Good advice and an open approach to building relationships with journalists can make your time in the media spotlight a positive experience
Last week, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport issued the rather dramatic instruction that members of the public should ‘exercise caution’ when approached by a journalist.
Read more here.
It notes that while there can be positives, the experience can also be stressful and daunting.
All of this is true, to an extent, but the image of the ‘Red Top’ hack stalking your family and raking through your bin, while not unheard of, is not the usual reality for most people.
For those of us with a journalistic background, we were trained that ‘the truth’ should always be paramount.
Where media relations often go wrong is when confusion is introduced to the story.
It might be that the journalist fails to understand the nuance of what has been going on.
There may be a newsdesk seeking a ‘line’ which the interviewee does not see as the main focus.
A sense of reality is needed.
The journalist is trying to appeal to the reader or viewer. They will ‘headline’ the story with what they see as the most newsworthy aspect. Often, this is a negative. A school with a ‘requires improvement’ will struggle to make their wonderful art department the focus of the story.
However, by building a rapport and relationship with the journalist, they may be able to make the case that the school has a new vision and a bright future.
This was the case this week with Broadoak College in Weston-Super-Mare, which was assisted by our team member Julia Walton.
The facts were there … the Ofsted report was in the public domain.
But the new head teacher, by opening her door to the press, was able to make her case that there is indeed a bright future. See here.
The DCMS report is correct in some regards … the public don’t need to speak to the public.
Building relationships
But often, if there is a real story, it doesn’t make sense to avoid it. It can look evasive.
On the other hand, being open and having an element of control can put your organisation in a good light.
The key is building relationships in the first place with the media … and for media, that could be anything from a TV station to the administrator of a local Facebook page.
With those relationships in place, with professional advice if necessary, the process need not be scary.
Without those relationships, being in the media spotlight can be very isolating.
Visit our page on Press to find out more.
https://www.localvoicemedia.co.uk/services/press-and-pr/
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