What is Media Relations?
Media relations is when one person interacts with an editor, reporter, journalist or blogger. The media outlets (media) can be a newspaper, radio, television, website, blog or social media profile on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or Pinterest.
Why pitch to media?
The goal of the interaction is to pitch a client’s message or story, and the client could be your employee or a company that hires you to get their message/ story published on the Media Outlet. In some organizations, there is one person who is responsible for pitching stories, or the company might hire an independent public relations agency.
Media relation specialists usually connect with the media world a few times over the course of a year. These professionals work to develop and design media plans that can become a blueprint for what the company hopes to accomplish at the local or national.
As an effective media relations specialist it is essential to work with and not against the media. Developing a strong relationship with journalists, bloggers and content writers who may be eager to hear what you have to say, can provide your client with invaluable access to the public and/ or stakeholder audience.
Working with the media on behalf of an organization allows for awareness of the entity to be raised as well as the ability to create an impact with a chosen audience. It allows access to both large and small target audiences and helps in building public support and mobilizing public opinion for an organization.[6] This is all done through a wide range of media and can be used to encourage two-way communication.
Possible reasons an organization may reach out to the media are:
- Launch of a new product/service
- Winning new business
- Initiation of new company office or facility
- Financial results
- Organization-sponsored events or awards
- Launch of organization promotional campaigns
- Recent disasters, strikes or organizational closures
- Awards for the company
- Visits from company dignitaries/celebrities
- Involvement in local/community activities
- Community engagement
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