IndustryInsights

By Davidson Goldin
Senior Counselor, The Abernathy MacGregor Group Inc.

Even in quiet times, reporters drown in a sea of press releases, e-mails, voicemails and messages of every other kind. During periods like this financial crisis, that sea of information becomes a tsunami. Incredible volume. Incredible intensity. And near-chaos. When no one knows what’s really going on, everyone wants their point of view to triumph.

I spent quite a while in journalism—print, broadcast and cable. This is my first crisis at the other end of the phone, advising clients as they deal with the media amid an uncontrollable swirl of events. For all of us, this particular set of facts is still a lesson-in-progress. But in this window of (comparative) calm, a little stock-taking is on order. Based on our firm’s experiences in the last couple of months, here are some of the things I think reporters would like to tell us:

Trust: “Your company is doing OK, but there are rumors it’s not. You want me to do a story that refutes those rumors. You don’t have hard, definitive facts (in all this chaos, no one does). So you need me to trust you. Yet for years, you’ve been ducking my calls or feeding me corporate boilerplate when I do manage to catch you on the phone. In all that time, we could have developed a relationship with each of us giving the other a reason to trust. That didn’t happen. Why are you calling me now?”

Leaks: “Information about your company has been leaked to me by a source I trust. You don’t want to confirm or deny the information. You don’t want to help me understand the information better. You just want me to kill the story—and at the same time give you the name of my source. Face it: Everything leaks these days. Either someone sees an advantage to talking out of school, or the story is just too good not to tell. Figure out, right at the start, what’s likely to leak —and get the information out there on your own terms. Call me then, and I can help you to control the story. I can’t do much for you now.”

Engage: “I’ve got a lead on a story you’re not going to like. From my e-mail, you can’t tell if I really have the goods or if I’m just on a fishing expedition. If you’re totally convinced that not talking will kill the story or relegate it to three paragraphs on page 37, well, I’ll grudgingly respect your silence. But once you’re sure I’m going with the story, don’t hide from me. Take charge of the story and make it your own. Otherwise, I’ll wind up telling someone else’s version and fill in the holes with who-knows-what. You should be calling me now.”

Blogs: “A blog is writing very provocative stuff about you. You want me to ignore it— because it’s just a blog. Or you want me to blow it out of the water— because it’s just a blog. Sorry, I love blogs. They are great sources for up-to-the-minute buzz. I’ve even got my own blog—no space issues, no deadlines, no factcheckers. Blogs live or die on new, lively, relevant content. Don’t like what they’re writing? Ignore them outright at your peril. Feel free to blow off the sleazy ones, or send your lawyers after them. Don’t like what I’m writing? Talk to me. Make me your ally by giving me content. I’m waiting for your call.”

Timing: “You have a great story idea—about your company, of course. Your best opportunity to pitch is when a single story isn’t dominating the headlines. In a crisis, unforeseen circumstances dictate what goes in the newspaper or on TV, so if you know something new about what’s happening now, give me a call and give me the info fast. I’m already past my deadline. Oh, that great story idea you really want to talk about? Help me now, and maybe we can talk about it when things calm down. They always do, and I’ll be back trolling for good ideas. But now’s not the time for that call.”

Go Direct: “You have an important message you want to get out. You want me to publish it. Problem is, it’s not a news story. It’s reassurance for your employees or your customers. Even if all of them will see what I report (and a lot of them won’t), they don’t want to hear your message from me. They want to hear it from you. Talk to them directly. In person, in a webcast, or by email—whatever way makes them most comfortable. Calling me now isn’t your answer.”

Consistency: “We reporters hang onto precedent as firmly as any lawyer. I notice when you start talking about something you usually won’t discuss or suddenly clam up when you’re always chatty. The reason for your about-face? That’s probably the real story I want. I value sincerity, so I’m suspicious when you uncharacteristically switch from plain-speak into corporate bafflegab. If there are reasons (often, they’re legal) that you’ve gone silent or you’re acting out of character, help me understand why you’re doing what you’re doing now.”

These aren’t new revelations. They’re just raised to headline intensity by the pressures that surround us now. The blog challenge has been brewing for a couple of years. Leaks long ago spread from politics to the corporate world. The relationship-building needs have been around forever—and they’re more crucial than ever when e-mail is so easily abused. Even in times like this, success boils down to up-to-date understanding and lively relationships with the beat reporters, the bookers, the bloggers, and their bosses. If you haven’t done it recently, go ahead and call them now.

Davidson Goldin was editorial director of MSNBC before joining The Abernathy MacGregor Group as senior counselor. Earlier, he anchored NY1’s “Inside City Hall” and wrote for The New York Times. Contact him at 212-371- 5999 or dgg@abmac.com