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Who
Stepped Up
Public Relations Advice Takes the Guess Work Out of Media Requests: In the movie Apocalypse Now, the farther Martin Sheen traveled up the river the trickier it got. The same situation greets you when dealing with the media and your image. The more successful you get, the more the media will want you, and the easier it will be to generate media coverage. It also gets trickier. With more visibility comes more risk.
Oprah thought it would be a great idea to have Michael Vick on her show at the end of February. Vick said yes immediately. It made headlines. Then the Philadelphia Eagles public relations professionals started thinking through the show and the pros and cons of a Vick appearance.
Millions upon millions of viewers would see it. The queen of TV would give him a chance to make good with all the viewers in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Hampton Roads, Virginia, and reflect on his journey and new start after prison. Sounds like a great opportunity. Or was it?
Our public relations agency dissected the Oprah audience. Most are women; most don’t like Michael Vick; and most never will no matter what he says or how he says it. Strike one. If hecklers in the crowd get out of control, there’s another headline for the mainstream media as well as a YouTube video that will last forever. Strike two. If Oprah decided to bring on a person or organization that adopted abandoned fighting dogs, that would be great for everyone – except Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles. Strike three.
The public relations pros pulled the plug on the Oprah idea because this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity didn’t fit the game plan, and our public relations agency feels that was the right decision.
When considering a media interview request, you should ask yourself three questions:
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What will this interview do to help advance my company or my cause among customers and potential customers in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Hampton Roads, Virginia? |
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What will my message be for this audience and any shadow audiences (think YouTube)? |
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Do I have the high ground and opportunity to defend my position if the reporter/talk show host asks uncomfortable and piercing questions? |
All media interview requests need to be thought out in detail. If you agree to an interview, you should be put through several practice interviews with a trained professional from a public relations agency who will ask the hard questions.
If a reporter calls you, do you know how to determine which interviews to do and which ones to politely decline?
For a no-cost phone consultation, feel free to call David Rourk at (757) 478-0150.
About Rourk Public Relations
Our public relations agency is expert at media relations and serves a wide range of clients in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Hampton Roads, and throughout Virginia.
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