Critical Mass PR

Image: American City Business Journals

Three Phoenix Business Journal staff members were guests this week at Phoenix PRSA’s Media Breakfast. Each shared insights about busy times in the modern newsroom and how public relations professionals can work in sync with journalists to benefit stakeholders and audiences alike.

Their comments, while provided with their own publication in mind, can certainly apply to the journalism and PR professions at large. A few observations from the morning’s panel discussion.

On story life cycle

Ilana Lowery, (Editor): We publish online and in print. The difference with our weekly print stories is there’s more time to develop these. We’ll often present various perspectives in a series of online stories that build up to a more in-depth print article with new content added. This cycle presents multiple opportunities for subject matter experts to assist us and potentially become part of the developing stories.

Adam Kress (Multimedia Reporter): The days of having a story you can sit on for a while are long gone. There are two general modes of operation: breaking a story immediately or building an in-depth story as we go; regarding the latter start the information sharing process with us early to assist our research and generate the most value from your efforts.

Mike Sunnucks (Senior Reporter): The difference between blogs and articles for us presently is that our blogs function as informal and quick analysis. Our reporters choose what to blog on independently, with occasional suggestions from our web editor. Some of these ideas graduate into more comprehensive stories.

Lowery: There is so much more to a story beyond what’s in a press release. That’s really just the basic information. Be creative, your clients can probably give you trends about their industries. You need this. We’re not here to do feature stories on your clients, so this is a way in to help your clients become industry sources. Ask them what is really happening in their space and bring it to us.

Sunnucks: And note here that there is almost always room for new sources. We don’t want to quote the same three subject experts every time. We want to focus on people behind the businesses and their specific challenges. Citing an economist for facts and perspective is a valuable thing, yet quoting a small business owner’s firsthand account of economic hardship can be even more revealing, for example.

On corporate newsrooms and brand journalism

I asked the panel about the value they find in corporate online newsrooms or web site press pages, especially given the explosion of social networking tools now available. I asked this with the concept of corporate or brand journalism in mind (businesses publishing their own content online from a market rather than blatant sales and marketing perspective).

Sunnucks: An executive blog or similar thought leadership pieces on your site can be valuable if they are truly insightful about an industry or trend, and not scripted.

Lowery: Consumer or business-to-consumer stories, for example, are some of the most viewed. These are usually data driven, so rankings, lists and stats are most compelling. Consider these types of information in your posts and more editors are likely to take notice.

Kress: We definitely find business sites that offer up-to-date fact sheets and contact information helpful. Sites that take it beyond the normal press release links also offer video and audio clips that we might use portions of as quotes or simply check out to determine if we want to give you a call. The point is to illustrate that you know what you’re talking about.

Of course, if you have a client or executive with a lot of insight on a specific subject it still helps to send a brief email to reporters you know noting these credentials.

On being a good resource, and working outside the norm

Sunnucks: Don’t overlook that we need help on the difficult stories too. We realize you don’t normally gravitate towards negative or challenging issues, although offering your thoughts on a tough issue helps us present a more complete story to our readers, and ultimately it’s human nature to remember who helps us do that.

Kress: Similarly, bring us ideas for stories that do not involve your clients. Just simply being helpful for the sake of it is a great way to endear yourself to reporters. We then have a relationship based on back and forth information sharing and getting to know each other along the way. When you really do have a valuable client story to suggest, our familiarity with you will help that cause.

Thanks Ilana, Mike and Adam for offering your time. Also thanks to Paula Pedene and the Phoenix VA Medical Center for hosting a packed house, and Alison Bailin of HMA Public Relations for coordinating.