Media Contacts Help But They Won’t Get Your Press Release Published

Media Contacts Help But They Won’t Get Your Press Release Published

We’re often asked by clients – especially new ones – whether we have good media contacts. It’s a fair question, but it reflects an old-school view of PR.  These days, it’s not about who you know, but what you’re offering and whether you have a good story that is relevant and genuinely newsworthy.

Many of the stories in the media start life as a press release.  The best pitches solve a problem or tap into a bigger issue.  They connect to what’s happening locally or globally and frame the story in a way that makes it part of a bigger conversation that is often already unfolding in the news.

Our team all comes from newsrooms – TV, radio, newspapers and magazines (when they were a thing). We’ve been the COS, reporter, broadcaster or producer – decision makers.  So yes, we know who’s who. But the reality is contacts alone won’t get your press release to air, in print or published online.

Journalists are constantly moving – between rounds, newsrooms, even industries – and many we worked with, have exited all together.  And while a relationship we have might get our email opened, it won’t get the story over the line unless it ticks the boxes.

A few months ago, a niche story pitched about decarbonisation landed because it connected to a broader public issue – rising supermarket prices and cost of living and showed why it mattered right now.

Pitching is translating a client’s message into something that earns a place in a newsroom rundown.  If you can’t answer the question “Why does this matter to the public?” – you don’t have a story.  You have a press release.

Here’s what matters more than a contact:

• Relevance – Is this story useful to an audience right now?  You also need to know the audience of the radio program, TV show or newspaper you’re pitching to.
• Tailor the pitch to the outlet – What you pitch to The Australian may not be what you pitch to the Sunday Herald Sun or a specific ABC radio program. If your angle and content in the press release doesn’t align with that audience or tone, it won’t get a run, no matter how good your story is.
• Timing – Have you connected your story to a current issue?  Or are you two weeks late?
• Clarity – Can it be understood in the emails topline? Will it grab the attention of a busy journalist in 10 seconds?
• Credibility – Are you offering a real voice? A human story with supporting case studies.
• Back it up with numbers – A fresh report with new data or research makes a story timely and relevant.  Journalists are far more likely to take your press release if it is supported by original findings that they can build a story around.

And the contact?

Sure, it might help you once.  But it won’t continue to deliver. You can only lean on that old colleague so many times before the story has to stand on its own.  Journalists need content that fits their brief – not favours.

Our pitches succeed with no relationship at all because the story is strong, timely, relevant and nailed the hook.  That’s what journalists are looking for. That’s what cuts through. But in saying that, journalists get to know the names they can trust when press release ideas land in their inbox.

Want to see how Profile Media can help tell your business story, and boost your AI visibility? Contact Profile Media at info@profilemedia.com.au, phone 1300 123 110 or enquire online here.