6 Tips for Building Relationships with Journalists | Hacker News Reader

6 Tips for Building Relationships with Journalists

bothsidesofthetable.com

24 pointsMykalMorton8 comments

3. Understand their needs - You need to understand a journalist’s needs. First, understand their deadlines

The fact of the deadline is one of the big driving forces for the need for a meta-journalism site. If no one calls them to account, journalists will keep skimping on proper research and understanding for an undiscriminating public.

This applies more to general interest science coverage than to tech and startup coverage, however.

I'm a journalist, and I can confirm that this is great advice.

Actually, let me raise one caveat -- asking a journalist what their "angle" is might not always be the greatest idea. Especially if you use that word.

The underlying idea is a good one, but "What's you angle" -- those words -- can come off as hostile. It's kind of a cliche question that we associate with the sleaziest of PR people. It seems to say "Hey, I know you're a hack looking for spin -- what kind of spin are you looking for?"

Every good story needs a fresh perspective on whatever topic, and if you help lead us to one we will be grateful. An "angle," though -- maybe it's just me, but that word makes my toes curl.

This reminds me of Mr Feynman's dating advice.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1196928

"Angle" might not be the most polite of terms here, but it does get everyone right to the quick of the whole discussion.

My girlfriend is a journalist in fashion with focus on web. When someone emails her a vanilla press release, they are more likely to get her eyes to roll and go in the trash bin than anything else. But when a company does something personal, like give her goodie bags, take her to lunch or invite her to an event, she gets super excited. The funny part is she never really sees through the fact that they're buttering her up for good press, she just thinks of it as 'being nice'.

Another example - I recently had lunch with the daughter of arguably the most famous film critic around. Her family took a trip to visit & take a day-long tour of Peter Jackson's studio in New Zealand. She was ranting and raving about 'how nice' Peter Jackson was taking them on the tour, and how impressed they were with the studio etc. At the end I suggested, "don't you think he was just buttering you up for a good review of Lovely Bones?". Her reaction was as if it never really crossed their minds. I just find it funny that what was obviously a ploy to make a relationship for good press was so naively interpreted by the critic and his family as being 'so generous'.

Buttering up journalists is so much easier than you think it should be. Make them feel special, but don't kiss their butt... Simple

7. Put change in their cup- or go the extra mile and help them find a job. (journalists reading- I mean this in good humor ;)

Upvoted, you silly code monkey.

They forget the extra two tips for when TechCrunch is concerned:

Tip #7: Apply your lips to their buttocks Tip #8: Give them free stuff.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com