I caught up with a friend of mine who is in the broadcast media yesterday. As an an assigment editor for one of the major television news stations in the Rochester market, RNews, Time Warner, Lynn Wesley is the decision maker on what stories will make the multiple newscasts each day. She then assigns the stories to reporters and video journalists to cover.
Over dinner, we discussed the ins and outs of both the media and PR profession, how they are interchangeable, and how they collide. We spent much of the conversation talking about how there are few publicists who really "get" PR.
It actually amazed me to hear how many public relations professionals out there pitch the media and don't have a clue about what the topic and media relations. Wow!
For those of you questioning whether or not you are guilty of not really "getting" PR, or questioning whether or not you have what it takes to create and deliver a great story, here are a few things that I can share with you on effective PR...
- If the topic isn't newsworthy, don't position it as if it is.
- If you haven't done your homework, don't pitch the media.
- If the information isn't credible, you'll damage your reputation (permanently).
- If you have "old news" on your hands, ditch it.
- Follow-through is necessary.
- Know your audience and who you are pitching to.
- Manage your own reputation consistently.
Are you still questioning yourself now?
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