Within the field of public relations, media relations is one of the key tactical areas needed to achieve success in influencing perceptions. To execute well on media relations, though, it requires a finesse well beyond other rote tasks within the field. Most certainly, like managing many different other relationships in our lives as well, establishing and maintaining strong media relationships is an essential step in ensuring your message is heard by a wider audience. Journalists are inundated with countless story pitches, and standing out requires more than just sending a note with a press release. It’s about creating real, lasting connections that benefit both you and the journalists you work with. Strong media relationships not only help secure coverage but also build trust, credibility, and mutual respect. Here’s how to nurture and maintain those relationships.

Understand and Respect Deadlines

Timing is essential when working with journalists. Being aware of deadlines and sending pitches at the right hours of the day and days of the week, and with the freshest of news shows that you understand how fast paced a journalist’s work can be. News priorities can shift quickly, so keep in mind that deadlines may change as journalists focus on breaking stories or urgent news. Reaching out during especially busy times, like election cycles or just before a print deadline, can cause your pitch to be missed and may convey a lack of awareness of their workflow. When possible, provide background or framing information through links to give journalists more context, and provide visual assets to convey the visual aspect of the story as well. This shows you respect their workload and efficiency. and gives them flexibility to manage changing demands.

Personalize Your Pitches

Journalists receive countless proactive story pitches daily, so a one-size-fits-all approach can end up in the junk folder, or even worse, with a full email account block. Take the time to research the journalist’s beat, read their recent articles, study up on their personal background and interests, and familiarize yourself with their writing style. Reference specific stories they’ve covered that align with your pitch or spokesperson offering and emphasize why the topic is relevant to their readers or their interests. This shows you value the journalist’s expertise and helps you come across as someone who understands their audience and respects their time.

Be a Reliable, Go-To Source

Building strong media relationships comes down to being consistent and reliable. While your first interaction might center around a unique, proactive story idea, the real opportunity to garner ongoing coverage will come through your reactive responsiveness. By providing accurate information, following through on promises, and being communicative if there are delays or changes, you will establish yourself with the reporter as a trustworthy contact. Over time, this honest approach makes you someone they can count on, and journalists will appreciate your clear communication and dependability, and reach out to you with more and more opportunities to be included in their stories in the future.

Engage on Social Media

Social media is a great way to stay connected with journalists without bombarding them with unsuited pitches. Follow them on platforms like X and LinkedIn, like or share their posts, and feel free to reach out if something they’ve shared catches your eye—beyond just what’s relevant to your organization. This helps you stay on their radar and helps you build a genuine, friendly relationship over time.

Make Time for In-Person Meetings

Whenever you can, take the opportunity to meet your journalist contacts face-to-face. Whether it’s grabbing coffee or attending events where you know they will be present, in-person interactions allow you to build a more personal rapport and deepen your relationship. These moments stand out, helping you move beyond just another email in their inbox or a LinkedIn connection, and establishing you as a real person. The result is a stronger, more personal professional bond that will likely help you secure their attention better the next time you have a creative story you want to tell.

Authenticity is Key

To truly succeed in media relations, you’ve got to be all-in. Journalists can tell when you’re just going through the motions or only focused on your own robotica genda. Authenticity matters. When you genuinely care about their work, respect their time, and take an interest in their stories, you’ll create real connections that lead to better, more meaningful editorial coverage for your clients. At the end of the day, strong media relationships are built on mutual respect and shared value—and that’s what makes them last. If a reporter senses that you don’t understand the unbiased mandate of their work, they know that it will not be valuable for them to come back to you again in the future.

Conclusion

Building strong media relationships is essential for securing earned media placements for any organization. By understanding journalists’ needs, respecting their time, and engaging in meaningful ways, you lay a foundation of trust and credibility that benefits the likely success of earning coverage opportunities. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not just about securing coverage—it’s about cultivating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships that go beyond the proactive pitch and turn you into a valuable source for many stories to come for the years ahead in their reporting careers.

We’re Here to Help

Interested in expanding your network of media relationships for your economic development, real estate, or non-profit organization? Reach us at hello@violetpr.com.