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About this lesson
Becoming a journalist’s ally means that you make their job easier, which in turn will help you by increasing your chances of getting your press release published.
Exercise files
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Become a Journalist’s Ally.docx60.6 KB Become a Journalist’s Ally - Solution.docx
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Quick reference
Becoming a Journalist’s Ally
Becoming a journalist’s ally means that you facilitate their work and this will in turn help you by increasing your chances of getting your press release published.
When to use
Throughout your interactions with journalists.
Instructions
- Demos & Samples: If your press release is about a product, ask if they would be interested in a product demo or sample to look at or play with.
- Get ready for your interview: be real and genuine, show the real you behind your company and product. Before the interview, find out what they want – it might be facts, figures, photos, media footage, case studies or quotes – and do your best to give it to them.
- Local versus national angle: if you are going to be interviewed by the local press, giving your news a local angle will make it more relevant. Ask yourself “how will my news affect the local community?” If you are going to be interviewed by the national press, you will need to show that your news is of interest to the population at large.
- Problem versus solution angle: you could take either the problem or the solution angle depending on which aspect of your news/product you decide to focus on.
- Keep a positive attitude if you get a negative review: any form of criticism – negative articles, comments, or reviews – is an opportunity to grow and perfect the loopholes in your company or product. Keeping a positive attitude will show journalists that you are open to learning and growing and will allow the relationship between you and the media to continue in a fresh and positive way.
- 00:05 An ally is one who is in a helpful relationship with another.
- 00:10 We've already discussed some of the ways in which you can be helpful to
- 00:14 journalist's.
- 00:14 Things like meeting deadlines and respecting guidelines,
- 00:18 this will all make the job much easier.
- 00:20 But what else is there that you can do?
- 00:22 If your press release is about a product,
- 00:26 ask if they would be interested in a product demo or a sample where possible.
- 00:32 Everyone likes getting something new to play with or to look at.
- 00:36 Imagine your journalist is a gadget kind of person and you're responsible for
- 00:41 Nokia's press releases.
- 00:43 You would wanna go out of your way to get the journalist
- 00:46 a sample of the latest Nokia cell phone, let them try it out and have fun with it.
- 00:50 They'll then be better equipped to actually go ahead and write about it.
- 00:56 Get ready for your interview.
- 00:57 When a journalist wants to interview you, say yes.
- 01:00 Even if you have to do it by scribe it's not a problem.
- 01:04 A journalist time is rare, as rare as yours.
- 01:07 So this is an opportunity that you don't wanna miss.
- 01:10 So, it should be real and genuine.
- 01:12 Journalists love seeing the real you
- 01:14 that's the behind the company of the product.
- 01:16 If they wanted to hear a sales pitch, they could have just read the ad for
- 01:20 it in the newspaper.
- 01:21 So before the interview, you can find out what they want you to do.
- 01:25 It might be facts or figures or photos that they want, some more footage and
- 01:29 case studies and quotes, that's fine.
- 01:32 If they want you to provide them with that, have it all ready.
- 01:35 Then we need to think, before the interview, you need to find out what angle
- 01:39 the journalist would like to take and what angle they want you give on the story.
- 01:43 Let's assume that your release
- 01:46 announced the opening of a new office in a different town.
- 01:49 And now you're being interviewed about the same topic.
- 01:53 So if you're being interviewed by the local press,
- 01:56 giving your news a local angle will make it more relevant.
- 02:00 Ask yourself, how will my news affect the local community?
- 02:04 For example, you can focus on the jobs that your new office will create
- 02:09 within the local community.
- 02:12 On the other hand, if you're being interviewed by the national press,
- 02:16 you will need to show that your news is of interest to the population at large.
- 02:21 For example, you can show that the number of people employed by a company has
- 02:26 increased steadily with each new offers that's been opened across the country.
- 02:31 Now let's assume that your release announced the launch of
- 02:35 a new mobile phone.
- 02:36 You could take either the problem, or the solution angle.
- 02:40 You could focus on the problems that the previous version of the phone had, and
- 02:44 say how it's been improved, or you could take a solution orientated approach and
- 02:50 focus on what the phone has to offer the users now.
- 02:54 These are just a few examples.
- 02:56 You know, there are many angles that you can take on the same piece of news,
- 03:01 it just depends on what it is you would like to emphasize.
- 03:06 It's easy to get a negative review.
- 03:08 Whether it is about your company, client, or
- 03:11 the product, be sure to say so in a polite and a respective way.
- 03:16 It's no problem, always keep a positive attitude.
- 03:20 Negative articles and comments or reviews, is actually not a train smash.
- 03:25 Okay, you should welcome criticism and just use it as an opportunity to grow and
- 03:30 to perfect the loopholes and issues within your company and with your product.
- 03:34 This will really show the journalists that you're open to learning and to growing.
- 03:39 The relationship between you and the media will continue, then, in a fresh and
- 03:44 a positive way.
- 03:45 Remember with so many negative things happening in the world on a daily basis,
- 03:49 journalists will probably find it refreshing
- 03:52 to be around people who are more positive and more enjoyable.
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