Leigh Sales made headlines last week, announcing after 12 years as the host of ABC’s nightly current affairs program, 7:30, she will be stepping down. After being the face of the evening news for more than a decade, Sales plans to move on to a yet to be announced role with the national broadcaster.
ABC’s 7:30 is one of the most highly acclaimed news programs in the country, and the significant announcement has had PR and media professionals buzzing, wondering who will be filling her chair after her departure in June.
As a team of PR pros, we know the fast-paced nature of the media industry means there is high level of role movement. We are regularly updating our database to ensure we’re pitching to the right person, in the right role. To help keep up with all the change, it is vital to have strong relationships with journalists and producers.
If you have a great relationship with a journalist, they are much more likely to let you know they have or are leaving an outlet or publication, introduce you to the new contact in that role and maybe even pass on their new contact details – so it’s a pretty important part of our jobs!
Our team have three simple principles we follow for building mutually beneficial relationships with the media.
Deliver what you promise: Journalists remember if you delivered what you promised, and more importantly, when you didn’t. For example, if you suggest an interview, you want to ensure you have talent available and ready to go.
Pitch with purpose: Journalists can receive 100s or even 1000s of pitches each day. Receiving a pitch which is irrelevant to their audience or publication is not great for building relationships. Make sure your pitches are relevant and targeted.
Be respectful: Remember there is a human on the other end of your email or phone call. A huge blunder many people make is forgetting that. Be respectful of their time – and don’t forget to say thank you!
Looking for ways to bolster your media relations? Our expert team of PR professionals can help. Give us a call to find out how.