Public Relations Advice
How to Engage with the Media
by Sally Stewart

I turned in my press pass almost eight years ago, but some things never change. Once a reporter, always a news junkie.

In fact, these days, I am probably even more addicted to business news coverage than I was when I was a journalist for USA Today. For one reason, now that I am not racing around after stories myself, I have more time to watch and re-watch TV newscasts and comb through print coverage. For another, now that I head my own public relations and media training firm, I consume media not only to know what is going on in the world, but also to be able teach my clients, using real-life examples, how to best communicate their business to their clients, employees and strategic partners via the media.

Fortunately, there is never a shortage of examples for me to point out to my clients in order to underscore my list of Do’s and Don’ts. Public relations successes and disasters emanate from every interview, story and photo opp that makes it into the daily business coverage. Here are some recent lessons I'll be freeze-framing for my clients:

Wing it and you’ll risk a fatal crash. A business leader would never meet with a top investment banker without first reviewing his company’s books. So why on earth do business leaders routinely give interviews to reporters without doing their homework? Potentially, reporters can do much more damage; the investment banker doesn’t have an audience of o any company because. Ten times out of 10, when a business leader stumbles in front of a reporter, they didn’t prepare for the interview and instead, chose to “wing it”. Before engaging with a reporter, take a few minutes. Think about what you want to say, scribble a few thoughts on the back of an envelope.

Take control. During an interview, answer the reporter’s question and then make sure you say what you want to say. Don’t wait for the perfect question to get your points across.

Say “no comment” and you lose. Contrary to popular TV dramas, saying “no comment” to reporters simply doesn’t work. It won’t make the press go away. You’ll just look guilty of something. Instead, try, “I don’t have a statement right now, because we are still looking into the situation and we expect to be able to talk with you soon.” Then do just that.

Anything can be controversial - and I do mean anything. You might think your company, your product or your message is 100 percent fabulous and nobody would ever think otherwise. Well, think again. If one of your many customers uses one of your products for illegal or unethical purposes, your company could get dragged into the mud.

The lesson: Always look at your own story with a critical eye. Preparation is the best defense.

It’s the easy questions that trip you up. When preparing for an interview, most people think up the most intricate questions. And the more intricate the question, the less likely a real reporter would actually ask it. Instead, spend a little time on the so-called easy questions, like “What is the favorite part of your job?” and “Tell me about Project X” and “Why did you do it this way?”

Suggest your own story. If your department has an interesting story that would benefit your company, then go for it. Jot down your idea. Make a list of reporters who might be interested. Call the company PR or marketing executive and set up a time to discuss moving forward. Don’t just assume that the marketing or PR executive already knows about your story. They should depend on you to inform them of newsworthy company developments.

Being greedy gets you in trouble. Let’s say a reporter calls to ask you about the company’s stock price, and you work in procurement. Commenting on the stock price, which is not your area of expertise, will only get you in trouble. Don’t be so hungry for press attention that you lose sight of your goal: Positive press attention. So steer the reporter to the right person in your company and then let your colleague know that the reporter will be calling.

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A former USA Today reporter, Sally Stewart is the author of Media Training 101 (Wiley) and the president of SA Stewart Communications, based in Santa Monica, Calif. E-mail her at sally@sastewart.com.