Media Relations

Despite many changes from the pandemic, journalists continue to want tight, relevant pitches. A new Muck Rack study finds the best day to pitch remains Monday and that journalists prefer academics and CEOs for interviews. They also have a slight preference for brand communicators over PR pros from agencies.

Looking at the market for earned media during a recent PRNEWS webinar, PR pros admitted the landscape remains highly competitive, though a bevy of targets is available. Panelists urged PR pros to consider a range of traditional and newer media outlets.

As we know, PR is a relationship business. Owing to the pandemic, face-to-face meetings and quick coffees with journalists can’t occur. Still, clever PR pros are expanding and deepening relationships with journalists. We offer a few tactics to get PR pros back out on the circuit, virtually.

A key to media relations is treating journalists as human beings. A new survey, provided exclusively to PRNEWS, looks at journalists’ income, workload, mental health and preferences about pitching and video conferences. It concludes that some things have changed with the pandemic, but the basics of media relations endure.

One door closes, another opens. One of the last institutions to resist TV coverage, the U.S. Supreme Court has opened up a bit during the pandemic. Now any journalist with WiFi can listen to the court’s proceedings. This means media relations must adapt. Our author finds virtual SCOTUS hearings offer new opportunities for communicators.

On Jan. 21, The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, hosted a webinar with White House communications director Kate Bedingfield, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and chief spokesperson for Vice President Harris, Symone Sanders. The group discussed its messaging strategy for the White House moving forward, touching on how female leadership can impact political communications.

It seemed that most of the nation stopped today to watch the inauguration. With nearly wall-to-wall coverage on the incoming president and VP, is it wise to think about pitching a non-political story now? As with so much of PR and communication, there’s no definitive answer.

If 2020 taught media relations professionals a lesson, it’s about the importance of relationships.

Meeting media contacts in person, securing press tours and catching up over coffee have taken a backseat amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For savvy practitioners, though, continuing to build relationships with the media endured, and in many cases, thrived.

It’s flattering when someone asks for your opinion, which essentially is what a media interview entails. PR pros can use that knowledge and two words that will bolster relationships with content creators. These two words also will increase response rate to media pitches, says Brandon Watts, who recently wrote an e-book that required a lot of pitching.

This week PRNEWS Live welcomed guest John Kell, media lead at Chobani, to chat about 2021 communications trends.