Mid-Atlantic Region

Stretch to Create Impactful Media Relationships, Generate Greater Coverage

By Michael Bond
LMA Mid-Atlantic Region Programming Co-Chair
Senior Media Director at Blattel Communications

Here’s a little secret: PR people sometimes stereotype members of the media. Think the old-school newspaper reporter, working in a dimly lit office, surrounded by fast-food wrappers and old coffee cups or the polished TV broadcast reporter more concerned with how they look than with a good story. Meanwhile, reporters, editors, and producers tend to do their own stereotyping of PR people: going on and on about something that means nothing, utterly unconcerned with actual news and endlessly pushing nonsense. There are tiny pockets on each side of the equation that fit these molds, but, overall, they are inaccurate. And, for law firms, their communicators, and their outside PR agencies, building relationships with media is critical, and it takes effort.

Check Your Delusions

Firms often miss out on becoming true thought leaders and quoted sources because they lack the resources or the understanding of how the media/PR ecosystem works. For example, some firms send out press releases en masse to reporters who – theoretically - could cover this news, but never will as: 1) it’s not news; and/or 2) they have no idea who you are.

To the first point, I know a firm that insisted on sending a press release to prominent tax law reporters lauding a lawyer named to “Who’s Who.” Coverage generated? Zero. Goodwill and relationship-building achieved with reporters? Well, it worked in the negative.

To point two, having a routine presence in the marketplace (and this means the media marketplace, too) makes an enormous difference. One challenge for attorneys is that their field – somewhat necessarily – requires a healthy (or more than healthy) ego. This isn’t a bad thing. However, it can generate outsized expectations. Reporters quote sources that have developed relationships with them over time, through consistent outreach, availability, and usable commentary – along with just coming across as a “likeable” personality. As was famously uttered in Pulp Fiction, “Personality goes a long way.” Becoming a quoted source is a process, and one won’t find much success with one-off efforts.

What a Reporter Really Wants

Digging further into fostering symbiotic relationships with reporters, let’s explore the elements needed to become a media superstar and be added to a reporter’s go-to contact list.

Consistent Outreach – For both a firm and its individual thought-leaders, media initiatives should be looked at as campaigns, leveraging a thoughtful, well-targeted media list, layered communication tactics, multiple rounds of outreach, and – potentially – some patience, as it may take time for the efforts to bear fruit. Just like any “sales” dynamic (please excuse the foul language), it generally takes multiple “touches” to breakthrough. Sometimes, the first time is the charm. And sometimes, months later, an opportunity will develop. But you can’t win if you don’t play. And, most firms don’t play.

Accessibility – If lawyers would like to be quoted as experts, they must be available for comment. An attorney promoted as a thought leader on a given topic should be able to hop on a call or a Zoom within an hour or two of notice, barring court appearances, depositions, and flights.

Usable Commentary – Sometimes, I feel like I’m getting too old for this [stuff], as I’ve got stories – lots and lots of stories. One time, I had what felt like a sure-thing home run: a utility explosion had occurred, and my attorney previously worked at the utility potentially at fault and served later as a state regulator. The New York Times wanted to interview him. I set up the call and waited for the client kudos to roll in. But they didn’t. He wasn’t quoted. Why? Because he “didn’t need media training,” and he responded to the reporter like an erudite, long-winded college professor. Have you ever seen a 500-word quote in the Times?

Communicators are on a special diet: lots of news, every day (side note: newspapers are high in fiber). We read enough coverage that we can anticipate what makes a good quote. And, legalese, college course lectures, or endless equivocations won’t cut it. Quotes need to be short, direct, and insightful. It’s an artform and a necessity. For sources, master this process and reporters love you. Fail and you will be avoided.

Likeability – Reporters, while they may sometimes produce stories you do not agree with or you feel are inaccurate, are vital to our public discourse and tremendously serve the public good. If your attorney sources don’t have this viewpoint, reporters can sense disdain, and unsurprisingly, they don’t care for it. Lawyers should always respect reporters with whom they engage. They need to really listen to the questions being asked and offer answers as honestly and insightfully as they can.

When talking with a reporter be genuinely friendly. Before a call read a few of their previous articles and check where they went to college. Did their alma mater just win the Women’s NCAA tournament? Maybe mention it. Show you put effort in before the call. It looks really bad when your first words to a reporter are, “Now what is this call about?”

Keep the Connection Going

Look at any lawyer’s media/publications listing and nine-times-out-of-10, they spoke with each underlying reporter that quoted them exactly once. Why? Well, two reasons: 1) their media team failed to nurture the connection; and/or 2) the attorney viewed the opportunity as a one-off. When two years later you hear from an attorney, “Gee, I’d love to be quoted in the Washington Post again. Who was that guy I spoke to before? Fred something?,” you have a major challenge on your hands. Apply consistent outreach and follow-up along with monitoring coverage to keep your attorneys and your firm top-of-mind. Build a spreadsheet and treat media contacts as a pipeline to coverage and to business development success – which resulting coverage surely is.

Working with the media, building relationships, and securing coverage is a true process. But it is a worthwhile one. The great work that our attorneys are doing is often unseen by large portions of the populace. We’re doing our firms, our lawyers, and the practice of law a service by seeking greater media coverage. This process takes intention, attention, and initiative. Let’s stretch together towards deeper media relationships and broader legal industry coverage!