How to have good Media Relations in 2018

Relationships and trust are at the heart of everything we do in PR and communications. Without the right relations with the media, PR and comms would not be able to function, and vice versa.

Before the internet and digital media, media relations seemed more straight forward – long ‘business’ lunches with the right people, a press release in a journalist’s hands and an understanding that coverage was secured.

Now journalists are under resourced, and have more work for more channels, 24-hours a day. That’s quite an ask, and it means long meetings are now out of the question.

Social media has also changed the way everyone communicates, including how we approach and stay in touch with journalists on a daily basis, from following our contacts on Twitter, connecting with them on LinkedIn or contacting them on WhatsApp.

And it’s not even just journalists any more, anyone with an internet connection can create a news site or blog and start accepting press materials. ‘Influencers’, though itself a term derided by many bloggers, vloggers and Instagrammers, are now recognised outlets for comms to use whether that’s leaking a news story or promoting a fashion item.

Our latest white paper – Media Relations in 2018 – explores all of these phenomena to help you better manage your media relations in 2018 and even includes a section on the GDPR so you know your relationships are Regulation compliant.

We spoke to journalists, bloggers and leading PR professionals: including top parenting blogger Jo Middleton of Slummy Single Mummy fame, Ben Titchmarsh, head of media and marketing at Propeller Group, and Anne-Marie Lacey, managing director of Filament PR, who both shared the secrets of their success and gave their top tips for improving media relations in 2018.

You can download the white paper here.

Find out more about our Media Database, which lists contact details for thousands of journalists, editors, bloggers, vloggers and ‘grammers waiting to build relationships with you.