How offering access leads to accurate media coverage
If you want to participate in the media process, you have to be willing to work with journalists’ schedules—no matter how personally inconvenient it is.
In today’s fluid digital media environment, it’s essential for PR pros to be ultra-responsive to reporters.
To win press coverage, you should avail yourself to journalists around-the-clock, to the extent possible, especially if you’re a spokesperson for a large company or client. It’s not called “earned media” for nothing: You must earn it by providing access.
Otherwise, you potentially risk inaccurate information spreading like a California wildfire in the Santa Ana winds. This can cause untold PR damage to the organization you represent, not to mention damaging your own credibility.
Accessibility for journalists pays off in accurate reporting. Thus, it’s vital that you are available to the news media at night, on weekends, during your commute home, on holidays, etc.—not just when it’s convenient for you.
Don’t risk bad PR
Remember that journalists don’t want to receive voicemails or email bounce backs when they contact you on deadline. Plus, you don’t want your company or client cited in a story as being unreachable or unresponsive, which can hurt their brand image.
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