Everybody's got it in for me... or have they?

It's true, for clients unused to dealing with journalists and even for many of those in PR who don't have a media background, the media as a whole can seem like one big uncontrollable monster that is definitely up to no good. Sometimes this leads to a tendency for a client to say 'no' to most interviews.

However, given the amount of money most companies spend on advertising, the chance to talk about your brand on radio or TV or in print - FOR FREE - surely is worth taking. And you're not nearly as much at their mercy as your client - or you - might believe.

Think like a journo

Remember that all journalists are in the 'selling' business. There is no true public service broadcasting in this country and the print media is obviously commercial so every person in the media is answerable to a bottom line. So yes, they're looking for stuff that is either going to sell newspapers or attract audiences.

This is the reality, but it doesn't mean you have to throw up your hands in horror and batten down the hatches. By bearing in mind their agenda, you'll be better able to predict the sort of questions they'll ask or angles they'll go for and better prepared with the answers and where you can go with them. Talk your client through why journalists do what they do. Try and get them to understand that refusing to talk to them only makes them more likely to be out to get you. Nothing diffuses a journalist's fire like co-operation.

More can be more

Unless you've done something in the Shabir Sheik league of naughtiness, most journos want to be fair to you and want to tell your side of the story. So give it to them. In fact give them even more than they ask for. These are ordinary people (yes, journalists are people too) working under pressure to fill pages and airtime. They will respond well to help. Do some of their homework for them, give them some background info, suggest an interesting angle, give them things to photograph, people to talk to. Write your press releases as if they were already articles.

As the PR agency or department, you're the interface between client and media so this is probably more your job - but your client can guide you on the facts. Believe me, radio producers having to provide demanding hosts with background information on anything between 12 to 15 topics a day will probably bite your hand off if you send them clear, concise background info. And then it's your information that's guiding the interview. Yay.

No free plugs for me, thanks

The media is not just about hard news. In fact, acres of inside pages, weekend supplements, hours of radio talk shows and oodles of magazines are dedicated to decidedly soft news. It is really true that some journalist will do a story on the origins of the hamburger because it's the Fourth of July or discuss what women want in a handbag because the queen has lost hers.

If you're a purveyor of burgers or handbags and someone asks you to do an interview, for heaven's sake say 'yes'. It really is great free coverage - you can get some of your core messages in and make people feel warm about your brand. Further more, if you are enthusiastic and available for a journalist putting together yet another dreary colour piece, they're going to be much nicer to you if they happen to be covering your next staff strike or customer crisis.

If you say 'no' because you're scared you might say something wrong, to the journo it just looks downright obstructive and unhelpful and you don't want that. They are unlikely to suddenly start asking you about your half yearly results if they've asked you to come and talk about burgers so you're fairly safe. If you're feeling really perky, don't wait for them to come to you (back to thinking like a journo and doing their work for them). Come up with the hook and approach them - you never know.

The beginnings of a beautiful friendship

And just on the subject of relationships, basic human contact can be extremely useful. We recently trained a very important person from a very large SA company. She had a real problem with doing radio interviews on the phone. She found the lack of face-to-face contact incredibly off-putting and actually used to forget to breathe. She was fine talking to one radio interviewer, though. Why? For the simple reason she had once met him - not 'come round for dinner' met him but shaken hands and 'nice to put a name to the face' met him.

Interviewer and interviewee are going to respond well to knowing one another, so any way that a meeting can be orchestrated (when nothing is happening on your news agenda so it doesn't look like you're currying favour), then do it. If nothing else, encourage your clients to listen to talk radio and read the papers (noting bylines) so they know as much as possible about who they're dealing with in an interview situation. Plus a subtle compliment about past interviews or pieces you've heard or seen by the journalist you're dealing can also start things off on the right foot.

The bottom line

It is, of course, true that, just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean they're not out to get you. However, try not assuming the worst but picking up the ball and running with it and generally coming to the party - to mix metaphors with abandon. See what happens. You might be surprised at the results.