Look forward to your perspective on things in the future, too.

Thanks so much for clarifying. A lot of what you said is 100% correct, we just happen to have a difference of opinion with respect to which is more important when dealing with media contacts.

With respect to the reporter’s time coming into question (in terms of PR people not wasting it), I think there are certainly ways you can reach out to a reporter and allow them to get back to you on their own time and terms. An short email letting someone you want to reach out to know that you’re interested in speaking with them more in order to effectively pitch them in the future isn’t a bad thing. Some might argue that 5 minutes spent chatting (even if through email) could save 50 minutes in the future.

Whichever side of this argument you fall on, I think we can all agree that a mutual respect for the work of both the reporter and the PR person is key.

Thanks again, Dave, and I look forward to more engaging articles from you in the future!

@dmullen

I will say, though, that you misread several of my point about relationships, or I was unclear. To clarify…

You wrote above:

“However, to say that because we can’t build relationships with everyone, so we shouldn’t bother with anyone is like throwing the baby out with the bath water.”

I never said we shouldn’t bother building relationships. I’ve benefited immeasurably from the relationships I’ve built during my career so far. And I think they are critically important.

I was saying that it isn’t the MOST important thing in media relations. Great story ideas shared with relevant journalists is what’s most important. One could argue that they’re equal, as Lara did (whom I know personally and love!). I could see that. But relationships don’t trump quality story ideas and resourcefulness. In fact, you can’t build a relationship without providing those two things first.

The reason I wrote the post is that I’ve seen lots of chatter lately - usually from social media types or tech PR folks - who elevate relationships above all. They say you must build a relationship with a reporter or blogger before pitching them. To that, I say hogwash. You’ve also noted here that you’ve landed stories with reporters you didn’t know before pitching them.

Secondly, they claim that good PR people develop relationships with EVERY person they pitch on an ongoing basis. That’s what I said is impossible for many agency folks. EVERY is an unattainable goal. Yes, you should maintain relationships with as many as possible, but you don’t have to become drinking buddies with all 3,000 reporters you’ve pitched in your ten years to be successful at media relations.

To the point about it not being worth your time to cultivate relationships with reporters who you aren’t actively pursuing… I actually think it’s not worth reporters’ time. Do I find out what their working on, even though I can offer no resources to help them? In a day of downsizing newsrooms and time-starved journalists, I think they’d appreciate more PR folks being considerate of their time.

You also said:

“To presume that it’s wasteful to spend time engaging reporters or editors because you can’t foresee how that relationship would directly benefit you in the future is irresponsible.”

I never said engaging with reporters or editors is “wasteful.” Again, it is A) impossible to do with every single reporter you pitch and B) not necessarily considerate of the reporters time or your own time.

Thanks again for continuing the conversation. I just want to make sure words attributed to me are accurate. Thanks for letting me clarify!

Matt Hanson