Media Relations 101: Talking to Journalists at Events
By Henry Cooke for PRNews
One of the best things about going to live conferences and other events is meeting the media who attend them.
In my past career as a political reporter in New Zealand, I spent untold hours standing around bored at such events wishing someone in the pertinent industry would offer an interesting quote, or explain some technical policy detail in a way for readers to better understand it.
Sometimes it happened, but other times potential sources or their PR reps were needlessly defensive—scared off by the sight of a journalist getting out a dictaphone or asking how to spell their name.
There’s an easier way to interact. Here’s some top tips on how to make the event-media connection work.
Do some event prep.
Try to find out from event organizers which media is attending. Familiarize yourself with the interests and faces of the journalists you would most want to speak to. Being recognized by a stranger who says they “love your work” never gets old, especially for younger reporters without much of a reputation.
Craft an angle.
If you have advanced knowledge of a news release happening at the event, create an elevator pitch about it—two sentences max. If not, prepare something else to say—remember it should be about a newsworthy issue that is related to the event/conference, not just a sales pitch. It has to be a perspective or bit of information that is useful to the reporter and their audience. If it is only useful to you, it is unlikely to get printed.
For more, click here.