We are venturing through a suspenseful time, where individuals, cities, and nations are all being affected.
Impacted by global conflict.
Entertained by virality.
Influenced by political unrest.
Inspired by sporting triumph.
Disrupted by technological mishaps.
Journalists keep us informed on these events – while some go even deeper and ignite change. And as PR professionals, who play a role in this landscape, it’s imperative that we understand our responsibility in conducting media relations with sensitivity and care.
We must consider how we support journalists and approach pitching. Integral to this, is understanding the when, the what, and the how.
The When: to pitch or not to pitch, that is the question
It is rule of thumb not to ambulance chase when pitching, however, our approach should go further than this. Ultimately, when you break down journalism the goal is to inform us – and to have what is written play its role in public conversation.An article from a journalist recounting the latest update in Gaza, or breaking news on angst towards government in Bangladesh, does not require input from everyone. When we pitch self-driven insights, we cloud the article, hindering what it intended to do – inform. When sharing your latest client update or product to these journalists, it only interferes their pursuit of relevant updates and new events to report on.
However, it is not always black and white. If the story concerns the industry that the clients we work with typically lend their comments to, consideration must still take place when deciding to pitch or not. The recent global IT outage could tempt other companies to capitalise on misfortune as a reason to ‘subtly’ share why [insert client] is much better, or point out the wrongdoing that took place.
Although it may seem appealing to get the one-up over competitors, we should ask if we being mindful of everything that happened? Millions of individuals were affected, from IT workers losing their weekends, airlines aborting flights that stopped families seeing each other, or even hospitals cancelling surgeries.
Remaining insensitive to this hardship will come across ignorant and inconsiderate, so when we decide to pitch about these events, it must be thought-out and empathetic. Will our commentary be compassionate to those impacted? Will we offer constructive insights? What is our motive when deciding to pitch?
Being considered and conscientious when approaching pitching (or when not to) is essential as we tread the tightrope of that media relations balancing act.
The What: brand messaging should not consume real thought leadership
It easy to get caught up in our jobs, our lives, and what we consume every day. But it is important when pitching that we take a step back and consider the bigger picture. When approaching delicate stories or crafting commentary on events that have caused detriment in some sort of way, it must be done appropriately.
Take cyberattacks for example. If a business is breached, journalists will likely receive pitches from vendors about why the company has let its customers down, accompanied with some recycled commentary, or a copy and paste of their ‘ground breaking’ brand messaging.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass,” is likely the response you’ll get. And that’s if you even get one.
If we pitch this way, we are not special. We do not stand out. We do not support journalism – because we are not adding anything newsworthy.
Our pitches must breathe new insights into the story and add value to it. Instead of shaming mistakes, offer useful perspectives that helps the story evolve, and teach the audience nuances of the situation which may have not been considered.
By doing this, we can become a reliable source for journalists looking to educate readers on national events, instead of a vessel which pushes self-promotional and inconsiderate content to journalist’s inboxes.
The How: journalists are humans too
It sounds obvious, but I argue we tend to forget that journalists have their own lives. They have their own interests, their own ticks, and their own preferences in how they like to work.
Not understanding the journalist’s preferences before engaging with them is like walking blindly through a minefield. Therefore, when we pitch, it is crucial we are considerate about how we are do so.
It starts with noticing the little things – did the journalist recently take their phone number out of their email signature or remove it from a database such as a Telum or Muckrack? They most likely no longer wish to be contacted via their phone. Did they just come back from leave? Probably best to give them a couple days breathing room before pitching. Is the journalist working to a deadline everything Thursday afternoon? That day is off-limits.
For more obvious cues about how to engage with journalists, connect with them on socials such as LinkedIn and X, or invite them out to coffee. This not only strengthens rapport, but provides us with the opportunity to learn their nuances. We should be able to develop an understanding of when they like to be pitched, what channel of communication they prefer, and how the like pitches to be constructed.
And just like that, the minefield is nothing more than a stroll through a tranquil park.
Final words
We aren’t expected to read minds, or to provide journalists with the perfect piece of information they are looking for every time they ask. But, by taking the time and care to consider when we are pitching, what we are pitching, and how we are pitching, we can be a valuable resource – not a burden.
With everything taking place globally right now, we must be mindful when engaging with journalists. Ultimately, building collaborative relationships between journalist and PR professionals – human and human – is how this dynamic media space will continue to move forward.
