What Reporters Want

Have you ever seen the movie What Women Want?
Well, just to refresh your memory, Mel Gibson’s character, Nick Marshall, an advertising executive, tries to get inside the minds of women to produce something great for an important client dealing with women’s products. While testing some of the products, Nick falls into the bathtub while holding an electric hair dryer, shocked himself, and from that moment on, literally could hear women’s thoughts.
Working in Public Relations, we often find ourselves in Nick Marshall’s situation. How many times have pitches gone unanswered and you wanted a glimpse inside the journalist’s mind? You’ve all read one tip after another about suggested times to send a press release out, the perfect pitch, etc.
But, according to this article and infographic, synergy between PR professionals and journalists is sometimes lacking. This study shows that, as PR pros, there is a way we can give them what they want … through images.
The article stated that 75 percent of journalists say they want access to video in a press release and that adding images, graphics and video to a press release can increase views by as much as 77 percent. Wow!
The media has been charged with the daunting task of objectively informing and educating the public about what’s going on in the world around them. And the public, in today’s world, is image-driven. So why are we, as PR professionals, still sending lone, wordy news releases to our news outlets and wondering why they don’t get picked up? I know you’ve heard the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, journalists agree.
Take away: Make it a habit to send out news releases with images. Some ideal images may include photos, video, infographics and charts. We know “What Reporters Want” – let’s give it to them.

Mary Hampton Morrison
Public Relations Strategist