During a recent interview for his 'Internet Marketing
Lounge' radio show at
http://www.internetmarketinglounge.com), Peter Twist
asked me if I thought today's journalists had
gotten lazy.
Peter noted that to get a journalist to do a story
about you, a product, or an idea, you almost have to do
all the work for them: give them a good headline,
figure out an intriguing angle, etc.
On the surface, it would seem then that's today's
reporters, producers, and editors HAVE gotten lazy.
But in fact, the opposite is true. It takes more hard
work than ever to stay in the journalism business these
days, and only the most dedicated, energetic people
survive.
Think about it this way.
When I got my first TV job in 1974, the city where I
worked (Altoona, PA) had only ONE station. Even big
cities, like nearby Pittsburgh, only had three
commercial outlets.
So those stations got to divide up ALL the TV
advertising dollars. The pie was cut into no more than
three pieces.
Look at what you have now. Hundreds of stations and
cable channels competing for less and less money. The
pie is no longer cut into pieces. It's down to
slivers.
Plus, advertisers just aren't spending right now.
Revenues are down.
As a result, some news operations are shutting down
altogether. Others are merging and streamlining
(streamlining is a euphemism for 'cutting jobs').
The laws of economics apply. Reporters, producers, and
editors who are still in the business have to do more
work for less money.
While that's bad news for them, it's good news for you.
It opens up some terrific opportunities to get exposure
and free publicity.
Here's how:
If you're sending a press release, make sure
1. it has a great headline that offers a benefit to
viewers, readers or listeners. It has to be about
something they need to know, or would like to know.
Focus on THEM, not you.
2. its 'news value' is apparent at a glance. A
reporter, producer or editor wants to be able to figure
out in seconds what the release is about, and why it
would be of interest to their audience.
There's never a guarantee that you'll be able to get
the free publicity you want from the media. By if you
do the things I've mentioned above, you'll certainly
increase your chances.
Remember this advice from Joan Stewart, a former
newspaper editor. Joan says the five most important
words you can say to any reporter are 'How can I help
you?'
That's always been true.
But in this day and age of shrinking budgets and
expanding job descriptions, it's truer than ever.
About the Author
George McKenzie is a best selling author, speaker,
and former news anchor.
George has been a radio and TV reporter for more than
30 years. His work has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN
and ESPN. He's a three-time-winner of the "Best
Sportscast In Texas" Award from the Texas Association
of
He opened the "Publicity Goldmine" to provide expertise
to groups and individuals who need publicity but can't
afford an advertising agency.
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