Insights into marketing - An expert's guide to NOT getting your story covered

Mitch Leff

May 1, 2008

There are so many ways you can get yourself on a reporter's bad side (see: confetti-filled envelopes) that I'd love to have more than one page. Working successfully with the media requires cooperation and respect from both sides of the desk. Let it begin with you.

Obviously we're having a bit of fun here to make a point, and for many of these tips I share, the right way to do it is pretty clear. There are some excellent ways to build strong, lasting relationships with media outlets, so next month, we'll flip the coin and talk about my top 10 tips for getting great coverage for your company.

But for now, don't:

1. Call in the middle of breaking news. TV producers love it when people call in the middle of breaking news – say, a record-setting snowstorm or an extended police chase – to offer a chance to talk with their company's CEO about his latest community service award.

2. Call reporters with stories you know they'll never cover. Try it! Just call your local community paper and ask them to write about your company's new voice-over-IP service featuring state-of-the-art multiphasic data sorting.

3. Keep calling to pitch the story after the reporter or editor has clearly said "No."

4. Send 20 e-mails about the same story pitch over and over ... and over.

5. Leave a dozen voicemails asking, "Did you get my press release?"

6. Ask to review the copy of a story or approve the photo of your CEO for an upcoming feature. Here's the rule: The publication has final say over its content. You do not have the right to see the story before it goes to print to make sure you like the tone or that your company was mentioned enough times. Same goes for photos. Make sure your CEO looks good and work with them ahead of time on how to smile, stand or sit.

7. Pitch a media outlet you've never read, seen or heard. Nothing tells a reporter how little you care about their work than to make it obvious that you've never seen their publication or watched their show.

A few examples:

• Offer guests to a show that never takes guests.
• Offer color photos to a newspaper that only uses illustrations.
• Pitch CNN on a story that no one outside Atlanta would ever care about.

8. Send out a press release but don't have a spokesperson available.

9. Take a week to return a phone call. When a reporter calls you looking for a source, they've almost certainly called five other people in your industry in the past 10 minutes.  So, relax and take as long as you want to call them back.  Your competitor will be happy to be featured in the article.

10. Pitch a story you saw covered in the paper that same day. You call and say:  "I saw you wrote a story about this service today. My company does the same thing and I'd really like you to write about us for tomorrow's paper."

Mitch Leff is president of Leff & Associates. Listen to his podcast, Leff's PR & Media Spotlight, at www.btobmagazine.com.