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Matchmaking: A TRG Approach to Getting Media Coverage

When people ask me what I do, I sometimes say I’m a matchmaker — but not the romantic kind. I match our clients’ needs and narratives with the needs of journalists to bring attention to the organizations’ expertise, accomplishments and issues. In the jargon of public relations, I specialize in earned media.

To be an effective matchmaker — whether the desired result is a romance or a media splash — you need to be familiar with both parties to a potential union. In my media relations role, I pay close attention to client goals and priorities and take every opportunity to learn the nuances of their work. I’m constantly on the lookout for newsworthy nuggets and new resources that would appeal to journalists.

At the same time, I am immersed in the world of journalism, particularly in health care — the primary domain of most of our clients. This dual expertise allows me to orchestrate matches that work for both journalists and for our clients.

At The Reis Group, we’ve honed several techniques for matchmaking to secure impactful media coverage. Tactics include “newsjacking,” creating finely targeted pitches and packaging together multiple elements to make it easy for reporters with limited resources to create compelling stories.

“Newsjacking”

When a major political figure had a heart attack, we reached out to journalists who we thought might want to interview a medical expert to explain the situation, and we landed interviews with The Washington Post and Reuters with a cardiologist from a hospital client. We knew this story was ripe for this approach because it was big enough to be newsworthy for at least another day, and health reporters from major outlets would be eager to get in on the coverage with a sidebar or a piece of the main story.

Targeted Pitching

For a client that supports refugees relocating in the Washington D.C. area, we used a targeted pitching approach to generate media interest in their work. Working on another project with this group, we learned about their efforts to help newcomers who had advanced degrees from their home countries gain credentials that would allow them to use their professional skills in the U.S. Highly skilled immigrants, such as doctors, lawyers and economists, often must work in convenience stores or drive Ubers because their credentials don’t transfer. We knew highlighting this problem would make a compelling story for local journalists that would also bring attention to our clients’ important work. We landed interview opportunities with a local NPR reporter for our client and professionals they were helping.

Packaging

Understanding the challenges faced by smaller media outlets, we try to package multiple elements of a story so that overworked reporters can get the complete story with minimal effort. We were recently tasked with generating coverage for more than a dozen federally funded health care informatics training programs around the country, including Native American communities served by the University of Minnesota’s program. We wrote a short blurb about the effort that could easily be pasted into various newsletters and publications of the many tribes served by the program, and we paired it with a pitch for interviews with the Native American coordinator of the program. Some larger national outlets and tribal publications took us up on the interview, while many smaller local and tribal outlets published the complete article we provided.

From promoting health care informatics training programs to ensuring local coverage of COVID-19 vaccination clinics, this packaging approach involves creating concise, ready-to-use content, which can include brief ready-to-use news items, interviews and photos with captions that make it convenient for editors to run our stories, particularly in small, less resourced outlets.

By understanding how journalists operate and appreciating their distinct and pressing needs, we create successful strategies for getting our clients in the news. By knowing when to jump in on major stories, how to target compelling narratives and packaging stories for effortless pickup, we consistently get meaningful media coverage for our clients. In today’s complex world of media, it’s all about knowing when and how to make that special match.

From Journalism to Health Care PR: Transforming Lives Through Communications

If anyone had ever told me that after my 40-year career in journalism I would spend a 5th decade working in health care public relations, I would have been highly skeptical. For one thing, that would mean living into my 70s (!!) which was never certain. But even more unlikely was the idea that Peter Perl would ever go over to “the dark side.”

That’s what we called the PR industry back in the last century when I was a reporter and editor for The Providence (R.I.) Journal-Bulletin and then The Washington Post for 33 years, where I retired as Assistant Managing Editor in 2013. The truth is that many journalists regarded PR with disdain, believing that PR people were unsavory, if not outright dishonest. Over the years, I have had a handful of newspaper colleagues who left journalism to make huge amounts of money writing for major corporations, for Big Tobacco, and even for several foreign dictators who were seeking persuasive writers familiar with Washington politics to help influence Congress to continue sending foreign aid to deeply corrupt regimes.

But that skepticism was before I met Sharon Reis. A friend of mine who had left The Post to work in the realm of progressive PR suggested that Sharon and I meet each other. What began with a few freelance editing gigs eventually turned into an amazing 10-year second career as senior consultant, Chief Storyteller, and Honorary Grandpa of the youthful woman-owned health care PR firm now known as The Reis Group.

“We are committed to working with clients who are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our nation. We are passionate about our clients’ issues and believe in the power of communications to transform lives.” That is TRG’s mission statement, and I have to confess that that journalistic skeptic in me raised a suspicious eyebrow when I first heard that claim.

Ten years later, I am still proudly here. At TRG, the team truly is passionate about health, health care, and social causes, and those values guide decisions we make about new clients we take on.

I have gotten to work with amazing colleagues and also with some of the nation’s leading medical and scientific experts in the fields of Alzheimer’s research, integrative medicine, epidemiology, vaccine promotion, interventional radiology and much more. TRG has helped organizations that are doing admirable work in promoting health equity, corporate social responsibility, domestic-violence prevention, racial justice, gender equality and children’s health.

So yes, I am still proudly here. Not exactly sure that I will be around long enough to last another 10 years at TRG. On the other hand, an unexpected benefit of this job is that I’ve learned enough new stuff about health and medicine so that I’ve developed some healthier habits and I’m planning to stick around with The Reis Group for a while longer.

The Role of a Commentary in Earned Media Outreach

In the big, fast-moving world of health care communications, there’s such a flood of news and information that it can seem almost impossible to make your client’s voice stand out above the noise of the crowd. But it’s more important than ever to try to find ways for their voice to be heard, which is why we are paying more and more attention to the power of the well-crafted and well-placed commentary.

The commentary is an effective communications tool to allow your client to display their expertise in a conversational, accessible manner. Finding a home for the commentary in an outlet that represents their industry can highlight your client’s qualifications in their field. And the personal nature of the commentary also positions your client as someone whose viewpoint demands attention. By writing a commentary for your client, it allows them to enter the conversation du jour in an organic and outstanding way.

I had the opportunity to explore the power of the commentary to its fullest potential earlier this spring. Our client was looking to increase awareness of their annual scientific meeting in Washington, D.C. After discussing their goals for the meeting, which included elevating their reputation, attracting media attention and promoting the important discussions at their meeting, we decided to add a commentary into our earned media strategy and outreach.

As public relations professionals, we know that a commentary is an opportunity to play to our author’s strengths. It’s an ideal vehicle for showcasing their unique perspective. When speaking with the author about her goals for the piece, we concerned ourselves with the “why?” of the commentary as much as the who, what, where and when.

Though a compelling commentary should always be supported by proven research, it’s also an opportunity to have a conversation with the audience. A commentary focuses more on the author’s personal interpretation of research than on the facts themselves. Because of this, the author can inject more of her personal character into the piece. This human touch serves to answer why her analysis deserves a place in the conversation.

Placing this commentary in a popular medical outlet before the meeting helped the speaker establish her credibility in her field by displaying the depth and breadth of her knowledge. It also showcased the kind of high-quality work that would be discussed at the meeting. This served to elevate the client’s reputation as a don’t-miss attraction at the meeting and gained the author a foothold in some of the most closely followed conversations of the day.

 

Bridge To Success: Enhancing Media Outreach by Building Connections

We come across bridges in our everyday lives, and rarely think about them; that was me, until I started working in public relations. Now, every time I see one, I think of how it relates to our work in media outreach. As public relations professionals, we are often tasked with elevating the reputations of our clients’ organizations. One of the primary methods of this is media outreach – researching past coverage and trends, determining what our clients’ expertise is, and formulating an outreach strategy that marries those two factors by selecting reporters from targeted publications and crafting an enticing pitch.

According to Muckrack’s State of Journalism 2023 survey, an annual survey of journalists that track their habits and the ways they do their jobs, nearly 50% of reporters reject pitches due to the lack of personalization, extended length, or awkwardly worded subject lines. All these are things that smart public relations professionals can control, especially personalization. If your pitch is vague, it becomes obvious that it is not really aimed at them but is part of a larger e-mail blast that countless others are getting. If you look at it from their angle, it makes sense that they might not be interested. So, what’s the solution? Start forging a relationship by building a bridge.

Create Your Blueprint

Just as any structure (especially the ones we drive or walk over) needs a carefully crafted plan, the foundation of a solid earned-media outreach campaign is a well-thought-out strategy. You can create your blueprint by first figuring out what precise message your client would like to get out. If it’s, for instance, science promotion, then we thoroughly review the research paper or scientific abstract, but we also pair that with a media scan to get a feel for the existing landscape of media coverage on that topic. Which reporters are talking about this topic, and in what sort of outlets? Is national coverage worth pursuing, or is a trade outlet the best option? If one reporter seems to cover this topic frequently, consider forging a relationship with them by first reading their coverage to determine their specific interests.

Get Building

And then, you can get to building your bridge! Bridges need to be suited to their unique geographic areas and be durable enough to weather difficult challenges. Personalization is key. Since journalists often lament the lack of personalization in pitches, you can immediately grab their attention by writing a pitch that specifically references their past coverage of a topic. This tells them that the person making the pitch has done their homework and knows what they’re talking about. It could entice them to reply to your inquiry and possibly interview your subject-matter expert or cover your abstract.

Fortify Connections

After bridge-construction is done, testing the strength of your connection is important to ensure that you have a proper foundation. If you were successful in increasing awareness of your clients and their issues, it’s valuable to sustain and build the relationship for future opportunities. The reporter may feel that your client was very helpful to their coverage, and will want to remain in contact when they write about a similar topic. Public relations professionals can play an active role in this process by following up with the reporter with relevant and timely information. Becoming the “Go-To” source for a topic is an aspirational goal that can be achieved with time and sustained effort.

Just as a bridge connects two places, a skilled public relations professional connects journalists with people who can tell a compelling story. Our clients, whether health systems or medical societies, all have access to the latest medical innovations and the newest research on compelling treatments. So, it’s our job to be continuously building credibility so that their impact can be felt and their content can be magnified. But building that bridge to credibility can only happen if public relations professionals have already built a solid, lasting foundation.

Banishing the Wooden Lead: Three Ways to Make PR Writing More Engaging

One of the worst sins when I was in journalism school was to write a “wooden lead.” The grizzled—or should I say seasoned—editors who taught newswriting and editing at the University of Oklahoma would scowl at empty words at the top of a news story, crossing out one, two or even three dull opening paragraphs, and say, “There’s the lead,” pointing to the original fourth graph.

I was in J-school when journalists were reporters, not “content developers,” and the only way to access their work was through words printed on paper that you pulled from a newsstand for a quarter. But my old editors’ advice remains relevant—and is the key to making public relations writing stand out.

A wooden lead is an empty lead that fails to tell what is new and interesting. “The city council met in their chambers with 20 citizens in attendance on Tuesday.” Well, why did they meet and what did they do? Or “The parade was grand and exciting.” What exactly was grand and exciting about it? Provide details—as vivid (and accurate) as possible—to show readers how and why it was exciting.

My memory of the disgrace of a wooden lead followed me through my career in journalism and public relations, pushing me to dig deeper for interesting details.

Public relations professionals would be well served to spot and banish “wooden” openings from everything we write. Press releases, pitches, commentaries, social media posts and even client memos all should aim to intrigue readers from the first words. If you don’t have the nagging memory of a grumpy and slightly intimidating editor crossing out blocks of words and forcing you to find more engaging details, you can look for the signs of wooden prose and fix it yourself.

The most common wooden lead in public relations is the “pleased to announce” lead, or its equally dull cousin: “excited to announce.” These are so common that a quick search of a press release distribution site and the phrase “pleased to announce” quickly pulled 2.6 million results. It’s so common that I’ve been told by other PR people that this is what press releases are supposed to look like. But it doesn’t have to be. Why is our organization or our client “pleased to announce” this thing we’re announcing? What is important, exciting or pleasing about it? You can always find a better lead by taking just a moment to answer those questions. Make sure that you don’t leave the engaging details buried in the fourth graph or forget to include them at all.

Occasionally, “pleased to announce” may be the best approach, for instance when issues management puts constraints on what can be said. Usually, opening with that phrase is a signal that we can do better.

Some tips for finding an engaging opening that is good for advancing your earned media strategy, building credibility for your cause or creating a social media post people will want to read:

  • Watch your own reaction. As you review the draft and background material, look for details that are interesting that make you perk up a bit when you consider them. If it engages you, it will engage a reader or a journalist whom you are pitching for coverage.
  • Press yourself to find the telling facts. What, specifically, makes this announcement exciting? Why is the newly appointed leader so important to your work or your client’s work? Facts say more than empty adjectives.
  • Keep digging. Don’t settle for a generic template announcement or social post. Dig for what’s new, unique or insightful about the topic. That could involve a deeper dive into background materials, an internet search or some well-considered questions to the client.

It may take you a few extra minutes to find the details and the language that work better than the dreaded wooden lead, but it’s worth it to sharpen your craft and create communications that accomplish your goals.

Promoting Science: How to Get the Media to Cover Research

As a communications firm dedicated to health and medicine, promoting science is a major pillar of our work. Over years on The Reis Group team, I have worked to generate national media coverage for dozens of journal articles and scientific abstracts. My background includes a master’s degree in public health, which taught me the importance of a critical eye when reviewing any piece of research. Even studies from prestigious medical institutions conducted through the “gold standard” of randomized controlled trials may have significant limitations that could undercut the findings. As public relations professionals, we must be able to discern whether the research is both rock-solid and newsworthy, as well as important for our audience.

For example, a medical society client of ours recently sought publicity to promote research on a pain treatment for breast cancer patients. Our goal was to place one or two stories during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The treatment was novel—but not easily understood.

Translating the science

Our first step, as with any research we promote, is to understand the science. This means getting a firm grasp on the goal of the research, the methodology used, and most importantly, the findings and their implications. Not everything is worthy of a news release. The keys to attracting attention from sharp science reporters: Make sure the sample size is large enough, the findings are statistically significant, and the methodology is solid. If you’re not careful and accurate, you risk very bad outcomes for you and your client.

What does your audience need to know?

It’s not enough to promote a study’s primary outcome. The media (and your audience) won’t be interested unless you convey the real-life significance of the findings.

When brainstorming the all-important headline, make sure you check with the researchers to make sure they agree with your approach. In your eagerness to push for a newsworthy angle, you might inadvertently badly exaggerate the meaning of the findings. Your researchers can make sure you are not erroneously hyping a “miracle treatment.” Even one careless word choice can misrepresent findings, and your credibility—and your client’s—could take a catastrophic hit.

Demonstrate impact through stories

“Human interest” remains a very powerful tool to generate media interest when promoting science. If the researcher can produce a study participant willing to share their story, it can be a huge factor in attracting media coverage. We profiled a breast cancer patient who was a mother of two young children, a wife, and a professional ballerina. She was forced to give up her career and was unable to take care of her children because of excruciating pain following her double mastectomy. Nothing she tried helped, including multiple surgeries and opioids. She had joined a clinical trial we were promoting, and the treatment helped her immensely. She was so grateful that she wanted to share her story so that other women might find the same relief.

Telling her story was the key to placing an article on the TODAY Show’s website: Post-mastectomy pain made her feel ‘on fire.’ Nerve freezing offered relief. The reporter interviewed both the patient and our researcher. The article highlighted the ground-breaking findings. This prominent national placement made our client incredibly happy. Without our showing how research impacted an everyday person, we would never have drawn national attention.

Promoting science has always been a vital part of the public discourse. But now, more than ever in the age of social media, we must make sure that the information and interpretation we promote to the media is both accurate and crystal clear. It is exciting and rewarding to succeed, but it can be devastating to fail.

Following the “COVID Story”: Reflecting on Coronavirus Media Coverage

Whether you’ve been working in health, public health, media, or public relations, or you’re just a human trying to survive, 2020 has been an unforgettable and bizarre experience. Endless depressing case counts and deaths. COVID-19 special reports. White House coronavirus briefings. CDC, WHO and Task Force updates and trending hashtags about PPE, testing, ventilators and plenty of depressing things that many of us had never planned to think about.

Remember hearing about COVID-19 in February, back when it seemed to only exist on cruise ships or in Wuhan? When first responders had inadequate PPE? The first week we learned that we should wear masks? The continuing flow of contradictory stories on “miracle” drugs and speculative vaccine timeframes? In hindsight, the situation sometimes seemed to become clearer, only to turn even more confusing.

I recently spent several intense hours reviewing and organizing seven months’ worth of COVID-19 drug stories, and all of these things streamed back through my thoughts. In our work, it’s important to gather story numbers and impressions and to tally both original pieces and syndications in order to accurately report results and continually refine future media strategy. Proofreading, essentially what I did for the five-thousand-line spreadsheet, involves using the tools available (particularly Office’s spell check, find, and sort functions) while also buckling in for thoughtful reviewing and re-reviewing. By nature, this work cannot be done quickly. It’s also helpful to incorporate the proofreading best practice of reading backwards: starting at the bottom of the document instead of the top and working in the opposite direction. Not only did these tactics yield an accurate overview of media coverage, but this experience really impressed on me how much the COVID story has changed throughout 2020.

Thankfully, we learn more about COVID-19 all the time, thanks especially to researchers, health and public health professionals, and dedicated journalists. Yes, the media coverage has been exhausting and sometimes confusing and problematic. It remains important to consider sources, cross-reference guidance, and prioritize experts. However, in great part thanks to the media, most people now know about the variety of actions that we can each take to fight COVID-19, with more knowledge gained all the time. One of the top things we can do this fall is get a flu shot.

The dedication to service and innovation that I’ve seen throughout society this year—though inevitably twinged with tragedy and loss—encourage me to do whatever I can as an individual to keep myself and others safe and to help share useful, accurate information as a medical public relations professional. In the next seven months, the “COVID story” will surely develop and progress, and as it does, we can find hope in remembering what we can control as well as embracing the sure-to-come helpful new information and developments to keep us safe and pursue the return to our pre-pandemic lives.

Shifting Health Care Communications Strategies

This article originally appeared in O’Dwyer’s October 2020 Healthcare Issue.

Failure to stay relevant is a catastrophe for PR professionals. For 2020, relevancy is the primary determinant of success in the era of COVID-19.

For all of us, not just those in health care communications, this has been a year of chaos. We were forced to repeatedly adapt to a rapidly changing environment and continually learn unexpected lessons for moving forward in this bewildering new reality.

We were pushed to constantly reevaluate messaging and positioning to demonstrate engagement and sensitivity to the COVID-19 situation. For every news story, social post, speech, and product, PR professionals needed to take daily and weekly checks on the environment to figure out when and how it was appropriate to step in and step up.

As a health care PR agency, our first priority in this tumultuous time is taking care of our team. The only way we can serve our clients well is if we first take care of ourselves. For our team, self-care is no longer a luxury. It is a survival mechanism. When the federal Emergency Declaration hit, we abandoned our Washington, D.C. office and went fully remote. It was a seamless transition because we already offered our team members “Work-from-Home Fridays.” It was our best answer for telework. When we opened our small, woman-owned business four years ago, we started working remotely once a week on the day of your choice. But that became too confusing; some people would take it, others would not. It got to the point where we didn’t know whether someone was in or out of the office. Our solution was giving everyone the benefit of Fridays at home, with the requirement to use video calls as the primary form of communication. Everyone needed to have a home-office set up. Wow! Did that ever pay off when the coronavirus hit!

I remember reading a post on Instagram that said, “We are in a crisis…and working remotely.” To help our own staff practice self-care, take time to nurture their mental health, and figure out their new life, we immediately activated our annual summer hours program several months early: Everyone takes a day off from work every other Friday. It gives all of us a time to reflect, recharge, and reconnect with what matters to each of us personally. And the positive effects are felt professionally too.

We are clearly not the only ones who think this kind of respite is important: according to a recent Samueli Integrative Health survey, a majority (64%) of Americans say they are focused on their mental health now more than ever.

COVID-19 hit particularly hard for some of our primary clients, whose work missions put them on the frontlines of the pandemic. Key client concerns shifted instantly and strongly to anything and everything COVID: safety and personal protective equipment, clinician burnout, the surge in telehealth and teletherapy, the incredible impact of the social determinants of health, the no-visitor rules at care facilities, constantly changing care guidelines, patients forgoing care, postponed surgeries–and people dying.

The media world changed too. For a firm that prides itself on excelling in earned media relations and thought leadership, we needed to reconfigure how we shared our clients’ perspectives. Consider the state of media during the first half of this year:

  • Hundreds of journalists were laid off at Vice, Quartz, The Economist, BuzzFeed, CondeNast and elsewhere.
  • According to The New York Times, nearly 40,000 employees of news media companies were furloughed, laid off, or had their pay cut.
  • COVID-19 has literally killed nearly 100 weekly and daily publications, bringing the total to roughly 1,800 news outlets that have just disappeared in the past decade.

Nonetheless, there was some good news about the news media:

  • A Pew study found 69% of Americans approved the media coverage of the pandemic.
  • Other polls found that trust in broadcast and cable network news was growing; and
  • Americans wanted science to guide our way out of this pandemic.

For our clients, in-person scientific meetings came to an abrupt halt. Now the virtual or hybrid annual meeting is here to stay. A recent issue of Science explored COVID-19’s huge impact on annual scientific meetings. A human-centered artificial intelligence conference that typically draws 3,000 attendees switched to a virtual format. The result? The conference attracted more than 30,000 participants. The reported benefits included moderators more effectively screening questions and avoiding non-questions. The virtual meeting was more accessible and affordable. What do the meeting participants miss the most? In-person networking. Many organizations are trying to replicate that connection on social media but being in the presence of another human being is impossible to replace, although online platforms are still trying to figure it out.

For one of our in-person community-based campaigns, we shifted everything online and eliminated all printed materials. One of our clients was in the middle of testing a campaign focused on health and well-being, focused on reaching the underserved population in five pilot markets. The “TakeCare” project is all about the power that every one of us has to improve our own health and well-being. What makes this campaign different and exciting is the use of newly produced documentary film shorts with real people taking small steps to make real changes in their lives. These films make emotional connections and inspire behavior change. Since we could no longer be in-market, we pivoted quickly to online. Within 30 days, we launched a digital micro-campaign within TakeCare, to specifically help people during COVID-19. We released five engaging film shorts that shared powerful stories of people who have transformed their health and well-being through small steps, and highlighting topics that were particularly relevant in the new environment: stress relief, building community, finding meaning and purpose.

Surveys and polls are more popular than ever for the news media. I’ve never seen so many polls covered in the news, posted on social media, and written about by the trades, aside from election season. In just a single week, I counted at least 10 polls covered by Google News before I stopped counting! There was the Harris Poll, Politico/Harvard poll, CNN poll, Quinnipiac University poll, Fox News poll, Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking, USA Today/IPSOS poll, and more. The abundance of survey findings tells us two things. First, they work. Second, they provide your client an opportunity to stay relevant, if you can find something newsworthy to add.

What are we looking at in 2021 for health care PR? We will continue to operate in a chaotic and uncertain environment. Trying to make meaningful personal connections virtually will be essential. Microtargeting on a single platform is a must, and our clients will need science and new data to remain a vital part of the national conversation. Welcome to the new normal!

As the saying goes, “there is wisdom and freedom in accepting that we don’t have all the answers.” While we are figuring those answers out, we as health care PR professionals must strive to find ways to keep our organizations and clients relevant.

Elephants vs Mosquitos: Which Approach to Media Outreach Gets Results

A popular theory of evolution serves as a good analogy for approaches to media pitching, whether we are promoting scientific research or increasing awareness of a health issue.

In biology, organisms are classified according to the evolutionary “strategies” they use for reproduction and long-term survival of the species. Humans and elephants are known as “K-selected” organisms. Within these species, individuals have just a few offspring over their lifetime and devote substantial time and energy to raising and nurturing each baby.

On the other end of the spectrum are “r-selected” organisms such as sea turtles and mosquitos. These creatures lay vast numbers of eggs to produce numerous offspring and invest almost nothing in caring for them. This strategy counts on massive quantity to produce at least a few survivors to carry on the species generation after generation.

I often think of K- and r-strategies when pitching to the media. Either approach can be successful, but most often, we prefer a K-strategy, in which we thoughtfully nurture a customized pitch. This means taking time to think precisely about who we want to reach, to learn about specific reporters whom we can target, and to consider which particular aspect of our story will most interest them. We take time to learn about the reporters and to clearly understand their beats and their publications. We review bylined articles and plan an approach to the most relevant reporters, with a fresh angle that is most likely to intrigue them. While we may send out fewer pitches and queries with this K-strategy, we generally get more high-quality responses and build better relationships with journalists who come to know and trust us and are willing to keep opening our emails.

Just like in biology, our tactics do not always fall neatly into one category. Occasionally, variations on the r-strategy — sending out a single pitch to a long list of reporters — make sense. When we have strong, time-sensitive breaking news, it can work well to send a pitch to a broad but well-researched list. But too much reliance on the r-strategy is why journalists are often frustrated with public relations. Hundreds of mosquito-like pitches annoyingly fill up journalists’ in-boxes every day.

Media databases and distribution services make it tempting to simply cast out a pitch to larger numbers of journalists. It is quick and easy to identify dozens or even hundreds of reporters in your topic area and then blanket the state, region, or the entire world with a generic pitch. But these databases are far from perfect and inevitably identify innumerable reporters who will find the outreach irrelevant and irritating. They may even block the sender’s email, which means they may not be able to reach that reporter when they actually have a story that might be a good match.

Taking the time to thoughtfully nurture a pitch and selectively send it to reporters who will care about it is better than just letting loose a swarm of mosquitos.

Make News: Using Survey Data to Generate Media Attention

To pique the interest of reporters and generate media coverage, you must have information that is timely, relevant, and new. Commissioning a public opinion survey is a great way to generate media interest and increase awareness of a specific issue; however, it’s important to keep a few things in mind as you build your communications strategy.

Choose the type of survey that’s right for you.

There are lots of options for commissioning a survey, but the best path to choose will depend largely on your budget and desired scope. We typically recommend two types of surveys for our clients. One is a large-scale, personalized analysis developed specifically for your organization, and containing only the questions you’ve drafted. This type of survey gives you free range to ask a wide variety of questions and then develop unique crosstabs to generate as much interesting information as possible. These surveys are typically used to build an entire campaign strategy. The other type is an omnibus survey in which you are billed based on the number of questions you submit. Your questions will be included as part of a larger survey (involving multiple clients) that is conducted typically on a weekly basis. This approach offers a more cost-effective method for organizations on a tighter budget, and is best for smaller-scale outreach efforts.

Outline your dream headline.

When developing your survey questions, it’s important to go into the process with clear goals and a dream headline. You must ensure your questions are free of bias, while also carefully planning out each question to figure out how the responses might generate the message you want. This is an important step to ensure your survey’s newsworthiness, and will help you anticipate what findings you might plan to pitch to the media.

Ensure the survey is nationally representative.

To ensure the data from your survey is as impactful as possible, it’s imperative that it is nationally representative. Working with a credible research firm can help you achieve this. On average, you must poll at least 1,000 adults to ensure a nationally representative sample. This is a key factor that reporters look for when assessing the newsworthiness and validity of survey data.

Packaging results is key.

It’s not enough to just issue a press release with your survey data. You need to provide reporters with a full suite of collateral materials. Consider developing a report that puts the issue into context, highlights key polling data, and shares expert commentary. Also, consider developing social media posts and/or an infographic to visually convey key data points. Having a full package of materials available will help reporters better understand and accurately highlight the survey findings.

In the changing media environment, you need to be able to make your own news. Based on our experience, we at The Reis Group can help you brainstorm and execute your survey strategy, and generate attention about your issue and build credibility for your organization.