Effective media management can go a long way toward reducing your on-the-job headaches.  It will take a little time, and practice, but with proper planning you can learn to deal with the media and effectively cultivate good press contacts.

Throughout all of your planning you have to be flexible and learn to “go with the flow.”  It’s important to have some kind of a plan. However, things don’t always go as planned and a reporter’s deadline will not always mirror when you are ready, able and available to release information. Flexibility is one key to success with the press.

It’s also important to remember that there are no permanent friends or enemies in the media. One day, a reporter does a positive story involving your business or organization and the next one could be negative.  Keep an even keel! Despite what many anti-press pundits would like you to believe, the media is not always out to “get you” or unearth a controversy. The majority of reporters just want to make their deadlines, do their jobs well and go home at the end of the day.

Media coverage can help you meet strategic objectives. Not every story done about your school, business or organization is going to be positive, but if you can be proactive you have a better chance of turning the tide in your favor.

It’s important that you be proactive in your approach to media management. If you own a small or medium sized business or run a non-profit organization you know that things are not going to get done unless you do it yourself.  The same can be said for media management.  It’s up to you to watch the news, read your local newspapers and listen to the radio.  Pay attention to the hot topics of the moment.  If an issue arises that possibly impacts your profession or cause then you should consider calling the local news folks and offering your input. 

For example, when I was a television reporter in Dallas, we were in the grips of a nasty drought.  Of course, droughts are really nothing new in Texas, but I digress.  At the time, the local governments warned people against excessive watering of their lawns and gardens.  People faced fines from using too much water or letting their sprinklers run too long.  While in the newsroom one day I picked up the phone and on the other end of the line was a fellow from a landscaping company who began talking about what people can do to keep their lawns and gardens alive during dry times, without using too much water and getting themselves in hot water. (Pun intended.)

The light bulb went off in my head.  I saw a story here, mainly because this guy had the foresight to call.

ME: “Would you consider helping us with a story telling people some of the ways that they can take care of their grass and flowers without getting into trouble?”

CALLER: “Sure, what time can you be here?”

Later that day the man’s company was featured in a story on the evening news.  While I did not do any follow up research regarding the impact of his call (I did not know then that I would be writing this book) I am sure that he received calls from prospective customers who began their conversations with the words: “I saw your company on TV and I was wondering…”

Now, at this point you might take a hard look at that scenario I just described and point out that the guy from the landscaping company used me and that he pulled one over on me to get on television.  For the most part that’s sort of true.  But we each got something out of it; he got some free advertising by opening his doors to a television crew, and I got a good story for the evening news.  We both won!

As a company or organization you can use the current news of the day to your advantage, whether that news is good or bad.  If there is a string of nasty muggings in your community and you run a karate school, call the local media and offer to provide self-defense tips to the public at some type of community forum.  If you read the newspapers and see that the government is considering limiting the tax breaks on big-ticket items and you run a tax preparation firm, consider calling your local media and offering yourself as a resource to tell people about the new laws and how they will impact people. There are countless ways to proactively participate in news coverage that will produce positive results.

The media educates the public and influences public opinion.  Remember the great quote from CBS News icon Edward R. Murrow: "Television can inform, it can educate, it can inspire. But only to the extent that it is used for these purposes-- otherwise it's only lights and wires in a box."

By now, just about everyone understands the power of the media, especially television.  Murrow was one of the first to understand – or at least publicly state – that television and the media in general, is a powerful educational tool.  And if you are hoping to cultivate a meaningful relationship with your local media then you must understand that the media can help you educate the public (a.k.a. consumers, potential customers, the general public) about what your company or organization is all about. 

You have the power – through the media – to educate and if you can educate people then you can have some impact on public opinion.  In addition to having some impact on public opinion, you can also help inform the public about what your group, organization or company does.  And to think you learned it after reading this book! It gives me goose bumps!