Good evening,
Earlier this week, I was part of a Meet the Media panel sponsored by the Delaware Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America .For the PRSA, it was the first such in-person discussion since the onset of Covid-19 more than two years ago.
The event also featured Tom Byrne who heads news operations at Delaware Public Media (WDDE public radio), Brittany Horn, regional editor on crime and social justice in Delaware and the region, and Johnnie Braxton, Wilmington Bureau Chief 6ABC Action News.
Here are a some of my takeaways in no particular order:
- Reporters and editors are busy. That’s been the case since the glory days of radio in the 1980s and ’90s.
- Reporters and editors still like press releases, especially those that come with “just the facts” and don’t use an excessive number of phrases praising their organizations.
- Social media is used by media outlets as news leads and for “crowd-sourcing” of people willing to be interviewed for stories. It may not be the best place to post a press release.
- We don’t mind getting phone calls. It does help if you have a caller ID as spam calls are numerous with carriers coming up with technology that attempts to identify junk calls, especially when we are using mobile phones.
- Do some research on the news organization and its mission before sending a press release or making a pitch for coverage.
- When it comes to electronic media, if you are holding a ground-breaking or media briefing, stay on schedule and let the outlet know when the actual ribbon cutting or presser takes place. News crews run on tight schedules.
- If you have public officials and dignitaries in attendance at a media event, put that information on the alert. A reporter may want to talk with that individual about another topic and will drop by to cover the event itself.
- The News Journal/Delaware Online and rarely shows up for ground-breakings etc. (This has been a policy that dates back decades.
- News organizations are inundated with e-mail pitches and releases. A worthy item can fall into the spam pile or go unnoticed. It does not hurt to follow up on a press release or pitch for coverage with a phone call. Just don’t make the phone call the minute you hit send on the release.
- Have someone available if he or she is listed as a press contact on a release.
If you have any questions about coverage, press releases etc. at Delaware Business Now, subscribers to our Email newsletter can simply hit reply and type away or email me at drainey@delawarebusinessnow.com or call 302.753.0691 – Doug Rainey, chief content officer
