When distributing a media release or contacting the media with a newsworthy story, it is important to remember that the media work to very tight deadlines and may require your input at short notice. Your ability to provide the information they require on time will ensure you remain a preferred contact on your topic of expertise in the future.
Being Immediately Contactable
Provide your contact details on the media release and on the email in a prominent position (e.g., at the top of the media release and on your email signature). A landline, a mobile phone number and an email address is sufficient. Once you have distributed the media release, ensure you are contactable on all of the numbers you have provided and also ensure you have access to your email account. If you are not confident that you will be immediately available and contactable on the numbers you provided, then consider distributing your media release at another time when you are more readily available to respond to media requests.
If you miss that important call
It might happen that you miss a phone call from a journalist. Don’t panic – not all is lost. Journalists will almost always leave a message and upon receiving it, you need to return the call immediately, even if you suspect you have missed the deadline. This will show courtesy and ensure you will be considered next time a story opportunity arises. Journalists will only call and leave a message once – after that, they will go elsewhere and you have missed out. You need to be available and provide the information they require in a timely fashion if you stand a hope of being a regular contact of theirs in the future.
Responding to emails
If the matter is less urgent, journalists may contact you by email – in other words, replying to your initial email to them requesting further information. However, treat this with no less priority than you would a phone call and respond appropriately at your earliest opportunity. Remember that journalists often work out of normal working hours and may require your input early in the day (for example, for breakfast radio) or in the evening (for a print edition of a metropolitan newspaper.) Don’t be surprised or put out – that’s the nature of the beast!
