Things journalists want you to know

Dealing with journalists can often be quite a daunting experience, even for the most seasoned PR proponents. If you are thinking of undertaking some form of media strategy that involves dealing with journalists, then the following might help you out.

Things journalists want you to know (but won't tell you):

1. Journalists don't know everything
Contrary to popular belief, journalists don't actually know everything about an industry. They may regularly write about an industry and may even be experts on specific topics within an industry, but there is always an opportunity for you share valuable information with them that will enrich their articles and help them stand out in their reporting. By being a source for new information you become an asset to a journalist. If you have an interview with a journalist, the more relevant background information you can supply them, the more empowered they are to conduct the interview and write the article. This works in your favour.

2. They like to express their own opinions
Journalists are opinionated. While they have a responsibility to report on the facts, journalists will tend to deliver stories that are aligned to their own opinions. As such, rather target those journalists whose opinions will reflect positively on your company. If your message supports and adds to the journalists opinion then there is a better chance of receiving positive media coverage and creating an ally for the future.

3. They face peer review
Peer review in the world of journalism is incredibly important and can have an impact on a journalists careers path. While you may not have an opportunity to improve a journalists grammar or spelling, you can have a direct impact on their level of writing and the depth of their articles. Spend the time to work out what makes a journalist a great journalist and then do everything you can to help a journalist be great. Providing scoops, inside stories, info no-one else has access to, sought after interviews. These are only a few of the things that you can do to help a journalist do great work. If you give them crap they will write crap (if they even bother to write anything)

4. They are human
It may sometimes be a stretch of the imagination, but journalists are in fact human beings. Most have hardened exteriors from years of dealing with PR people, but if you understand the human element - their pains, their stresses, their frustrations - then you will begin to understand what makes them tick and you can tailor the way you work with them to suit their human side.

Understand these points and you will have taken your first step in the right direction.