Want editors, reporters, and journalists to positively love hearing from you when you have a story to pitch or news to share or – better still -- to call you? Believe it or not there are a few simple secrets to fostering that love connection. Here’s a veteran reporter’s take on what will get those endorphins pumping and what will positively snuff out reporters’ flames of desire:How to Make ‘em LOVE You:
Give ‘em a heads up to imminent news – There’s nothing that shows you have a true interest in MY needs more than a call (or e-mail) telling me about big news about to break (so long as you’re not breaking company rules.) Most ethical reporters will honor requests to embargo news, and if they refuse or break a confidentiality, you don’t want to deal with them anyway.
I’m thrilled to get the nitty gritty details before the official news release goes out to the masses, even if I’ve agreed not to immediately report it. Nothing is more frustrating than getting a newsy e-mail several hours/days after I’ve already picked it up on a wire service (and reporters do check these often) and wondering why I was snubbed or forgotten.
Give ‘em what they need and want – Sending me news that fits perfectly within my beat(s) and is the kind of news I cover will let me know you’re on the ball and respect my time. Just like knowing your significant other’s favorite restaurant, color, sport and birthday, if you want this relationship to work you’ll need to know what I cover/what I don’t, what’s news to me and what is beyond my/the news organization’s scope, and how and when to best reach me.
Be more responsive than the average bear – If you will quickly and efficiently respond to my request for comments on a news item, or some color commentary that adds breadth or depth to my coverage, you’ll win my heart, my respect and a button on my speed dial.
Get me to the church on time – On a related note, if I can get a few minutes of chat time with the right person, at the right time (and within my usually tight deadline) you become my “go to” miracle worker.
The Kiss of Death:
Conversely, here are a few of the things that will quickly unravel the love knot with reporters:
· Not responding quickly (or at all) to my phone call/e-mail. If you cannot immediately accommodate my specific need, that’s okay, but be up front and tell me so. If you don’t respond at all, you’re toast. A corollary to this is announcing a big initiative/significant news, but when you’ve “hooked” me admitting the one key executive I need to speak to has just left for an extended vacation in Boa Bora and cannot be reached.
· Repeatedly pitching news I can’t use. If you won’t take the time to learn about what I do and don’t consider newsworthy, future pitches could fall on deaf ears.
· Haunting me for coverage. Becoming a pesky pitcher won’t compel me to cover your firm, but it will make me wonder why you’re desperate.
Lori Pizzani is a Brewster, New York-based independent journalist and author specializing in mutual funds, financial services and business. She serves as the editor-at-large for Money Management Executive and is a regular columnist for CFA Institute Magazine.
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