33 things the media wish PR people knew
From ditching jargon to priorities to deadlines, understanding these essentials will help you—both of you—the next time you’re working with a reporter.
For everyone to succeed, you need to know some things. Here are 33 of them:
1. That not everything your organization does is newsworthy.
2. That a press release, though still a useful outreach tool, is rarely enough on its own.
3. How to think like a reporter.
4. That they’re often (maybe usually) overworked and underpaid.
5. That they’re active on social networks.
6. Their deadlines.
7. Not to contact them near these deadlines.
8. That multimedia messaging—videos, photos, etc.—helps them understand what you’re trying to say.
9. The medium through which they like to receive pitches.
10. How to write a compelling email subject line.
11. That you should help them with something before asking them to cover you.
12. That jargon confuses readers (and, often, reporters).
13. That sometimes, even if you pitch perfectly, you get no coverage.
14. That corporate messaging goals and good journalism are often at odds.
15. How to create and use a social media release.
16. That bloggers aren’t journalists (except when journalists blog).
17. That citizens aren’t photojournalists simply because Twitpic, Instagram, and Yfrog enable them to snap and share pictures quickly and easily.
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