The hugely talented Mr Weatherley


Brian's B2B blog...

Welcome to my B2BMediaTraining blog – some small thoughts on life, the universe and dealing with the press from someone who crossed over from practitioner to teacher.  The following selection of short articles provides an off-beat (and unashamedly tongue-in-cheek) insight into the many different aspects of the media, along with hints and tips for better communication and an understanding into what gets journalists reaching for their pens, tablets or smartphones to cover your story...


Posts from the 'October 2022' archive...



Good news or old news?

Visit the website of any major company (it might even be a competitor) and assuming there is one click-on the section marked ‘News.’ How current is the most recently posted story? A week old? A month old? I’ve frequently noticed so-called news stories on website that are over a year old. What impression do you think that gives a journalist searching for information? The impression it gives me is that there’s not much happening, and certainly nothing worth calling up about. But is that a true reflection of the situation? It could simply be that keeping the news section of the website current isn’t the top priority for the webmaster. Either way, it’s worth reflecting upon, and re-visiting your own website.

In my regular trawl around corporate websites it’s also noticeable how webmasters confuse features for news. Or to put it another way you’ve got to look hard to find any ‘news’ in the story, which all-too often tends to be another of the ‘Customer buys one of our existing products…and generally seems quite happy with it’ genre. Hardly what I’d call news as a former journalist. If they were unhappy with it…now that WOULD be news!




However, a strong and current news section shouldn’t be the only reason why a journalist should visit your website. The best sites go a lot further, providing excellent ‘Thought Leadership’ content that examines the broader aspects of the specific marketplace a particular company is competing in, like generic industry data, latest market stats, research material, insightful commentary of new legislation or regulations, all of which provide that all important thing for a journalist―context. Those same sites also tend to feature regularly updated blogs, downloadable podcasts, tweets and YouTube videos. Anything to capture, and keep, the media’s attention. But whatever you do provide on your website what you see first should always be current.

Do you use your website as a platform for that kind of useful media content? Or is it just a shop window for your products and services? There’s nothing wrong with the latter, especially if a journalist is only after some basic facts-and-figures. But It’s surely a missed opportunity to stop there. Within any organization there are usually some highly-knowledgeable individuals who can provide the kind of market knowledge, context, and wisdom that journalists are desperate to get hold of, and leverage in their stories. The obvious analogy is with those financial analysts who produce regular market updates and research studies that are snapped-up by the media. And guess who gets a name check along the way? Actually, you don’t need to guess as it’s pretty obvious!

If you do want your website to be a gateway to the media and starting point for conversations with journalists (and as PR resources are stretched ever thinner websites are a cost-effective way of getting strong messages over to the press) then whether it’s the latest news, insight, or unique market research, make sure you give them something to think about…and use. And the more you provide, the more likely they are to keep coming back to you.



Something worth waiting for

I’m frequently reminded by advertisements for faster broadband of the importance of speed. Without digressing too much, is it really so important to be able to download a document or jpeg in 15, rather than 45-seconds? Frankly I doubt it. Unfortunately, most journalists are in a tearing hurry. That’s perfectly understandable given the amount of material the average reporter has to generate in their working day, be it for a hard copy publication, social media, podcast, webcast, or video. With all that stuff to deliver it’s no wonder they have a need for speed.

As I have said many times before, when it comes to a media encounter, it’s vital to know how long you’ve got to get your message or argument over. So, long before a journalist opens his or her notebook, or turns on their recorder, you should be asking: ‘How much time have we got?’ From their answer you’ll know whether you’re able to develop a comprehensive explanatory narrative, or simply deliver the bottom-line news.




If something is worth saying it’s probably worth saying it in full, so the journalist gets the complete picture. That means having the confidence (and nerve) to say: ‘You’re not going to fully understand what this is all about in such a short period of time.’ They may well baulk at this suggestion, but if you’re an acknowledged expert in a particular subject or happen to have some specific knowledge they need, you’ll be in a strong position to negotiate for more time. Either way, be prepared to plant the seed of doubt in their mind that their timescale is too short and that they risk missing something that’s important to their story. If you don’t ask for more time, it’s unlikely you’ll get it.

Of course, if they do grant you an extension don’t waste it. It’s a good idea, especially for those chance media encounters to always have two stories to tell. First, the classic short version which cuts straight to the chase for the journalist who really hasn’t got time to spare. And the second, where your bottom-line news is backed-up by a detailed narrative that fully confirms your case.

But what if you can’t persuade the reporter to stick around for the second version? If you know you’re going to meet with a journalist but only have limited time you should put together the key elements of your extended story – e.g. the timeline, supporting facts, external reference information, research material and so on―into a separate briefing document, either in hard copy or on a memory stick that the journalist can read and absorb when they’ve got the time. As a former journalist I’d say hard copy is best as it’s instantly accessible; you don’t need a screen to read it.

With all media encounters, whether it’s the planned formal interview, or the accidental ‘Glad I’ve bumped into you because I just want to ask…’ it’s important to make the journalist understand that the best messages and stories are worth making the time to hear. Are yours?