An unfortunate report from the Oriella PR Network recently revealed that, quantitatively, journalists trust PR professionals slightly less than politicians. Yes, you read that right—even politicians come across as more trustworthy than PR pros. Much of it likely has to do with the changing media industry—as it becomes digital and fast-paced, journalists face incredible pressure and therefore have limited time and patience for askew pitches and unreliable sources.
This doesn’t mean the relationship between PR and journalism is doomed, however—the key is to make it mutually beneficial. With appropriate action, PR professionals can help relieve journalists’ stress and stand out as helpful, instead of unreliable. Clearly, if you are to be trusted, you need to be trustworthy. In the journalist-PR professional relationship, what does that trust look like? We offer the following tips for become a valuable, trusted source to journalists:
Be truthful. If we could stress one piece of advice in this whole post, it’s this: Don’t ever lie to a reporter. Lying is the quickest way to permanently kill the relationship. It seems obvious, but tell the truth—honesty and transparency are crucial. Be clear with expectations, capabilities, limitations and results. Don’t hide your intentions, misrepresent your client or beat around the bush. If you don’t know something or can’t confirm a piece of information, be honest and say so. And remember that embellishing the truth is lying, too—don’t falsely amp up a product or announcement for the sake of sensationalism.
Stick to your word. Deliver on your promises—no matter how small. After blatant lying, breaking a promise is the next best way to ensure a reporter never trusts you again. If you promise a quote, interview or story draft, give it. Stick wholeheartedly to agreed-upon deadlines. Stand out from the crowd by being timely, reliable and responsive. And, above all, don’t make a promise in the first place that you know you can’t keep.
Offer value. Not only should you promote a great product or client, but offering value includes offering creativity. An original, compelling story catered to a particular outlet is far more valuable than a mass-released story idea. Present the truth in an appropriate, helpful manner. Journalists have a job to do, and PR professionals’ job is to make it easier. If you offer them value with a great story, they’ll be more inclined to trust you—and likely won’t mind you asking for a product mention.
Admit mistakes. You’re human. You will make mistakes. If necessary, admit errors—as soon as you realize they’ve occurred, not when you’re called out. Admitting mistakes, despite the ramifications, shows integrity and honesty—traits that by nature make you more trustworthy. When you mess up, confess and be proactive in fixing the problem. Journalists will forgive an error, but they won’t forgive your trying to cover it up.
Have some respect. Respect is a basic foundation for establishing trust. Journalists are busy—respect their time and interests. Nobody trusts someone who’s blatantly over-pushing a product or idea. Take the time to understand their needs and motivations, and work to set them up for success. Be straightforward, compelling and to the point with your words. Avoid poorly written or boring press releases and pitches, spamming or hassling, and just blatant disregard for what journalists do. Make your offer a win-win for both parties and reporters will come to see you as helpful, rather than only trying to help yourself. Finally, respect their decisions—if they say no, thank them and move on.
For those of you still hung up on being seen as sleazier than a politician, don’t take it personally—instead, see it as an opportunity to prove yourself to be an honest, reliable source. As in any relationship, trust is required to maintain camaraderie between journalists and PR professionals. The best way to be seen as worthy of journalists’ trust? Develop a track record of trustworthy behavior, keeping the above tips in mind for success. Not only will journalists be more receptive to your pitches and ideas, but over time you just might find them reaching out to you to get the story.