media relations 101

Pensacola Chapter of FPRA

Last week, I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the 76th Annual Conference for the Florida Public Relations Association in Orlando, FL. I had never attended the conference as a professional. I had no idea what to expect. I figured I would have to listen to boring talks on topics of no interest all while being surrounded by a bunch of old folks. BOY was I wrong?! The conference turned out to be 3 days of jam-packed seminars with speakers and public relations professionals from all over the country including The Weather Channel and Google. This conference is one that I will cherish and plan on attending from here on out! 

One breakout session that stood out to me was instructed by Lauren Saver, President of Headlines Consulting, LLC. She was a spicy Italian that gave all of her tips & tricks to media training. Below are some of the highlights I took from the session:

Media Relations 101

• ALWAYS say “yes” to an interview – Even if you can’t conduct the interview right when being asked, say “yes” and schedule a follow up time.
• ALWAYS provide a reporter with an “expert.” – This is what every reporter wants . . . THE FACTS!
• Pitch PEOPLE not achievements – Truth is, no one cares about your dull ribbon-cutting ceremony. 
• Think visually – If possible, provide the reporter with video or a photo from your event. This makes their life much easier!
• Remain flexible – You don’t need a perfect conference room for an interview. A parking lot is just fine!
• DON’T provide stacks of background materials – Reporters operate on very tight deadlines and don’t have time to read novels of background information. 
• Watch the calendar – Make sure that your pitches are timely. Send out a press release 1 week prior to the event and email a reminder 1-2 days before.
• DON’T call a reporter – They already receive tons of pitches daily. Emails are best . . . unless you have a personal relationship with the reporter.

Improve Your Interviews

• Use FEWER words – Less really is more! Make your responses simple for any audience to understand.
• DON’T use technical jargon – The public already suffers from information overload.

The Life of Your Average Reporter

• 9:30 am – editorial meeting
• 10:00 am – hit the phones
• 11:00 am – hit the road
• 11:30 am – 1:00 pm – INTERVIEW SWEET SPOT! This is the best time to catch an interview. Be available!
• 2:30 pm – script deadline
• 3:30 pm – editing
• 4:00 pm – drive to live shot location
• 4:30 pm – set up live truck
• 5:00 pm – live @ 5 pm segment airs

I cannot stress enough how helpful this information was for me. Lauren Saver is an expert! She has worked as a reporter for many media outlets including Fox News and NBC. Seriously though, who knows the ins & outs of the media better than a reporter?! 

I’ll be posting more of what I learned from the conference in the next couple of days! Enjoy!