The Public Relations Blog

Handle reporter calls and media interviews with tact and skill

Sometimes, a company might receive an unexpected call from individuals identifying themselves as news reporters. Organization spokespersons attend media interviews to represent their brand in the media. However, if the company representatives aren’t adequately trained for such situations, such engagement might end negatively.

Here’s how to successfully deal with reporter calls and handle media interviews.

Ace an in-person news interview by following these PR pro tips

Whether you are doing a live, in-studio interview or an interview on Zoom or Skype, you must prepare for it. For in-person news interviews, these are the best ways to prepare before arrival and on the day of the interview.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, a majority of TV interviews shifted to Zoom. The pandemic allowed TV stations and news producers to look at interviews in a new light. For a local station, the ability to conduct interviews on Zoom allows them to connect with experts in different areas without having to connect with an affiliate station to procure content for you. While you aren’t sitting face-to-face or knee-to-knee with an anchor, there are still tips and tricks you should utilize to make your Zoom interview a breeze.

Are they worth their weight?

Earned media coverage is one of the best ways to share your company’s story. Marketers and business leaders talk about wanting earned media coverage in "top-tier" news media outlets. But how do they define top-tier media versus not-top-tier media? Is there a public relations or journalism industry standard for top-tier?

If a TV interview doesn’t air, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed as a PR professional

TV reporters regularly contact public relations professionals to score an interview with an expert. After the back and forth, prepping, and recording the interview, both parties expect the interview to air, especially if the reporter gives you a specific date.

What if it doesn’t air? As PR pros, we can’t help feeling lost if we experience this. 

This post discusses why a TV interview might not air, what it says about your skills, and how to avoid or mitigate the impact of such a disappointing outcome.

A recent study by Propel, a public relations management software that brings data-driven analytics to PR, found that less than 8% of PR pitches actually get coverage.

That number might surprise many outsiders in the field, but career professionals in public relations might consider it business as usual. While the earned media rate is higher, journalists tell us that they receive about 100 pitches for every story they produce. 

COVID-19 has radically changed the habits of most journalists

With 94% of journalists stating that some, most, or all of their reporting has taken a COVID-19-related pivot, their work, habits and preferences have adjusted to the circumstances created by the pandemic. 

Let’s examine Muck Rack’s recent study on the current state of journalism:

PR people are well aware that cold emailing is part of the media relations cycle. Being a regular practice, however, doesn’t mean that it should be done tactlessly. These tactics demands that you be masterful with your approach. Otherwise, you might end up in the bad books of a reporter or editor.

Even worse, your email might end up in the trash. Here are some tactics and openings you should avoid when pitching reporters:

Learn the benefits of using commercial newswires and the mistakes companies make when posting their news releases with our host, Jason Mudd. Jason is the managing partner of Axia Public Relations.

Earned media is the best option to grow your brand’s image

Consumers learn at an early age to tune out advertising. No one goes online or watches TV to see who’s advertising. The value of PR is being part of the content and conversation, not sponsoring that content and conversation.