(Expansión) – For some years now, some companies and public and private institutions in Mexico have decided to recruit reporters, and even editors, from various media outlets for their communication and public relations areas.
There is no doubt that these institutions recognize the experience acquired by journalists on the battlefield and that they seek to capitalize on it to increase their media presence in a positive way.
In addition to the experience that these professionals have in terms of looking for news, the contractors also consider the relationships they have developed with colleagues from other media and executives and public officials in various sectors, as well as the understanding of the times and way of working of the print and electronic media.
That, not to mention his ability to write under the pressure of the “closure” and in peculiar circumstances: the same in the courtyard of an industrial plant, aboard a transport, in the middle of a demonstration or, of course, in the writing of your medium.
There is no doubt that, once they have adapted to the culture of their companies or public bodies, these journalists can have an important advantage over public relations executives from agencies who, in general, have not previously worked in any media outlet. In addition, in addition to their experience, they have at their disposal an interesting amount of information and topics on which their journalistic training can help them to develop stories that can mean news for the media.
As a public relations executive within an agency, it is not enough to have an idea or a theme to promote the client or their products. It is not just about requesting information from the client to prepare a statement and distribute it, trusting that it will be of interest to one or more media.
It is important to put yourself in the shoes of the reporter or, better yet, of the editor or head of information, to: specify a topic, the focus that should be given to it, and the specific information that is required to make it journalistically attractive. That is an advantage that executives from the media have.
Sometimes it is the clients themselves who request their agency to disseminate through the media some information that interests them; the problem arises when that information lacks newsworthiness, which it often does.
In that situation, the account executive’s role should be, again stepping into the shoes of the editor or reporter, to think about how to make that information newsworthy: what makes it different from what other companies do? require? Will an interview with one of the directors be necessary?
With this additional information: which source might be of most interest to you? If the client wants it in the business section, what additional relevant information is necessary? When I covered red note it was said that if there is no blood there is no news, the more blood, the more space for information; similarly, in the business section if there is no investment there is no note; The greater the investment, the greater the possibility of publication.
Putting on the journalist’s shoes facilitates the work of those who need to get client information published. But to fit them, something more is required than the theoretical frameworks that teach in university classrooms; it is important to have the experience, to know what one suffers to obtain news information, “sell” it to editors to budget for it, defend it in editorial boards, make it exclusive, have it well written before closing, etc.
It is not easy to put on those shoes and if you have not gone through the experience of the reporter or the editor, you have to find a way to cover the learning. Perhaps the easiest way to capture the newsroom experience is by making frequent visits to different newsrooms.
It may seem incredible, but there are those who, dedicating themselves to media relations, often do not physically know the reporters with whom they have contact, let alone know the editors or the newsrooms themselves. It is possible that, prior agreement with the reporter or the editor, this visit can be made with the sole objective of looking, listening and, eventually – so as not to take away the inspiration of the reporter – ask.
If you think about something deeper, the ideal would be to ask the editor for permission to request that the new PR executive spend a day with him: to know how he organizes his work, how he decides on the topics and assignments to his reporters, enter the editorial boards and even actively participate in the editorial work until the closing of the edition or the completion of the respective radio or TV newscast.
Putting on the journalist’s shoes is a challenge, but learning is worth it.
Editor’s note: Mario Maraboto Moreno has a degree in Journalism from UNAM. Research Associate at the University of North Carolina. Author of the book “Journalism and Business. How to link companies with journalists”. Consultant in Communication, Public Relations and special situations/crisis since 1991. Write to his email [email protected] and follow him on . The opinions published in this column belong exclusively to the author.
