10 things to do when a journalist phones

When a journalist knocks on your door looking for a comment, it is tempting to simply answer their questions. But you need to be much more organised if you want to build and protect your brand and reputation.

Here is our list of 10 must do actions to take when a journalist asks you for a comment:

1.      Ask what they want: Don’t assume you know what they want to talk to you about.

2.      Ask what they already know: What information do they already have? Do they have a concrete basis for the story already or are they on a fishing expedition?

3.      Ask who else they have spoken to: Knowing this can help you figure out what other people may have already said. Have they spoken with someone who is likely to be critical of you or an action you have taken?

4.      Ask what angle they are taking: Okay – many journalists aren’t going to tell you, but it’s worth asking the question anyway.

5.      Ask what their deadline is: You need to know how fast you need to move. Making them miss their deadline is not conducive to building a good working relationship.

6.      Tell them you will call back: That’s right – never do an interview on the spot. You need to do some homework first. While journalists on a tight deadline won’t be happy, they will appreciate the fact that you can talk to them armed with facts.

7.      Do your homework: Gather the facts, Google recent news stories on the topic and prepare yourself for the interview. Look at what is being said on social media, particularly news Facebook pages. Think about questions the journalist might put to you and prepare answers.

8.      Practice with a friend: It doesn’t matter whether it is a work colleague, your partner or a media advisor; it makes sense to have at least five minutes practice before you head into the real interview. Other people will also think of questions that slipped your mind.

9.      Call the journalist back: Even if you decide you are not going to provide any comment on the story, have the courtesy to let the journalist know before their deadline has passed.

10.   Review the result: Make sure you watch the news or read the paper to see the result. Critically review your own performance so you can do better next time.

Tracy Jones started her career as a journalist 30 years ago before moving to public relations. She is principal of Creative Territory and runs the company’s Intensive Media Training for Executives course.

Is your story REALLY a story?

Posted by Lisa Banks

Have you ever wondered why your story never gets run in the media?

While your media release may seem fascinating to you, ask yourself this question: “Would I run this as a story if I was a journalist?”.

Every year we take a survey of what makes news in The Northern Territory News for two consecutive months. The results of this survey are never surprising. News values have remained the same for as long as we can remember.

The top three news angles of our survey can be used as a practical guide for your business.

1.Impact: If your story is about a big event or is something that impacts a lot of people, then you should focus on this in your media release. A quarter of stories had an impact angle so it is more than likely that your media release will be picked up if your story impacts on people.

2. Human interest: If your story appeals to people on an emotional level, your media release needs to follow a human interest angle. 15 per cent of stories in The Northern Territory News followed this. If your media release is something that you honestly were so excited about that you couldn’t wait to tell your friends about at after work drinks, you’ve hit the human interest jackpot.

3. Great photos: 12% of the articles we looked at had great photos. Photographs add an extra dimension to a news story. Remember, a picture paints 1000 words. Be specific about what photo opportunities exist and make sure the journalist is aware of them.

Other news angles that have always been popular in media coverage include:

Local news: Most regional and local newspapers have a policy that local content comes first.

Timeliness: Is it happening today, tomorrow or yesterday? If it happened last week it’s no longer news and if it’s happening next month it’s probably too early for a story.

Conflict: Is there a major disagreement or conflict? Even better, is it between two people or parties who are supposed to agree with each other?

Fame: Famous people only have to go on a diet to be news.

Topical: There are some issues that people just want to keep talking about. When something is topical, just about anyone can make the news if they offer an opinion.

Novelty: Scary ghosts, singing dogs, walking fish, swimming babies and male beauty queens will always be news.

First and Last: The biggest, smallest, best, worst, newest, oldest, tallest, shortest, longest, most, least, fastest and the slowest.

Our survey provides a great starting point for the business community and a lot can be learnt about writing for the media through looking at what gets run in the newspaper. When you write your next media release, take the time to ask yourself “Would I find this an interesting story? Or is my ‘news’ not news at all?”.