This document provides guidance on working with media through pitching stories, sending media advisories, and conducting interviews and press events. The key points are: 1. Successful media relations requires knowing your media outlets, localizing your pitches, and being available and responsive to reporters. 2. Pitch letters and media advisories are the primary ways to alert media to potential stories, and should be personalized and connect to the outlet's interests. 3. When working with reporters, be prepared, get your messaging across clearly, and think like a reporter in order to develop and maintain good relationships.

1. #OUJ3700
Cover letters,
media advisories
how to play nice

2. WORKING
WITH
MEDIA

3. Why is this important?
PR needs the media to validate content.
The media needs PR to find stories they’re too
busy to find.
There is a love/hate relationship.
• Many journalists think PR people are used car
salesmen.
• Many PR people think journalists are sensational.
• This is why personal relationships matter so much.

4. Media relations checklist
Seven Steps For Success
1. Know your media
2. Localize
3. Be available/responsive
4. Be honest and fair
5. Be sensitive to deadlines
6. Be persistent, not annoying
7. Be wary of offering free stuff

5. NATIONAL Database
GATHERING
There are four that most use
•PR Newswire
•Businesswire
•Cision,
•Meltwater

6. Database
FEATUREs
1. Media organization name
2. Mailing address
3. Telephone and fax number
4. E-mail addresses
5. Names of key editors and reporters
6. Social media accounts
7. These are not always precise

7. Editorial calendars
1. Provide information about what will be
covered in certain issues of a
publication.
2. Often set a year in advance.
3. Many keep same special issues from
year to year.
4. These allow you to play connect the dots
between media and your organization.

8. Tip sheets
Weekly newsletters that report on
• Changes in news personnel and
their assignments
• How to contact them
• What kinds of material they’re
looking for
HARO is a great daily tip sheet

9. There are two ways we
initially alert media
Pitch Letter/Email
OR
Media Advisory

10. PITCH
LETTER=
PITCH
EMAIL

11. PITCH LETTER/email
OVERVIEW
• Pitch letters let media gatekeepers know
something is going on.
• They are usually the first thing a gatekeeper
sees.
• It’s a sales pitch that explains why the media
outlet needs to cover this.
• PITCH LETTER MUST BE CUSTOMIZED.
• YOU HAVE TO CONNECT YOUR CONTENT TO
THEIR NEWS VALUES

12. PITCH LETTER/email
OVERVIEW
• Step One: Connect to them.
• What is of interest to them?
• How have they covered the story or issue in the
past?
• Twitter and Cision help you personalize the pitch.
• LinkedIn can help too.
• Step Two: Connect to you.
• Keep it short.
• Follow up with call or tweet.

13. I really can’t stress this enough
• The more personal the
pitch, the higher the
batting average.
• This applies to cover
letters as well.

14. PITCH LETTER 101
COURTESY BAD PITCH
BLOG
1. Hit with your best shot.
2. Make it damn personal.
3. It’s method, man. Letters delivered by
email need different content than those
delivered by envelope with stamp.
4. Do not rush a letter.
5. Proofread. Proofread. Oh and then
proofread again.

15. Pitch letter example
• I hope you've come down from the Breaking Bad
high of Sunday. I still can't believe everything
that happened in 75 minutes.
• As you get ready for the OSU/Northwestern
game and other coverage this weekend on ESPN
Radio, I wanted to pitch a potential guest who
can offer a different perspective on where the
OSU team is and how it got there….

16. Pitch letter example
• I recently read your vaccine article
and wanted to connect about an
international autism conference
taking place next week in
Columbus, Ohio.

17. Pitch letter example
• Sorry about Pete
Carroll’s brain freeze.

18. MEDIA
ADVISORIE
S

19. Let’s Talk Media
Advisories.
• They tell assignment editors about upcoming news
events, opportunities or local angles
• When you host a press conference or event, you send
these.
• When you have special availability, you send these.
• When you don’t trust reporters to embargo a release, you
send these.
• When you have a major announcement and don’t want to
let the cat out of the bag, you send these.

20. Formatting
These are one page:
• These are almost always for immediate release.
• Contact Information: CELL MANDATORY….
• Headline
• What, who, when, where, background in that order.
• Logistics
• Where can I park?
• Where do I go when I get there?

21. WORKING WITH
MEDIA ONCE
THEY ARE
INTERESTED

22. How can we play nice?
Six tips for media interviews
1. When reporters call, interview them first.
2. Know the purpose of the interview
3. Be prepared for questions, know your facts.
4. Don’t be combative, arrogant, evasive. If you
don’t know the answer, it’s OK. Just explain
when and how you can find the answer.
5. Get your message/talking points across.
6. The best PR pros think like reporters….

23. How can we play nice?
News conference
1. Don’t use reporters for routine announcements
2. Allow all media information simultaneously
3. Allow follow-up questions
4. Schedule at a good time for reporters.
1. 10, 1 and 3 are good times.
5. Select a location that accommodates reporters’
technical needs.

24. How to play nice:
News conference
• Invite reporters a week in advance.
• Establish a schedule and rules for the
conference.
• Spokespeople should remain available
afterward.
• Be tech friendly
• Webinars
• UStream…

25. How to play nice
Media tour
If they can’t come to you, you go to them.
• Media outlet itself
• Satellite media tour
• Radio
• TV….5 minute interviews
• Skype!!!!!!!!!
• Internet or Twitter chats

26. How to play nice:
other ideas
• Previews
• Opening of facility.
• Launch of a product or campaign.
• Press junkets
• Entertainers do these all the time to promote.
• They stay in one place and reporters rotate in and
out.
• Press tours/trips
• Must be legitimate news angle.
• With bloggers, all bets can be off.

27. How to play nice:
other ideas
Editorial board meetings
• Contact editor to request a meeting.
• Great way to build relationship with
gatekeepers.
• Great way to build third party
endorsements.
• People don’t use this enough.

28. How to play nice:
other ideas
Create Conferences & Fundraisers
• You garner support
• You state a case to a sympathetic crowd.
• You better control content because it’s a .
one stop shop for media and audience
• It’s also social media friendly.
• The key is to sell the subject matter, not
the conference itself.

29. Media relations checklist
Seven Steps For Success
1. Know your media
2. Localize
3. Be available/responsive
4. Be honest and fair
5. Be sensitive to deadlines
6. Be persistent, not annoying
7. Be wary of offering free stuff