Rolemommy

PR 365...Protecting Yourself From Mainstream Media

In light of the recent NY Times article featured in the Style section on mommy blogging and branding, I've decided to throw my two cents into the ring - for whatever it's worth. I've spent half of my life pitching media. And let me tell you - it is not fun. Okay, scratch that - it is fun when you land a big story in a major outlet like the New York Times, they send a reporter who you think is going to write a great piece about your client, he or she overhears conversations she's not supposed to hear, and Bam! Your fabulous get is now about to cost you your job because you really didn't investigate the reporter coming to interview your client and if you had researched her more, you would have discovered that she has a knack for writing snarky pieces.

Let us now fast forward to the story at hand. The New York Times. While the grey lady employs numerous staff writers who are tough as nails, there are still a few among the bunch of cynical journalists whom I greatly admire and respect. They're the straight shooters you can still meet for breakfast at one of their favorite haunts, pitch them an exclusive story, they bite and you provide them with all the information and interviews they need to write a story that will make his editors happy because they broke your story first and your client does cartwheels once it finally appears in print.

When a reporter is assigned to cover an event for a major news outlet, the organizers should always be aware of the dangers of giving a reporter total access. Even though the reporter attending "Bloggy Boot Camp" was technically a mommy blogger, she obviously came in with an agenda. I'm sure the mandate was to come back with anecdotes that made the women sound silly or frivolous. I mean, who would go to a conference to find out how to make several thousand dollars from blogging when they can pitch a story to a newspaper and make $50 or nothing, or be rejected because they did not start out their career as a copy editor and do not know the right people to open the doors for them to land them a story in the New York Times. But, I digress.

Let's get back to the case at hand. Young reporter/blogger attends one day conference with mom bloggers who let her into their world with open arms, only for her to stab them in the back with her words. Could the bloggers have protected themselves from the reporter? Absolutely. First rule of thumb - before she could even attend, someone should have read everything they could about her. If there was evidence of snarkiness in her writing, then she should have either been turned away or had someone watching every move she made.

When I used to work in corporate PR, when a reporter from the New York Times or Wall Street Journal was in our midst, we did not let them out of our sight. In fact, most times, we arranged phone interviews for the reporter so that they couldn't pick up any additional color commentary that might help enhance their story but hinder the outcome for the interview subject.

I remember when I was working for a major TV network and found out about a New York Times reporter who spent several days with a former television network executive who had transitioned into the world of production. Unbeknownst to that producer, the reporter had an agenda - and that was to do a cover story for the New York Times Magazine - and last I checked, you've got to spend a lot of time with an interview subject to fill those pages. The article was a disaster for the interviewee. Back at our office, we breathed a sigh of relief that we weren't the ones who spearheaded that story and vowed never to put any of our producers or executives in harms way with a reporter with a hidden agenda to undermine.

So my advice to those of you out there who long to land a story in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or the cover of New York Magazine. Be on guard at all times. A reporter's mission is to get to the underbelly of a story and even if you believe you have a positive piece to share, the cynics will be at the ready to rip you apart. That being said, keep reading the reporters and columnists you like and reach out to them from time to time. Some of the best stories I've ever secured came from meeting reporters, getting to know what they were interested in and forging a professional relationship that has lasted for decades.

Posted in: PR 365 on 03/15/2010