How not to handle a journalist
Press releases
Fax *and* post all press releases, especially to freelances, who are always eager to get leads. Email them, too, even if the journalist asks you not to. That way, they’re more likely to get noticed.
Don’t date press releases. Journalists like having an excuse to call up and ask for information.
Printed press releases should be single-spaced and printed on both sides of the paper. Otherwise the journalist might be tempted to make notes on them, ruining your design.
Conversely, emailed press releases should always be double-, or even triple-, spaced. This makes them stand out from ordinary email. Be sure to list contact and other information above the headline. Otherwise the journalist might forget to page through the entire document. Even better, send the entire press release as a MIME-encoded word processor document.
Always send pictures of product boxes or executives with your press releases, especially to freelances. It makes your presentation look more professional, and gives the freelances additional selling points when they approach editors with your story.
When the press release has finally been OK’d by the client and has your name on the bottom as the contact person and is actually in the envelope and ready to go, take a two-week vacation. You’ve earned the rest.
When writing a press release, put in lots of background information and bland quotes from company executives. Most press releases are too short to give journalists enough ideas to write a whole article.
Never give a journalist a client’s direct telephone number, especially if the journalist claims to have a deadline and you’re going out of the office for the rest of the week. It preserves the mystery.
If you enclose a map with your press kit, be sure that it is on an odd piece of paper which will not fit into a copier. Better yet, print it on pink paper, so that the print media cannot lift a copy of it for reproduction. Editors LIKE to assign staff artists to redraw your map, and they’ll be especially careful to get the details just the way you had them.
It’s also important to be sensitive to the needs of the ethnic press. Be sure to send them copy in their own language, but don’t worry about the fact that you don’t know what it says, because you didn’t arrange for it to be proofread. It’ll brighten their day, as they pass it around the offices of Ukrainskii Zhournal, laughing hilariously at your brother-in-law’s lack of skill in their language. Better yet, send it just at deadline time!
Always make sure to send an individual copy of every press release all staff writers and editors on a title. Otherwise they might get jealous.
Think of your product broadly. What *could* it be used for? Be sure to define it in those terms to editors, especially those on specialist titles, who may lack imagination.
Announcements about mid-level managers who were recently promoted should always be sent by courier, requiring a signature. Be sure to include a large, black-and-white headshot of the person who has been promoted.
A good strategy for handling particularly large press blitzes is to set up your fax software to autodial every journalist in town over the weekend, when phone rates are lowest. Make sure some voice numbers are included on the list and that the system is configured to dial back until it gets through successfully. Fun!
Telephone calls and contact with journalists
Follow up all press releases with phone calls. Journalists often lose things, and like to be reminded.
Assign your newest recruit to make all phone calls, making sure not to give them any information about the journalists they’re calling. Journalists like to talk about themselves.
When you call journalists, never check if it’s a good time or if the journalist is trying to make a deadline. These things are just excuses.
Choose your times to call carefully. Always call freelances before 9AM or after 7PM, when you’re sure they’re home working and will be in a receptive mood. This leaves you free to call staff during office hours.
Always be positive and firm. Journalists need you more than you need them.
Never worry about time zones, whether you’re calling California at 8am Eastern Time or London at 4pm in California. Journalists, especially freelances, will *always* be glad to hear from you. Offer to check their copy for factual errors. Journalists appreciate the help.
Always request two copies of every article for which you provide a product or contact. Journalists appreciate your interest in their work. Don’t hesitate to call several times to remind them.
Journalists may underestimate the value of the stories you propose. Don’t let them make this mistake.
Never tell journalists when an account moves to or from your agency. They enjoy testing their psychic powers of divination.
Similarly, never notify journalists when you yourself change agencies. Remember: it’s *public* relations, not *personal* relations.
Never acknowledge email messages from journalists. Otherwise they’ll take you for granted.
Press releases
Fax *and* post all press releases, especially to freelances, who are always eager to get leads. Email them, too, even if the journalist asks you not to. That way, they’re more likely to get noticed.
Don’t date press releases. Journalists like having an excuse to call up and ask for information.
Printed press releases should be single-spaced and printed on both sides of the paper. Otherwise the journalist might be tempted to make notes on them, ruining your design.
Conversely, emailed press releases should always be double-, or even triple-, spaced. This makes them stand out from ordinary email. Be sure to list contact and other information above the headline. Otherwise the journalist might forget to page through the entire document. Even better, send the entire press release as a MIME-encoded word processor document.
Always send pictures of product boxes or executives with your press releases, especially to freelances. It makes your presentation look more professional, and gives the freelances additional selling points when they approach editors with your story.
When the press release has finally been OK’d by the client and has your name on the bottom as the contact person and is actually in the envelope and ready to go, take a two-week vacation. You’ve earned the rest.
When writing a press release, put in lots of background information and bland quotes from company executives. Most press releases are too short to give journalists enough ideas to write a whole article.
Never give a journalist a client’s direct telephone number, especially if the journalist claims to have a deadline and you’re going out of the office for the rest of the week. It preserves the mystery.
If you enclose a map with your press kit, be sure that it is on an odd piece of paper which will not fit into a copier. Better yet, print it on pink paper, so that the print media cannot lift a copy of it for reproduction. Editors LIKE to assign staff artists to redraw your map, and they’ll be especially careful to get the details just the way you had them.
It’s also important to be sensitive to the needs of the ethnic press. Be sure to send them copy in their own language, but don’t worry about the fact that you don’t know what it says, because you didn’t arrange for it to be proofread. It’ll brighten their day, as they pass it around the offices of Ukrainskii Zhournal, laughing hilariously at your brother-in-law’s lack of skill in their language. Better yet, send it just at deadline time!
Always make sure to send an individual copy of every press release all staff writers and editors on a title. Otherwise they might get jealous.
Think of your product broadly. What *could* it be used for? Be sure to define it in those terms to editors, especially those on specialist titles, who may lack imagination.
Announcements about mid-level managers who were recently promoted should always be sent by courier, requiring a signature. Be sure to include a large, black-and-white headshot of the person who has been promoted.
A good strategy for handling particularly large press blitzes is to set up your fax software to autodial every journalist in town over the weekend, when phone rates are lowest. Make sure some voice numbers are included on the list and that the system is configured to dial back until it gets through successfully. Fun!
Telephone calls and contact with journalists
Follow up all press releases with phone calls. Journalists often lose things, and like to be reminded.
Assign your newest recruit to make all phone calls, making sure not to give them any information about the journalists they’re calling. Journalists like to talk about themselves.
When you call journalists, never check if it’s a good time or if the journalist is trying to make a deadline. These things are just excuses.
Choose your times to call carefully. Always call freelances before 9AM or after 7PM, when you’re sure they’re home working and will be in a receptive mood. This leaves you free to call staff during office hours.
Always be positive and firm. Journalists need you more than you need them.
Never worry about time zones, whether you’re calling California at 8am Eastern Time or London at 4pm in California. Journalists, especially freelances, will *always* be glad to hear from you. Offer to check their copy for factual errors. Journalists appreciate the help.
Always request two copies of every article for which you provide a product or contact. Journalists appreciate your interest in their work. Don’t hesitate to call several times to remind them.
Journalists may underestimate the value of the stories you propose. Don’t let them make this mistake.
Never tell journalists when an account moves to or from your agency. They enjoy testing their psychic powers of divination.
Similarly, never notify journalists when you yourself change agencies. Remember: it’s *public* relations, not *personal* relations.
Never acknowledge email messages from journalists. Otherwise they’ll take you for granted.
Kanchana Kodituwakku
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