The Public Relations Blog

Investigative reporters approach stories quite differently from daily beat reporters. They aren’t looking for announcements or expert commentary to support their articles. They’re looking for patterns and inconsistencies and working for accountability.

Understanding how investigative journalists work can help your company spot risks, evaluate media opportunities more effectively, and anticipate questions that may catch your expert off guard.

When a reporter calls for expert insight, they’re not asking for something an AI assistant could write. They want real perspective. Industry experience. A quote that helps move the story forward.

And yet, some companies still try to save time by responding with AI-generated answers. The problem? Reporters can spot it instantly. It’s vague. It’s safe. And it’s missing the voice of someone who actually knows what they’re talking about.

Mistakes happen. A quote gets trimmed a little too much, and the meaning isn’t as clear or completely changes. A statistic is printed incorrectly. A headline lands in a way that makes you wince. You feel pressure to get it changed ASAP.

Most media pages are designed for the brand, not for journalists. They’re filled with marketing language, outdated and irrelevant links, broken images, or PDFs buried behind four clicks. Then companies wonder why reporters don’t use them or why the coverage they earn doesn’t get the facts right.

Your organization should borrow this journalism technique for media pitches

Most corporate stories fail before a journalist finishes reading the first paragraph.

Not because the company lacks news. Not because the topic lacks relevance.

But the story lacks a “narrative arc.”

In this solocast, On Top of PR host Jason Mudd dives into why most press releases fail and how to craft news releases that capture attention, clicks, and engagement.

Tune in to learn more!

Reputation, credibility, and media relationships develop over time. Companies expecting immediate results from PR often misunderstand how earned media actually works.

Many executives approach public relations expecting quick results, similar to advertising. In reality, earned media works differently. In this article, Axia Public Relations explains why successful PR strategies unfold over years and why consistent effort produces the strongest results.

Build a cross-channel dashboard tying earned media to pipeline with UTM, GA4, and CRM data. Practical SEO for PR that proves ROI and lift.

PR teams are feeling more pressure to prove real business impact. Leadership is not satisfied with big impression numbers or a long list of logos anymore. They want to know how earned media turns into site visits, leads, pipeline, and closed revenue. That means PR leaders need a clear way to connect coverage with the same numbers sales and finance care about.

How you connect with reporters should follow a pattern.

As you cultivate relationships with reporters, you and your company can become trusted, go-to sources for their stories. To build these connections, it’s crucial to communicate effectively. Reporters appreciate sources who respond clearly, concisely, and in the same "vernacular" they use in their articles.

In this episode, Brett Farmiloe joins host Jason Mudd to discuss the comeback of HARO and smarter PR pitching.

Tune in to learn more!