Six PR Mistakes That Will Irritate a Journalist

Earned media is a great feeling. It’s a fantastic way to get outside coverage and bring your brand to a wider audience. Every company reaches a tipping point where they need to start forming media relations. Whenever you cross that bridge, it’s important to know appropriate and helpful ways to connect with reporters.

During my six-year stint as a trade magazine editor, I received an average of 100 press releases per week. That’s thousands and thousands of pitches – countless opportunities to impress or exasperate me.

This list of pet peeves comes from years of receiving poorly written press releases. I also included advice from several colleagues who are full-time journalists on the local and national level. Here’s the inside scoop to forming good relationships with reporters! Please don’t:

1) Pitch a story that has no relevance to the outlet

I once worked for a publication that covers commercial building management. Notice the word commercial. Do you know how many times I received pitches about residential products? Every. Single. Day. A waste of time and aggravating to boot.

It only takes a few minutes to research an outlet and confirm its focus. Why spend any of your time barking up the wrong tree and leaving a negative impression? Do your homework and make sure outlets on your distribution list are a true match. Go for quality over quantity.

2) Send a wordy release or a rambling email (or worse, both)

If I may peel back the curtains of journalism for a moment – reporters are constantly inundated with information. A good chunk of their job is searching for the latest and greatest. Which means their inbox puts yours to shame.

Between internal emails, RSS feeds, press releases, Google alerts, and newswires, the modern journalist has no shortage of emails. They’ve developed superpowers when it comes to speed reading and scanning. They can assess information in the blink of an eye. You have mere seconds to get them the details they need.

All correspondence – subject line, email body, and the release itself – should be succinct and concise. Think easily digestible. Remember a press release isn’t the whole story. All you are doing is providing a hook to investigate further. Length comes later.   

3) Include 8,000 quotes

A standard press release is between 400-600 words. That’s rough the size of a blog post. A handful of meaningful quotes is a good idea, especially when they add new details to the story.

But a release that is saturated with quotes bogs down the copy. And most of the time, those extra soundbites are just repetitious fluff. Or worse, they’re written in corporate speak and sound robotic. Only include quotes if they are integral to your message.

Photo by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash

4) Forget about photography

You know the saying – a (good) photo is worth a thousand words. Journalists are digital media specialists. Whether an article appears in print or online, reporters are tasked with securing images. They’ve already thinking about which visuals will illustrate the story.

Just like quotes, images should enhance your story. If the message is focused on a company leader, have a good headshot. If the pitch relates to your building, get a good exterior shot. At minimum, have your logo ready to go.

Also make sure your photography is finished before you send out a release. Not after, not upon request, but ahead of time. Reporters sometimes have to jump on a story quickly and can’t afford a delay if your photos aren’t done.

5) Bait and switch topics

Want to get on a journalist’s naughty list? Capture their attention with one topic, set up an interview, and then tell them you want to talk about something completely different. Congratulations, you’ve just pulled the proverbial rug out from under their feet.

The vast majority of news stories are planned. Which means the reporter has been assigned a specific topic and needs to follow through. Switching subjects is self-serving behavior and it prevents the journalist from doing their job. Withholding an interview they need jeopardizes their ability to meet a deadline. Plus it’s not “earning” media if you demand that the reporter follow your lead.  

6) Bail on an interview

Balanced reporting requires a journalist to talk to multiple people. Whether the topic is controversial like politics or as routine as city council minutes, a reporter is seeking a variety of perspectives. It takes time to find, contact, and interview sources before writing ever begins.

For scheduled interviews, understand that your company wasn’t picked randomly. A journalist already vetted you before they reached out, which means you’ve been hand selected as a good match. So bowing out of an interview last minute puts a reporter in a major bind.

Do companies really do that? Yes, they absolutely do, and often with no reason at all. I’ve been stood up, ghosted, canceled on mere minutes before a call, or told “no thanks, we’re not interested anymore” the day before. Each time is a wrench in a journalist’s plans to hit their deadline. Leaving them scrambling to find another source is a great way to break their trust. Only do this if you want to guarantee a journalist will delete all future emails from you. 

7) Be rude or snarky

My parting advice is simple – mind your manners. Bring the same positive energy to media relations as you do when networking. Building good connections with reporters starts with respect.

Because there are plenty of companies who approach journalists with a combative attitude. Who think they have a “right” to coverage. Who think they are the only ones vying for a reporter’s attention. Who use a condescending tone whenever they deal with the media. No one likes to be bullied. 

Lastly, please remember that media relations take time to nurture. Don’t get huffy if a release or pitch isn’t used. It may take multiple releases to gain momentum. It may take six months (or even a year) for a pitch to find a home. It may take repeated contact before you have something newsworthy. As long as your communication is cordial, you are on the right path to earning media coverage. 

For more media tips, please watch my One Million Cups presentation! https://www.facebook.com/watchparty/499374290614678/?entry_source=FEED

Let me bring my journalism skills to your marketing. Send me a message about your content needs or schedule a meeting!