The Importance of Authentic Relationships with the Media is Key for Effective Public Relations

As 2020 continues (one might say drags) on, the need for all kinds of communications is growing, not fading. When it comes to crisis communications, the foundational work might be messaging, but without the ability to share those messages through credible channels, you’re just treading water. While your company owns some of it own distribution through social media and its website, for real credibility, everyone wants earned media – objective news outlets. 

Alissa Michaels, a hard news journalist by training, is a master of earned media. Read on to learn from Alissa, a whiz at media relations, the best way to successfully pitch a story. And if you want to listen to the podcast, you can check out Episode 119 here.  (As an FYI, this was taped pre-COVID, so when you hear Alissa talk about getting together with journalists, now we have to think Zoom – or a walk in the park!)

Debbie Albert: On this episode of Prove it! we’re going to look at the importance of relationships when it comes to media relations. My guest today is Alissa Kaplan Michaels the president of Michaels Communications, and in my opinion, one of the best media pitchers I know.

Before launching her own firm, she was the in-house communications lead for Columbia University and for the Wexner Heritage Foundation. Prior to that she worked for ABC News and helped launch their online news division. She’s also worked for the Des Moines Register, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and the New York Times. In essence she really does know her stuff. Alissa, welcome to Prove It.

Alissa: Thank you for having me.

Debbie: You’ve had a long career on both sides of the telephone, as I like to say. You’ve been a journalist and a PR person pitching stories. Tell us what constitutes a true relationship and how you build trust with a reporter over the years.

Alissa: I always find this question interesting, because people are often looking for a magic formula. Guess what? There isn’t one. As in any relationship, what’s required here is a genuine give-and-take where both sides ask difficult questions. It also requires face-to-face interactions, not just emails or 10-second phone calls, so that means an investment of time.

As a journalist, I had a lot of meals with sources, and as a PR person, I now have a lot of meals with journalists. Those who are at the top of their game are interesting, and I feel it is worthwhile to get to know them as people. Meals also allow people to be a little bit more relaxed, to let down their guard.  They’re more willing to be themselves.

Debbie: Right.

Alissa: And it also requires trust. My longest relationships from news and in PR are with people who are really good sounding boards and who also are my friends.

Debbie: And I’ll throw in something too. I have found that when you have a relationship like that, whether you have a story to pitch or not, you can call a journalist to bounce something off of them and vice versa.

Alissa: That’s exactly right. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I have journalist friends from pretty well-respected publications who call me to make sure things sound right for their story, even when it has nothing to do with me or my clients.

Debbie: Right. And I’ve also had people call because they want to know if I know someone who could be part of a story even though it has nothing to do with me. It’s all about relationships.

Alissa: Absolutely.

Debbie: Can you talk about what happens when a client asks you NOT to be forthcoming, or to share something with a journalist that is disingenuous. Have you ever been in a situation like that and how do you handle it?

Alissa: Unfortunately, yes, I have been, but the good news is that it doesn’t happen as frequently as those outside the business would have you believe.  But yes, it still occurs and the short answer is that lying is a bad idea and being disingenuous is a form of lying. Journalists aren’t fools, and when I was a working journalist, I always knew when a source was trying to misinform me or pull one over on me. 

For a PR person, being disingenuous may seem like an easy fix in the moment, but it can result in long-term permanent damage, because the truth always surfaces at some point. It can level a company’s reputation as well as your own. It’s not worth it.

Debbie: Absolutely, your own!

Alissa: Now, the difficult conversations with a client about the risks of lying are worth it. I had one experience with a client who wanted me to lie and I refused to do it. I suspended our relationship for a while because I wasn’t comfortable working with them. Ultimately we were able to repair it, but lying is wrong, period.

Debbie: I’m with you on that. I’ve also been in a situation where a client asked me to place a story that would put a competitor in a bad light and that’s a line I wouldn’t cross either. I flat out said to them, this is not kosher, I’m not doing it.

Alissa: Right. It comes back to haunt you as the spokesperson, and the company. You can’t play dirty.

Debbie: Agreed. That’s the right way to say it. So my third official question is, why. 

Why is it important that PR practitioners understand journalism today, in this very partisan 24-hour breaking news world? And let me add to that question: so many people today who are in PR never were on the journalism side and the world of journalism today is under attack.  Can you talk about the importance of PR practitioners really understanding journalism and the integrity that’s involved in it?

Alissa: That’s an excellent question. As you said, we live in a time that has seen an accelerated, constant flow of information. We’ve also seen the downsizing and elimination of traditional newsrooms, which creates greater strain on the journalists who are still there. Not to mention an increased use of hyperbolic emotional language, as currently demonstrated by the top tiers of our own government.

Those of us in PR must understand what journalists are up against. I do my own legwork to stay informed and I think this is important for PR people to routinely, voraciously consume news from a range of sources. It’s always interesting to read other viewpoints even if you disagree with them. It’s important for PR people to not just push information, they need to collect their own information and come to their own conclusions too.

Debbie: Right. So, we’re up to the Prove It part. We’re talking about relationships and the importance of integrity and journalism and public relations. Can you give us an example of how you worked your magic with a successful, high-level media pitch, in which a relationship came into play? And I think we should add, where you still needed to have a good story, right?

Alissa: Well, I have several stories but I’ll tell you this one. Given the constraints that journalists have, sometimes a successful pitch requires creativity on my part. In this example, my client wanted a story pitched immediately to a major publication because they thought it was of great urgency and importance. It wasn’t.

Debbie: [laugh].

Alissa: I don’t know how else to describe it. 

Debbie: I know. Okay.

Alissa: A major, a major global news outlet is not usually going to see your story that way and a PR person must understand that. I knew it was more of a soft feature piece, so I did the following.

I had served as a major source for this publication not long before this and have stayed in touch with the reporter. I told her my challenge and she directed me to the appropriate editor at her publication for my story. With the input of this editor and another outstanding reporter, I was able to create what I call “a sideways” pitch. I used my client’s story to pitch a broader trends piece. The article that ultimately ran featured my client very prominently along with photos – and everyone was happy.

Debbie: Oh, that’s an excellent story. That’s a win. Was the client thrilled?

Alissa: It took longer to run than we had hoped, but in the end, yes because it really was a major placement. It wasn’t easy and I was pleased, too.

Debbie: Right. I often experience that with clients as well where they think something they’re doing is unique. It’s often better to pitch it as part of a larger story.

Debbie: I can’t believe it. We’re really done our ten minutes, you gave us all the examples of the importance of a relationship, you proved it!

To learn more about media relations, especially in times of crisis, take a look at our new (and very timely) piece, This Is The Only Crisis Communications Guide You Will Ever Need.