How Can PR Professionals Build a Rapport With Journalists?

PR and journalism go hand in hand, like a symbiotic relationship.

Public Relations gets a bad rap from journalists as ‘spin doctors’ or ‘unable to be transparent for whatever reason.’ That’s not entirely true. That would depend on which niche you would work in as a PR professional. Be it in government, not-for-profit, etc. There are many ways for communicators to break the ice with journalists, such as a coffee chat or attending a networking event.

The similarities between the two professions are trust. Trust means that you need the one person who depends on you to be accountable for everything and have your back, and the other reciprocates. It’s also a two-way street of providing accurate information. There are many examples where PR practitioners and journalists can work together.

One example is sports. Sports journalism is a very top niche. There is a lot of news and headlines in the sporting world, from gameday to major events such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, etc. As communications personnel, their job is to notify the media which players will be suited up and who are injured, prepare stat sheets, handle post-game conferences, and interview players during intermission.

It is a high-stress job, but it’s rewarding. What’s also rewarding is to hear stories that are coming within teams, whether it’s a major trade that can make or break the franchise or hosting an All-Star Game. Take, for instance, key sports insiders like Shams Charania, Adrian Wojnarowski, Adam Schefter and Jeff Passan. They are legendary reporters with connections and rapport with the organizations. When a team makes a trade, the chain of command goes from the general manager to the front office and communications co-ordinator. The communications coordinator will alert the media or the league insider, saying a trade has been made. Reporters will cover the news and interview analysts and experts on how said trade will help the team.

Sports PR doesn’t stop there. It also involves creating campaigns that help marginalized communities remove constraints from enjoying their favourite sport.

Another example is the film industry. Another highly popular niche where awards season kicks into high gear in the autumn. When studios announce a new project with a finalized cast and crew, the communications team puts out a news release and answers any questions to journalists, such as when filming will start and what the project means to the cast and crew. The film industry is also abuzz with the Academy Awards. The stars align on the red carpet, and many reporters are eager to ask celebrity questions about being at the Oscars and what it means for a film to be nominated, among other questions. It’s a two-way communication streamline between the reporter and the publicist. The same applies to post-Oscar festivities as celebrities go into a scrum after winning their award.

The final niche is politics. That would depend on which branch of government journalists would cover. If it’s municipal, it would be easy interviewing city councillors and the mayor on issues that matter to residents. If it’s provincial, it would depend on which MPP or provincial political leader journalists would like to interview, and the communications personnel would coordinate based on availability. If it’s federal, that’s a whole different story because it takes a lot of coordination effort to interview an MP, the Prime Minister, or the leader of the opposition party on matters that affect Canadians.

Politics can be cut-throat such as an election. Political leaders crisscross the country or province, pitching their platform to potential voters, taking questions from the media, and taking shots at the opposition party on their platform. When a politician’s soundbite goes viral, depending on the context, journalists and communications personnel either use it as a meme or cover the soundbite similar to then U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ BRAT summer.

PR and journalists are the bread and butter regarding transparency and accountability for providing information to their audience.