Don't Forget the Follow-up!
December 1, 2003
By Al Rothstein
You have your spokesperson ready and your press release is quickly running through
the fax machine and e-mail outbox. You're about to see whether all of that hard
work will pay off with reporters knocking down your door. (There are, of course,
more accurate ways to measure media results. But that's for another issue.)
Somewhere along the line, perhaps at a gathering of public relations pros, someone
has told you not to bother following up those press releases. "If they are interested
in your story, they will call you," was the wise word. Some reporters' answering
machines even say the same thing. You normally hear that from a network or large
market reporter. That's because their phones ring off the wall with non-stories.
But in most cases, it is a good idea to follow-up. Personal contact is always
better than a sheet of paper! That means personal visits to a newsroom is the
ideal way to make a media contact, but that is not practical for follow-up purposes,
unless there is a good reason for a media tour. Phone calls are the next best
thing. Normally, reporters like to be reminded about good stories because they
may have filed your press release away. You may also have new information to
give them that was not in the press release. However, there are rules to follow
when calling a reporter.
Remember that reporters have a lot of deadlines. Some must get stories on the
noon, 5:00, 5:30, 6:00 and even 10:00 or 11:00 evening newscasts. That means
editing several different angles of the same story. A lot of pressure indeed!
That means your follow-up needs to get their attention. You won't normally
get much response if you call within two hours of their newscast.
Also note that reporters have morning meetings with their news director, executive
producer, show producers and assignment editor at about 8:30 - 9:00 am (2:30
- 3:00 pm for the night reporters). The purpose of these meetings is to determine
what stories get covered. That means the best time to call a reporter is before
the meeting, to make sure they received your release and to give them a good
story idea to present at the meeting. As an alternative, it is not a bad idea
to call the reporter after the meeting, between 9:30 and 10:00 am, but they may
already have their story for that day.
Also consider calling the assignment editor at a television station or news editor
at a newspaper if the reporter is not available.
In the hectic world of a newsroom, follow-ups can be the determining factor between
your story idea being broadcast, or landing in the circular file.
Al's Advice
- Avoid reporter deadline times when following up.
- Follow up before or just after the reporter's morning meetings.
- Keep in mind that the reporter receives a lot of press releases.
- Consider calling the assignment editor or news editor.
- Remember that personal contact works best!
Al Rothstein is a media trainer and consultant with Al
Rothstein Media Services,
Inc. For information, call (800) 453-6352, mediabrain@rothsteinmedia.
com.
Visit our web site at www.rothsteinmedia.com.
