Media Relations – the ‘relations’ part is all important

Words matter. And, when it comes to “media relations,” or “public relations” for that matter, the word relations is of particular importance, not the dangler that it may appear to be, at first glance. Its importance, I think, is because it gets to the core of the job of media relations specialists, which is not so much to “relate” as it is to effectively “relay” the message of the organizations or individuals we represent to the media, and by extension to the public. By whatever tool, platform or vehicle is most appropriate for the message that’s being communicated.

So, I was heartened to see John Wagner’s recent post that while the new tech tools that so many PR bloggers write about and advocate are important, they should not obscure what effective communications is really all about … helping the client connect with people they want to reach. Through whatever medium; using whichever tools. John provides some basic and important tips in his post under the headings “Tell Stories,” “Add Value” and ‘Provide an Experience.”

I would simply add a couple more:

• Keep it Simple – remember, especially when dealing with the media, journalists are basically synthesizers, who have to boil down complex and sometimes technical issues and data into the common denominators that can be understood in fairly plain English. Otherwise, they’re not doing their job. And, if you can help them do their job by already having effectively synthesized some of the jargon and statistics and by presenting them with a message from the client sans marketing speak, you’ll have gone a long way toward generating media interest and securing coverage;

• Be Concrete – avoid abstractions and try to boil down the complexities into an easily understandable notion through a concrete, physical example from everyday life, something intuitive to most people that would garner a nod of the head and the thought, ‘Ok, now I get it.” In a press release, you might want to package this into an executive quote that you clear for attribution from the “vision” person in the management team, but however you do this it should be the nugget of “Ah-hah” that makes the rest of the communication make real sense; and,

• Relate Form to Function – learn to match the technology tool or media platform used to communicate the message to the appropriate readership/audience/community. Not every tool or medium works for every message. I’ve developed a formula in my head that goes something like the following:

Concise Message + Defined Community + Precise Platform + Timely Delivery → Media Mindshare

In that formula, matching the precise platform for the community or audience you’ve defined is critical to capturing “media mindshare” and, through the media, the attention and interest of the public to whom you are trying to relay your client’s message.

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