Media Sense and Savvy:
Let Your Email Whisper, "Keep Me Top of Mind" to Journalists in Need of Sources
April 21, 2016
Here’s a quick, personal and valuable tip straight from an ongoing battle at the front lines of journalism and media relations.
I have a talk-radio show. Yesterday my guest for today had to cancel. So I scrambled only slightly this morning to find a replacement. I’ve scrambled like this many times over the years as a newspaper reporter, when a source was unavailable or had to back out of an interview for some reason, or when I received an assignment with an impossibly tight deadline.
It’s a good thing that I’m connected enough, as a member of the media and also as someone whom people hire for media relations and who teaches media relations/outreach to business people. With all of my connections, it was easy for me to find one or two great guests to join me today on short notice. (Listen from 1 – 2 Eastern Time today if you’re interested!) Thank goodness!
Here’s a quick, personal and valuable tip straight from an ongoing battle at the front lines of journalism and media relations.
I have a talk-radio show. Yesterday my guest for today had to cancel. So I scrambled only slightly this morning to find a replacement. I’ve scrambled like this many times over the years as a newspaper reporter, when a source was unavailable or had to back out of an interview for some reason, or when I received an assignment with an impossibly tight deadline.
It’s a good thing that I’m connected enough, as a member of the media and also as someone whom people hire for media relations and who teaches media relations/outreach to business people. With all of my connections, it was easy for me to find one or two great guests to join me today on short notice. (Listen from 1 – 2 Eastern Time today if you’re interested!) Thank goodness!
How this matters to you
For years I’ve been teaching my clients and workshoppers that in their media relations/outreach it’s important for them to make it clear that they’re an accessible, professional, go-to source for members of the media on deadline. The more they are known for that by journalists like me, the more likely they are to get media opportunities. Save a reporter's butt once, do a good job, and you'll live in his or her heart and contact list eternally.
Over the years, I’ve also been a source who contributed to numerous articles, TV and radio segments for journalists. (Naturally I’ve also been using and recommending HARO since founder Pete Shankman started it back around 2007.) So I'm always on both sides of the media relations/outreach line.
With this morning’s minor scramble, I acted on an idea I've had for years but never implemented, then I urged my beloved clients, authors and workshoppers to do the same: Add a line to their email signatures to help make themselves known as a go-to source for journalists like me. (I just added it to my own signature and pasted the example below with the relevant line in red.)
I'll tweak it some, and yours may not contain the exact verbiage as mine, but you can see the value in the action.
Let’s see how quickly it catches on and people follow my lead. If anyone asks, remember that you heard it from me!
Over the years, I’ve also been a source who contributed to numerous articles, TV and radio segments for journalists. (Naturally I’ve also been using and recommending HARO since founder Pete Shankman started it back around 2007.) So I'm always on both sides of the media relations/outreach line.
With this morning’s minor scramble, I acted on an idea I've had for years but never implemented, then I urged my beloved clients, authors and workshoppers to do the same: Add a line to their email signatures to help make themselves known as a go-to source for journalists like me. (I just added it to my own signature and pasted the example below with the relevant line in red.)
I'll tweak it some, and yours may not contain the exact verbiage as mine, but you can see the value in the action.
Let’s see how quickly it catches on and people follow my lead. If anyone asks, remember that you heard it from me!
My longtime email signature, with invitation to journalists on urgent deadline:
Nora Firestone
757-705-7174 (Calls only; no text service because that would be like tethering a puppy to my ankle.)
May be available on short notice for interviews by fellow members of the media. Call direct: 757-705-7174 (no texts)
nora@norafirestone.com
www.norafirestone.com (books, articles, business and author services)
www.stepbysteppresentations.com (tutorials, educational presentations and workshops in writing for business messaging, media relations/outreach and DIY website design/management)
www.thankingofyou.com (If you knew it would make a difference in their lives, would you take time to thank the people who’ve made a difference in yours?)
Radio show 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Thursdays at 1110 AM, WKQA radio, Norfolk: www.wkqaradio.com
Skype name: norafirestone
Not S.W.a.M.-certified or big on diversity initiatives because just as I oppose people being oppressed based upon race, ethnicity and gender, I oppose people being advanced based upon race, ethnicity and gender.
“You’re amazing. I’ll help you prove it.”
757-705-7174 (Calls only; no text service because that would be like tethering a puppy to my ankle.)
May be available on short notice for interviews by fellow members of the media. Call direct: 757-705-7174 (no texts)
nora@norafirestone.com
www.norafirestone.com (books, articles, business and author services)
www.stepbysteppresentations.com (tutorials, educational presentations and workshops in writing for business messaging, media relations/outreach and DIY website design/management)
www.thankingofyou.com (If you knew it would make a difference in their lives, would you take time to thank the people who’ve made a difference in yours?)
Radio show 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Thursdays at 1110 AM, WKQA radio, Norfolk: www.wkqaradio.com
Skype name: norafirestone
Not S.W.a.M.-certified or big on diversity initiatives because just as I oppose people being oppressed based upon race, ethnicity and gender, I oppose people being advanced based upon race, ethnicity and gender.
“You’re amazing. I’ll help you prove it.”
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