Last week we had the opportunity to sit down with a local broadcast reporter and secured her perspective on current trends within broadcast media and offered tips for working with broadcast reporters. Below I have outlined some of the information from that discussion.
Trends
The economy is affecting broadcast media. There has been wide coverage about print media feeling the squeeze as subscription and advertising revenues dry up and increasing competition from online sources. Broadcast media are also under pressure to cut costs. With current budget concerns, some broadcast outlets are asking reporters to film their own segments as they cut back on staffing.
Company created B-roll is no longer expected. Broadcast reporters are somewhat skeptical of content provided by companies, and as such, stations are more inclined to generate its own content versus using pre-produced B-roll footage. One notable exception is if the content is something that would not be possible for the outlet to film itself such as covering the launch of a satellite in space.
Broadcast journalists look to their trusted networks for story ideas and to find experts or individuals to flesh out a story. They also use services such as Peter Shankman’s HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and Al’s Morning Meeting as well as Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools to find resources.
Broadcast outlets are increasingly interested in driving traffic to their Web sites. Stations monitor what stories receive the most interest and comments from viewers. This data helps determine the programming for future coverage.
Tips
Remember to be conversational when pitching broadcast media, and to illustrate how the story can come alive for viewers in a visually interesting manner. Some story ideas are compelling in nature but are not a match for broadcast media because they will not translate effectively into a visual medium. Such stories may be better suited for print media.
When coaching a spokesperson, remind them to speak in a conversational manner, avoid using acronyms or jargon and refrain from phrases such as “as I said already” that can make it difficult to use in the final segment.
Set expectations with spokespeople. A segment on the local news is going to be about the over-arching story and will not be a commercial for the company. The reporter will pull together sound bites from various interviews to help tell the broad story and is not interested in simply highlighting the corporate messaging.
From a PR perspective, it’s more important than ever to think like a broadcast journalist and offer as many resources, visuals, etc. to help them easily pull together the story. As trends such as the economy and social media continue to impact both print and broadcast media outlets, it’s critical to learn how this medium operates and evolve your strategies so you can develop effective pitches that spark the interest of reporters and secure coverage on behalf of your company or client.