16 Sure-Fire Ways to
Impress the Media |
| 1 |
Demand that reporters run your
entire news release "as is" with no editing, including your pithy headline. |
| 2 |
Tell reporters that you have an
"exclusive" story for them only. Then send it to all the other media
outlets to also give them "exclusives." |
| 3 |
Let reporters know your story
would make a good cover story. Unlike you, sometimes they just don't realize the importance
of it. |
| 4 |
In an interview use the words "No Comment" as often as possible
because reporters appreciate not having to write down so much stuff. |
| 5 |
Always demand to review the story ahead of
time. That way you can make sure it comes out correctly. |
| 6 |
If you say something you wish
you hadn't, quickly follow-up by saying, "That was off-the-record." Don't
bother to let them know when you are "on-the-record" again. Keep them
guessing. |
| 7 |
Let the reporter know upfront
that you consider all media people a bunch of liberal, pot-smoking bleeding hearts, but
that you are graciously willing to give him/her a chance to handle your story. They
will appreciate your honesty. |
| 8 |
Let reporters know you are
well-connected to the editor/publisher/station manager. Tell them you hope you won't
have to go over their heads! |
| 9 |
Pretend you genuinely care
about reporters' deadlines. Then ignore them. |
| 10 |
Constantly tell reporters that
all information is "proprietary." This will eliminate a lot of needless
facts in your story. |
| 11 |
Make sure to tell reporters you
never read their newspaper or watch/listen to their station because they always get things
wrong. |
| 12 |
After the interview is over
make sure you contact the reporter hourly to determine the status of the story. |
| 13 |
When the story runs, call the
reporter and tell him/her to send you a copy. They consider it part of their job to
respond to your needs. |
| 14 |
Always let reporters know your
company is a big advertiser and helps pay their salary. This is a great way to
impress them and guarantee a great story. |
| 15 |
If you say something stupid, or
if the story is negative, always claim you were misquoted or that they edited out your
real remarks. Demand a retraction!! |
| 16 |
If a reporter does a good job
and writes a great story, don't bother to thank him/her. That's why they make the
big bucks. It's enough of a reward for them to have worked with a real media
professional. |
