, if you are working with a journalist and want to keep in touch, do not be overbearing. Only follow up or reach out when necessary, do not overdo it. Avoid making the journalist feel smothered. Journalists are an important and cost-effective tool and distribution channel for PR practitioners to get information out and give the public a favorable impression about your product or service.
An article written about ethics in PR stated, “Trust and respect between journalists and media relations professionals could enhance their interactions, and create more mutually beneficial communication for both. Public relations executives play a key role in advising organizations on ethics and social responsibility,” (Bowens, 2016). As mentioned in the article, Bowen (2016) describes the symbiosis in the relationship between PR practitioners and journalists, as PR practitioners can provide journalists with information.
Things to Keep in Mind
Remember when dealing with a journalist that their stories do not need your approval, the only gatekeepers are their editors. “Off the record” comments or statements do not exist and any information you may tell them in an interview is fair game. Always try to stay a step ahead of the game, anticipate questions they might ask you, and prepare your answers. Expect the unexpected, be prepared for anything.
Also, remember not to take rejection personally. The media is always honest and will sometimes give you answers you don’t want to hear. Rejection is a part of the career and happens often, but don’t be discouraged, it does not always mean that you can’t go back to that same journalist again at a later time. They may just have prior commitments or more important story topics to handle at the time. If one journalist turns you down, it doesn’t mean they all will, another may be out there ready to accept what you have to offer!
References
Bowen, S. A. (2016). Clarifying ethics terms in public relations from A to V, authenticity to virtue: BledCom special issue of PR review sleeping (with the) media: Media relations. Public Relations Review, 42(4), 564. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/clarifying-ethics-terms-public-relations-v/docview/1824518820/se-2?accountid=10639