Good PR is a 12-step program; to build a successful media relations strategy, think like a reporter - Viewpoint

University Business, August, 2003 by Raymond C. Jones

I have worked for three IHEs, all anxious to increase their prestige by expanding their national news coverage. In each case, however, I struck barriers that made the task much more difficult than it needed to be. Curiously, the news media were not responsible for those barriers; they were erected by fellow administrators who failed to understand how the process of image enhancement really works. I secretly suspect there is a lest that college and university trustees administer to every candidate for a presidential vacancy. In order to pass the test, the candidate must believe that his or her institution is "the best kept secret" in whatever part of the country it happens to be located in, that his or her institution deserves only positive media coverage; that a critical mass of high school seniors (all full-pay students with high SATs) could be charmed into applying for admission, if the institution could only secure a mention in The New York Times; that national media exposure would materialize quickly if the institution could just find "somebody to get the word out."

In truth, any institution, large or small, can succeed in enhancing its media coverage, even at the national level. But media cultivation efforts must be based on a realistic understanding of the imperatives that drive the news media--not the ambitions that drive the institution. Here is a summary of things I wish the campus leaders I worked with had known:

1. The media don't awe positive exposure to any organization. Their job is to cover news. Much of what qualifies as "newsworthy" is negative by definition, and that's the nature of the beast. When all is said and done, the media's definition of news is the only one that counts.

2. It takes focus and concentration to expand the effective radius of media outreach. A media coordinator must be thoroughly familiar with the targeted media, their personnel, their special interests, and their perceived constituencies. That familiarity comes from doing homework and taking time to actively pursue cultivation strategies that foster close personal relationships. Actually, the bonding process in media relations is no different than it is in fundraising--particularly when dealing with distant or unfamiliar news organizations. Few fundraisers would ask a welt-heeled donor for a major gift without first studying the donor's background, identifying his or her special interests, and methodically cultivating a personal relationship.

3. Success comes from exercising restraint. Pushing non-newsworthy stories is counterproductive. Every IHE needs to have its story ideas screened thoughtfully by a seasoned professional with good news judgment. Don't allow well-intentioned but inexperienced colleagues to set the agenda.

4. Don't fritter away time, energy, and focus on low-priority I tasks. Many IHEs roll out a national media relations program with a crash of thunder. Then they bog down the new media specialist with hometowners and event calendars. And because media coordinators come with genuine writing skill (ironically, a rare talent in academia), they are also co-opted into scripting Rotary Club speeches, alumni news briefs, and routine thank-you notes for development officers. What a gross misappropriation of talent! It's like investing in a thoroughbred racehorse and then using the animal for pony tides at the church picnic.

5. Take time to monitor the news on n daily basis; you'll have greater success in media placement when you artfully fill the journalistic vacuums you find, using the professional experts you have at hand. Systematic internal networking is vital to this approach: Meeting professors for coffee is not a sign of, laziness, it's evidence of conscientiousness.

6. "All things being equal, friends buy from friends." This applies to media relations, too--reporters like to "buy" story ideas from friends. A media "friend" is a media coordinator who has an objective mind, demonstrates reliable news judgment, and has a steady track record of cooperation. Those perceived as flaks, spinmeisters, or political hacks don't make the cut.

7. Use successful print placement to attract TV coverage. Yes, the luck of geography does come into play, as there is no question that universities located near Washington DC, New York, and Atlanta have a built-in advantage. Assignment editors at the national networks take their cues from a relatively limited group of publications including The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, as well as the Associated Press wire service. Especially for IHEs in more isolated venues, successful hits in these publications can dramatically enhance the chances of snagging interviews on CNN, the cable talk shows, morning news or Sunday "meet the press" programs.

8. Get around the alumni barrier, with trust. One reason that "elite" institutions dominate coverage in The New York Times and similar, is that those news organizations' staff members frequently are alumni. Reporters write about their own schools in part because those schools represent a known and familiar cosmos. To get those folks to step outside their comfort zone and consider new possibilities, give them a good story. Even the thickest media walls can be breached if a story or a source is strong enough. The key? Be patient and judicious. Cultivate a trust relationship so that you have an available channel, and use that channel only when you have something of Legitimate importance.