Responding to media inquiries—5 “don’ts” from a journalist’s perspective
Stephane Fitch, Chicago bureau chief, Forbes, participated on a panel of journalists and writers at a webinar, “Responding to Media Queries: How to Stand out from the Crowd,” hosted by ProfNet on Nov. 11, and provided a great list of do’s and don’ts for PR professionals, including:
• Don’t reply to a query with, “What’s the story all about?” He doesn’t know before he writes it.
• Don’t offer an e-mail-only interview. Fitch prefers to talk to the expert via phone or in person.
• Don’t send a “form letter” offering a story. Custom-pitch him, explaining why you think the story is right for him and Forbes. Fitch said he throws away about 95 percent of the pitches he gets, because they’re obviously not targeted specifically to him.
• Don’t worry about “sound bites,” which can be useless. Just tell your story; he’ll find the sound bites.
• Do contact him to set up a coffee/lunch meeting. If you or your CEO is passing through Chicago, let him know. He values connecting with people/companies, and has never turned down an in-person meeting with a PR person who wants to find out more about what Forbes does.
