Media Training Stresses Effective Communication With The Press

Putting Yourself In The Public Eye

"We journalists make it a point to know very little about an extremely wide variety of topics; this is how we stay objective." ~Dave Barry, columnist

  Dave touches on the truth about the width and depth of what many journalists do for a living. It all depends on what you cover and how long you cover it. Many reporters, such as wire service or newspaper scribes, are generalists, writing about everything from crime to local politics, which in some communities and states (Illinois comes to mind) isn't that big a reach.

  Others specialize. For 11 years I covered the Pentagon for three publications, including Business Week magazine, and in that time I learned more about weapons, arms control treaties, foreign military sales, budget politics and arcane R&D matters than I imagined possible. (Breaking all that insidey stuff down for a lay business readership was the best on-the-job writing skills training I ever encountered.)

  Why should you care? Consider: In both approaches, reporters need your help. By "you," I mean anyone with expertise in the topics that journalists cover. No reporter can survive and prosper without sources. Even the rawest cubs know they must have authoritative quotes to back up both sides of any story dealing with conflict -- political, financial, zoning, criminal prosecution, hostile takeovers, executive compensation, you name it. Controversy puts their stories on the front page, but only if they can find pithy quotes and attach a name to them.

  Where you come in is that you offer your assistance to journalists, whether the business writer at your local daily or regional business periodical, or a byline name you see in one of those niche publications that are prospering as part of the so-called "trade press" (I've seen everything from thick magazines that cover the HVAC industry to a pricey newsletter called "Green Markets" that covers fertilizers, also known as S___ Weekly).

  And don't forget the electronic media. If you've watched any of the cable shouters recently, you know they've got three or four "talking heads" sharing the screen at any given time. That could be you, particularly on local commercial television or public broadcast outlets.

  If you've got a marketing business, you might have some valuable insights on political campaigns. If you're a management consultant, you could be worth quoting on the current rash of layoffs or the productivity gains that are sure to be stressed when we come out of this recession. If you're in the HR business, you might have something to say about resumes, job interview tips and employee training. If you're at a nonprofit, you could talk about fundraising challenges and the scramble for public funding as the Obama Administration sorts out its priorities.

  Just remember: Context is everything. Take time to explain any background that would help the reporter use your quotes judiciously. If relevant, have some statistics at hand.

  How do you make contact with journalists? If an article catches your attention, call or email the reporter and tell her you enjoyed the piece (flattery can work wonders), and add a morsel or two about your take on the matter and where you think things are heading. Finish up by inviting her to call if she has any questions. She might even weave your quotes into a follow-up story that appears the next day or week.

  But be careful. Don't look too self-serving, too eager to promote your own cause or company. Be the expert. Think about your message before you make the initial contact.

  Believe me. It will work. Reporters get tired of quoting academics and think tank weenies (we used to call them "navel gazers"). Businesspeople and nonprofit advocates and professional bureaucrats from the real world look much better in a well-balanced story. You've been there. You've had to make payroll. You've been bruised a few times in a public policy fight. You've had to live with ever-tightening budgets.

  Meanwhile, you've made the overworked reporter's job easier at a time when news organizations are slashing jobs, and at the same time your name and your organization are out there. It's called free publicity.