The Public Relations Blog

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.

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?

Media has evolved into a place of opportunities where anyone can share content online. But, it has also created more ways for disinformation, libel, and slander to spread online. Negative media coverage is becoming a growing concern for companies and individuals due to this growing risk. Fortunately, there are media laws and steps you can take to defend against online attacks.

In this episode, Thomas Julin joins us to share his expertise on media law. He talks about how journalism has changed into what it is today and how this has changed the law’s approach. Tom also clarifies legal terms and shares his advice on facing negative media coverage. 

Companies have news that consumers aren’t going to like

Not all news a company shares will be perceived as positive or beneficial to the target audiences. Consumers will consider some news, such as closing a location, laying off employees, discontinuing a product, a supply chain or shipping delay, or increased prices, to be bad news. This type of news happens at times. So, when’s the best time to announce “bad” news? 

In this episode, Gunster’s Thomas Julin and host Jason Mudd share how brands can react to unfair news treatment and important federal statutes that come into play.

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Guest:

Our episode guest is Thomas Julin, First Amendment attorney, business litigator, and shareholder at Gunster Law Firm. Thomas has more than 30 years of experience advising companies and the media on free speech issues and libel claims.

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. 

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.