In my current position, the media come to me. I rarely pitch stories; the stories just happen. Of course, I'm in a growth industry. There is never a shortage of criminals in a courthouse.
A friend recently lamented the arrogance of the national journalist she called to followup on a press release. "You know we can read," he chided. Coldcalling a reporter is probably the worst way to begin a relationship. We often must do it, but it's not easy and certainly not the most successful way to place a story.
So I was thinking about how the media just call me up, and how she's struggling to get past the snobbery. I suggested she needs to make some friends. All of the producers and journalists I know like me. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've learned that by being a friend first, going out of my way to help, and looking out for them, leads to placements.
And I mean good placements. Our court has appeared on NBC's Dateline at least eight times in the past five years (look for another appearance Sunday 1/29/06). Good Morning America sent a crew, 48 Hours is chasing a case, CNN called last week and CourtTV called yesterday. The recent calls are for breaking news, but I've also been successful in placing stories.
Important issues and relevant court programs have been featured locally as part of campaigns to educate the community and improve the system. Public relations efforts ranging from addressing the pain of domestic violence to improving juror participation have helped the court promote its efforts. Our court has been featured by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, California Lawyer, the Los Angeles Times, NPR and the New York Times.
Even when I've had to coldcall, I've only done it if I can refer to at least one person who knows the person I'm calling. I've worked to become an instant friend. And of course, the pitches were finetuned to recent news, trends, etc. A lot of planning went into those campaigns, but I think in the end it was the relationships were the basis of most of those placements.
When I arrived in Las Vegas, I made a goal to provide exceptional service to the media. It helps to live in a city where what happens here usually ends up on the news, but it also doesn't hurt to consider a journalists needs and anticipate the newscycle. To place stories, I've learned that beyond planning the campaign, I must make a few friends and have them introduce me to their friends. I've found that by expanding my circle, by becoming a reliable source and by striving to be a better friend, I've found success. Afterall, we are in the relationship game. And it's those relationships that eventually lead to placements.
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