A future for Media Relations?

In class, we learnt about the importance of media relations, and after working in the field I understand the vitality of a good relationship with the media. Particularly building a relationship with individual journalists.

Throughout all my units at university, in particular 'Media Relations', I learnt about how best to communicate with journalists. When pitching a media release we were taught to email the journalist first, and follow up with a phone call. This was exactly the case in industry, as I experienced. Advisors at gtmedia would normally email a pitch to a journalist. If they already had a good relationship with the journalists, they would normally call and pitch the story in a more casual manner.

In class we also learnt about how social media can be a great way to interact with journalists. Again, this theory in practice proved very effective at gtmedia. Advisors would use Twitter to talk with journalists in a causal manner, perhaps commenting on a news story, and build on pre-existing relationships. However, it was never used to a pitch story like it was suggested in class.

Behind the scenes with client Gage Roads and
The Sunday Times

Throughout my internship I had opportunity to attend four shoots for a vast range of clients. These shoot were for The Exercise Therapist on Today Tonight, Psaros in the West Australian, Gage Roads in the Sunday Times, and Breast Cancer Care's Purple Bra Day in WAtoday.

They were very exciting to experience, but I also learnt that shoots could be quite tedious and hours long for a few minutes of TV or one photograph. One of the advisors asked me why I thought we attended these shoots. I had assumed it was for the client's sake - to help coach them and be a common link between them and the journalist. He told me that this was one of the reasons,  but another was to create a relationship with the journalist. There can be a lot of standing around on shoots, so there are plenty of opportunities to talk.

The end result.

 Media training skills was a large part of our media relations unit. This involves teaching a client about how best to interact with the media, especially in interviews. In class we learnt media training was all about preparing your client and knowing your audience. Preparation includes going through the main objectives and key message with your client. gtmedia believes these skills are very important and offers media training to all its clients.

I saw media training in action at the Today Tonight shoot for The Exercise Therapist. Before being interviewed, my advisor talked about a clear key message with the client. This was to establish her business, The Exercise Therapist, as the only one of its kind using cognitive movement to help with physical injuries and mental illness. It was particularly important the client delivered a key message because Today Tonight wanted a short snippet to include in their advertisement.

Behind the scenes with client The Exercise
Therapist and Today Tonight.

The interview went superbly, which was cemented when I watch the end product a few weeks later on Today Tonight. For a whole day of shooting, the segment was about four minutes long. However, in those few short minutes the client was able to deliver the key message and other important supporting points. After the segment aired, the client expressed their gratitude, especially with her media training which enabled her to promote her business in the best way possible.

Everyday at my internship I learn the importance of good media relations. In class we discussed the future of media relations, looking into valid arguments that media relations is loosing its place in PR. Using my experience at gtmedia to answer the question I posed in the title, I believe media relations will continue to have a very important place in industry. Perhaps media relations is less formal, with social media becoming more prominent, however media training for clients and relationships with journalists are still very important.

Until next week.