Happy New Year. I hope you had a restful holiday, and here’s to a great 2023. I can’t believe how fast the last year went. Can you?
Speaking of pace. A big thing that prevents a lot of people getting into the news cycle is moving too slowly. The average news cycle is over in 24 to 48 hours, and if you’re not reacting fast to it, that’s it. Done.
Of course, that’s not the pace many organizations move. Nonprofits and foundations tend to be more deliberate about things. Their digital fundraising operations have caught up, lately, on reacting fast. But most such organizations rely on external public relations consultants like me on the media relations side. Or they rely on agencies. We’re the folks who tend to suggest the quick, reactive idea that can land you and your organization in the news.
Working at pace is partly about having the warm relationships. If some news happens, some opinion editors will email me a moment afterwards. They’ll ask if I can turn around an opinion piece with a client in an hour or two. They email me because they know me, and I’ve done this kind of thing for them in the past. They want to work with a publicist who can be a reliable shepherd of a relevant newsworthy opinion by you. They might also want my clients to appear on broadcast with their hot takes. They tend not to want to call you up, direct. They want me to help grease the wheels. It’s just easier that way, for everybody.
One of the advantages of having worked in newsrooms for close to a decade is, I can do pace. If I know my client well enough, I can usually help you write a whole opinion piece and get it signed off in an hour. Then submit. Then it’s published. Then the client can share the piece while the news is still fresh. Everybody wins. Meanwhile, my client can also be available to comment on a broadcast every hour for the afternoon. Such opportunities don’t come every week. But if you’re geared up and ready to pivot and take them up when they come, that’s how you build a reputation as a go-to.
If things aren’t streamlined, too many people need to weigh in. I was talking with a friend this week. They told me they had seen 15 people add comments to a messaging framework. Some of them were contradicting each other even within the same organization. They managed to finesse it for the client. But I found myself thinking, “those aren’t people who are going to be able to catch the breeze of the news cycle and sail it.”
It’s worth asking yourself if there are issues that you’re keen to follow. If there are, and if you have a set of talking points for each issue, then it’s easier to catch these currents when they come. If that sounds a bit complicated, there’s another way to do it. Something I sometimes ask is, “what narratives are you trying to disrupt?”
Such a narrative could be that we can’t pass humane bipartisan immigration legislation. To disrupt it, you might begin by demonstrating bipartisan support for welcoming immigrants. You might consider how they contribute to the economy and have some figures and research. Then, the next time some news breaks about an immigrant doing something great, I’ll pitch you hard. Let’s see if we can’t get you into the news cycle, speaking your truth. You can substitute any number of narratives here and the approach is similar.
I also tell people it’s a good idea to break out of the digital bubble and get into the media more often, if they can. Why waste your hot take on Instagram when it won’t always reach the minds you need to change to deliver on your mission?Food for thought, at least. Instant is sometimes too fast, if you’re trying to be strategic.
Again, have a good start to 2023. I appreciate you reading.
