Business Wire Charlotte hosted a Meet the Media luncheon for more than 50 local communications professionals on November 12th in Durham, NC. The discussion, moderated by Mary Hecht-Kissell of PR Strategies, focused on the best practices for communicators in the tech/biotech industry. The panel of speakers included:
- Tyler Dukes, Web Producer, News 14 Carolina
- Allan Maurer, Editor, TechJournal South
- Frank Vinluan, Tech/Biotech Writer, Triangle Business Journal
Here are some tips from the panel:
Pitching:
- Email is the best way to pitch reporters.
- Don’t call reporters when you know they are on deadline.
- If you reach a reporter on the phone, ask if it is a good time to talk.
- Don’t pitch two reporters at the same publication with the same story & not tell them about it.
- Good pitches are newsworthy. Focus on what is new, what hasn’t been done before or what is being done in a better way.
- The larger the number of people impacted by a tech innovation, the more newsworthy it is (e.g., a drug therapy for cancer).
Working with Media:
- Establish & foster relationships.
- Provide information in a timely manner to meet reporter’s deadline.
- Always tell the truth.
- Avoid confrontation; focus on facts – not emotions.
- Avoid industry jargon when telling your story.
- Avoid saying anything off the record.
Leveraging Media Coverage:
- Share media coverage with employees as a motivational tool.
- Post media coverage on your Web site to help visitors find it.
- Extend your media coverage by posting it on Twitter, Facebook Fan pages and Linkedin.
- Highlight media coverage in customer newsletters.
Local Business Wire offices host several events each year on PR, IR, SEO & media topics. Check out the Business Wire Events page to find upcoming events in your area.
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Posted by Amy Yen, Marketing Specialist, Business Wire 
