Journalists – friend or foe?

People don’t like journalists. Well, maybe that is a bit of a sweeping statement but it is true to say that, in terms of popularity, they tend to lurk somewhere between estate agents and lawyers. Even with the housing market as it is, it is a tough call to feel sorry for an estate agent and lawyers are never going to win popularity stakes. And neither are journalists

Why do we dislike journalists? Well, they are always portrayed on TV as a rowdy bunch who hang around outside people’s doors, sticking microphones and notebooks in people’s faces just when they are at their most vulnerable.

And, if they can’t get a good story, then they make it up - right?

Well, that may be the public perception but, like them or loath them, you need journalists if you want to get your good news stories out there. They are like the media equivalent of the doctor’s receptionist: you have to get past them to get your message heard.

So, whatever your private thoughts, you would do well to get a journalist on side if you want your good news story to be published.

Here’s how:

Firstly, find out the name of the right journalist to go to. If you are a school with a story to tell, you want the education reporter; if you are a business then seek out the business editor; a doctor or medic? Try the health reporter.

Once you have their name, and hopefully their email and telephone number too – and you can usually do this by going through the switchboard of the publication - then make contact. Ask for a face-to-face meeting; offering to buy them a coffee (or even a pint!) works wonders with a journalist.

As in any area of life, if you take the time to build up a personal relationship with someone then it works to both your advantage and theirs. They are more likely to treat your story with respect; less likely to publish and be damned if they have met you. In turn, your chances of getting your good news story out there are increased.

If you keep up a regular dialogue, a journalist will use you as one of their contacts; you may get to be the expert they turn to when they need a quote for a story.

And remember, above all journalists, like most of the population, can be pretty lazy. If a good story falls in their laps they will use it. So don’t keep your good story hidden

To make things even easier, provide some photos to go with your story; again, you increase your chances of getting published – and your story and photo will take up more space then just a few lines of copy.

So, get out there, get mingling with the journos, and you might find that not only are they just regular people underneath it all but they can do you some pretty good turns too and give a boost to your PR campaign.