Strengthen Relationships with Journalists with Six Steps

It’s important to cultivate strong relationships with journalists. They are essential in spreading the word about your work, and contribute to narratives that impact our day-to-day lives. It can be tempting to wait until a reporter reaches out to begin to strategize around how to build mutually beneficial relationships with journalists. But strategy begins before you receive the first or the next call. It begins now.  

 

But how do you actually do that, and how do you strengthen your relationships once you have them? Here are six great ways to build or strengthen relationships with journalists. 

Before you reach out to a reporter, familiarize yourself with them and their work. This goes beyond reading their bio, though that is a good place to start. You can also review their social media accounts, to learn what interests them. You’ll also want to take time to read their prior coverage as it will illuminate their style and possibly their beat or focus area. 

 

Most people are impressed when the person they’re engaging has taken time to learn about them. Journalists are no exception.  

If you are contacted for an interview, and you agree to the interview, the fun is just beginning. View the interview as an opportunity to provide information, but also plant seeds for a future relationship. Reporters are motivated by relationships just like anyone else. If you cultivate a relationship, they will be more inclined to call you for future segments. As you are building relationships with reporters, it is important to make sure that they are getting what they need. Being prepared and directly answering their questions will make their jobs easier. If someone is not prepared to respond appropriately, reporters will be less likely to contact them again for another interview. 

 

After answering, you have space to build. You can share your experiences and get more personal with your conversation. Just remember: do not say anything that you wouldn’t want included in the story. While you want to be personable, always remember that journalists have a job to do.

Reporters are busy, and the more context that you can provide for them the easier it will be for them to work with you. When referencing projects or resources, it helps to have the links ready to share. This ensures speed and efficiency. I like to remind clients that when reporters reach out to you, they are likely reaching out to other people. The faster you can respond, the greater the likelihood they will include you in their story. 

 

One note of caution; you are the expert for your work. Journalists may not fully understand the nuance or context for what you share, so help them connect the dots. In the end, this will help the journalist craft a stronger story and ensure that your message is elevated in a meaningful way. 

It’s always a good idea to keep up to date with a reporter’s work. Reading their recent and prior stories helps you understand their beat and interests. 

 

Like everyone else, reporters must build their platforms. Their ability to cover certain issues is influenced by views, interaction, and overall readership. Anytime you and your organization are featured, consider sharing the clip with your internal and external audience. You can post it on social media platforms. Doing so increases your visibility and shows the reporter that you engage with their work. 

Building a relationship with journalists happens between official outreach. This means you should reach out to journalists even if you aren’t pitching a specific story. You can share feedback on articles they’ve written, share coverage your received from other outlets, or simply check in to see how they’re doing. The bottom line is you want to be intentional about reaching out to journalists. They are likely juggling many projects, and you want to ensure you remain on their radar. 

 

Since journalists are busy, your engagement should be meaningful and easy. Offering to buy them a coffee, or something similar, can be a low stakes way to strengthen the connection. (Even if they buy their own drink, always offer to pay.) 

 

Be sure to have a game plan for the coffee or interaction. No one wants to come out of a meeting feeling like you didn’t make the most of your time. Have story ideas or examples of your work prepared to discuss. Read their latest pieces and be prepared with questions. You should also scan their social media accounts to see if you can glean information that could be helpful in your meeting. Remember, relationships aren’t built on one or two interactions, but on a pattern of mutually beneficial interactions.

I have found that the strongest relationships with reporters come when journalists feel you respect them personally and professionally. You want to be mindful of their boundaries, and you certainly want them to respect your boundaries. But you should be clear that your outreach is more than transactional. Once you establish a relationship, you don’t always have to have a work proposition in order to reach out.

 

When you reach out, reporters may think you want something from them. Of course, everyone loves favorable coverage; however, if you express your interest in catching up, you can deepen the relationship.  

 

While I want you to be personable and friendly, never forget that journalists have a job to do. Don’t ever say or share something that you wouldn’t want repeated or published. Maintain good boundaries even as you work to acknowledge their humanity. 

 

In closing, we ask a lot from journalists. We want them to cover every story, introduce us to people we do not know, and give us a heads-up if they cover our issue. At the end of the day, journalists are people who – like other people – are motivated by warm, trusting relationships. Don’t wait for them to call you. Proactively reach out.  

 

 

Sophia Shannon is a media relations associate for Spotlight PR LLC. Be sure to check out our other blogs and subscribe for regular communications updates.