Become a Journalist’s Ally

Quick reference

• 00:05 An ally is one who is in a helpful relationship with another.
• 00:10 We've already discussed some of the ways in which you can be helpful to
• 00:14 journalist's.
• 00:14 Things like meeting deadlines and respecting guidelines,
• 00:18 this will all make the job much easier.
• 00:20 But what else is there that you can do?
• 00:22 If your press release is about a product,
• 00:26 ask if they would be interested in a product demo or a sample where possible.
• 00:32 Everyone likes getting something new to play with or to look at.
• 00:36 Imagine your journalist is a gadget kind of person and you're responsible for
• 00:41 Nokia's press releases.
• 00:43 You would wanna go out of your way to get the journalist
• 00:46 a sample of the latest Nokia cell phone, let them try it out and have fun with it.
• 00:50 They'll then be better equipped to actually go ahead and write about it.
• 00:56 Get ready for your interview.
• 00:57 When a journalist wants to interview you, say yes.
• 01:00 Even if you have to do it by scribe it's not a problem.
• 01:04 A journalist time is rare, as rare as yours.
• 01:07 So this is an opportunity that you don't wanna miss.
• 01:10 So, it should be real and genuine.
• 01:12 Journalists love seeing the real you
• 01:14 that's the behind the company of the product.
• 01:16 If they wanted to hear a sales pitch, they could have just read the ad for
• 01:20 it in the newspaper.
• 01:21 So before the interview, you can find out what they want you to do.
• 01:25 It might be facts or figures or photos that they want, some more footage and
• 01:29 case studies and quotes, that's fine.
• 01:32 If they want you to provide them with that, have it all ready.
• 01:35 Then we need to think, before the interview, you need to find out what angle
• 01:39 the journalist would like to take and what angle they want you give on the story.
• 01:43 Let's assume that your release
• 01:46 announced the opening of a new office in a different town.
• 01:49 And now you're being interviewed about the same topic.
• 01:53 So if you're being interviewed by the local press,
• 01:56 giving your news a local angle will make it more relevant.
• 02:00 Ask yourself, how will my news affect the local community?
• 02:04 For example, you can focus on the jobs that your new office will create
• 02:09 within the local community.
• 02:12 On the other hand, if you're being interviewed by the national press,
• 02:16 you will need to show that your news is of interest to the population at large.
• 02:21 For example, you can show that the number of people employed by a company has
• 02:26 increased steadily with each new offers that's been opened across the country.
• 02:31 Now let's assume that your release announced the launch of
• 02:35 a new mobile phone.
• 02:36 You could take either the problem, or the solution angle.
• 02:40 You could focus on the problems that the previous version of the phone had, and
• 02:44 say how it's been improved, or you could take a solution orientated approach and
• 02:50 focus on what the phone has to offer the users now.
• 02:54 These are just a few examples.
• 02:56 You know, there are many angles that you can take on the same piece of news,
• 03:01 it just depends on what it is you would like to emphasize.
• 03:06 It's easy to get a negative review.
• 03:08 Whether it is about your company, client, or
• 03:11 the product, be sure to say so in a polite and a respective way.
• 03:16 It's no problem, always keep a positive attitude.
• 03:20 Negative articles and comments or reviews, is actually not a train smash.
• 03:25 Okay, you should welcome criticism and just use it as an opportunity to grow and
• 03:30 to perfect the loopholes and issues within your company and with your product.
• 03:34 This will really show the journalists that you're open to learning and to growing.
• 03:39 The relationship between you and the media will continue, then, in a fresh and
• 03:44 a positive way.
• 03:45 Remember with so many negative things happening in the world on a daily basis,
• 03:49 journalists will probably find it refreshing
• 03:52 to be around people who are more positive and more enjoyable.

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