Media Relations Assignment #3 – Building a Relationship with a Reporter
(Please read Chapter 4 of your text, On Deadline: Managing Media Relations. “Reporters: Helping them meet their objectives”, pp 61-88).
PURPOSE: This assignment is designed to assist students to build and sustain successful relationship with reporters who cover their organization. It is also designed to help students understand how traditional and social media organizations work on a day-to-day basis. Knowing how to assist reporters can make a positive difference in establishing and maintaining long-term relationships with the media.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Task # 1: Interview a media practitioner with whom you would interface on behalf of your client. Ask them the following:
- How they view their relationship with public relations/media relations practitioners.
- What do they need from PR people to get their job done?
- What are their deadlines?
- When looking for pitches from PR practitioners, what do they like – email, press releases, or just advisories?
*The aim to get a chance to get to know one of your media contacts in a non-threatening way.
Task # 2 – Write a short blog post (500-600 words) about what you learned, and how a media relations practitioner can best support journalists in getting the story and their clients as well.
Media Relations RWU 