The Jody Fisher PR Blog
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How to Build a Real Relationship With a Reporter — and Get More of Your Stories in the News
When it comes to media coverage, most people make one big mistake: they treat reporters like an email address in a database instead of a human being they can build a relationship with.
Remember: reporters are people with interests and passions. Tapping into that can help build bridges that last.
If you want more of your pitches to land, you need to stop thinking about one-off press releases and start thinking about the long game—creating trust, credibility, and a professional relationship that lasts for years.
The 3 Things That Will Never Get Old in PR
The PR industry is always changing.
When I started my career in a NYC newsroom, we had dot-matrix printers spitting out AP wire copy, fax machines spewing news releases from city hall and reel to reel tape.
Today, AI researches and writes pitch letters, social media algorithms decide what goes viral, and media outlets are contracting the way I wish my waistline would.
But for all the change, there are three fundamentals of public relations that will never go out of style.
What To Do When the Media Doesn’t Show Up
You planned the event. You sent out the invites. You confirmed the guest list. Maybe you even had a media advisory go out to every local news outlet.
And then… crickets. No reporters. No cameras. No coverage.
It happens—and it’s not the end of the world.
The truth is, you can still make your event matter. You just need to shift from “hoping for coverage” to creating your own. Here’s how to do it.
Don’t Invite Elected Officials to your PR Event
When it comes to planning press conferences or public events, one of the most common mistakes I see is this:
Thinking an elected official at your podium will automatically get you media attention.
Want PR Success? Know Where You Belong
If you’re struggling to get media coverage—or frustrated that your pitches are going unanswered—there’s a good chance you’re missing one critical piece of the puzzle:
You haven’t figured out where your story belongs.
It’s one of the most overlooked fundamentals in public relations, but it’s everything.
What’s the Best Pitch You Can Send to a Reporter?
If you’ve ever spent time crafting the perfect pitch, only to hear crickets from a reporter, you’re not alone. Journalists are inundated with hundreds of emails every week. So, how do you stand out?
Simple: Send the kind of pitch that lets them make a decision right away.
It’s tempting to lead with a clever subject line or a mysterious hook, but when a journalist is scanning their inbox, clarity wins. They’re not looking for a puzzle—they’re looking for a story they can take to their editor.
How AI Like ChatGPT Is Changing PR — And Why It’s Not Taking Your Job (Yet)
AI isn’t here to steal your job in public relations.
But if you ignore it? If you don’t learn how to use it? You might hand your job over to someone who does.
Sound dramatic? It’s not. In fact, this story has played out across the PR industry many times before—every time a new technology came along and reshaped the way we work.