Media Outreach These slides will provide you with the tips you need to strengthen your relationship with the press, and maximise your ability to secure high-quality coverage.

1. It’s a love-hate thing
Rawaa Abdalla
December 2009

3. Journalists and PR professionals have always had a peculiar
relationship. One fraught with suspicion – and, on some
occasions – barely suppressed hostility and tension

4. PRs: measured on their ability to
consistently generate stories. No
coverage: no recognition
It’s a curious situation since the relationship is underpinned
by mutual need: Journalists need PRs – for information, to
highlight developments, or interesting news stories that
otherwise may not make it to the mainstream; and PRs need
Journalists: measured on their
ability to consistently source and
write stories.
No byline: no recognition

5. So, if each has something the other needs, why not exist in
peaceful symbiosis?

9. The oblivious PR
The time wasting PR
The dishonest PR
The invisible PR

10. “Weird PR jargon like
giving us a “heads “…there are basic data
up” – and obscure PR- missing and it’s obvious that
speak acronyms like they haven’t even read the
KOL…” paper. If they had, they
would know I cover news –
not features!”
The oblivious PR
“…read the
“…I hate being pestered about stuff
papers! There’s that never has a chance of being a
nothing worse story for me – and that any PR who
actually reads what I write should
then getting a know will never be a story for
pitch on a subject me…”
you’ve just written
about.”

11. “…if I’m interested in a PR email and want to
follow it up, I will. I’m at the point where I rarely
answer my phone unless I recognise the number,
since 8/10 calls I get are from timewasters”
The time wasting PR
“we have
The worst thing a PR could
surprisingly early
do is waste a journalist’s deadlines these
time. Send a brief pitch by days, if we see
email or call when you know something at
the reporter isn't on
deadline or preparing for 3pm it’s very
morning conference difficult to get it
into the paper!”

12. “… why do some PRs insist on
‘up-selling’ a story? Journalists “stat fiddling! Impressive
have long memories – if your numbers that turn out to
be relative rather than
story falls apart under scrutiny, absolute risk…”
we definitely won’t bite the
next time you pitch something”
The dishonest PR
“…telling me at 4pm
that the ‘exclusive’
I’ve been working on
all day has also
gone to the
competition”
“I don’t want to find out from
my editor that the patient
you’ve introduced me to has
already been in the papers!”

13. “…nothing is more infuriating
“…I’ve been
than missing out on a story pestered non-
because the PR is out of contact. stop by a PR to
Next time, we simply won’t cover a story,
come to you for comment” then when I need
more information,
they’re nowhere
The invisible PR to be found!”
“Put your contact
details out there. I “…being fobbed off
don’t want to spend drives me mad. Don’t
hours tracking you down make promises you can’t
to follow up on an
interesting story” keep – and keep the
promises you make!”

16. What does it do?
How does it work?
How good are the data?
Is it new? The editor: pitching to a journalist
Is it different? is only the first step; if they like
Does it save lives? your story, they must in turn
Does it kill people?
Is it licensed?
convince their editor to run it
Is it available?
Where is it available?
Is there a postcode
lottery?
Is it approved by NICE? Feature articles: cover a given topic
If not, why not? in more depth than news, enabling
How much does it cost? more detailed information to be
Are there spokespeople? conveyed to a broad target audience
How does this affect my
readers?
Why should I care?

17. Exclusive: a story given to one
journalist only. Never provide the
same exclusive to more than one
publication!
Journalists: measured on their
ability to consistently source and
write stories.
No byline: no recognition

18. Even if the journalist writes the story
there is no guarantee it will appear –
all publications over commission
articles
Case studies: real life experience is
an essential element of a consumer
media article, and is shown through
the story of a patient case study

19. WHO AM I?

21. “Public sentiment is everything. With it nothing can fail.
Without it nothing can succeed.”
— Abraham Lincoln
Athena
January 2010