3 Ways to Develop a Strong Working Relationship with Journalists

Each month, we host our interactive "Ask Media Anything" webinars. In this series, we invite journalists from different industries, beats, and publications to answer your burning media questions. 

We've learned a lot from these journalists over the last year, so we want to share these lessons with you. One common question that we hear is "How do I build a meaningful relationship with a journalist?" Our panel of journalists have three key tips for PR pros on how to develop strong working relationships with journalists.

1. Tap your network to get a warm introduction

There's a reason why we all hate getting cold calls or emails. They're impersonal! Like many of us, journalists prefer warm connections and introductions over cold calls. In our August 2020 AMA on VCs and funding, all four reporters mentioned the importance of a warm connection. Reporter Miles Kruppa from Financial Times and Biz Carson from Protocol both say that a warm introduction from a company's investor or founder that they respect is always welcome. Kate Clark of The Information also mentioned the importance of being kind and helpful to reporters. If a founder is an expert on a specific topic, offer being a thought leader source for that journalists' future stories on the topic. Christine Hall of Crunchbase News prefers taking the intro one step further and scheduling a 15-minute Zoom call to meet and get to know one another. 

PR Tip: Use connections to well-respected founders and investors to your advantage and ask for a warm introduction to a journalist.

2. Connect with journalists directly on social media

In our April 2020 AMA, Natasha Mascarenhas explained how important it is to build an authentic rapport with a journalist before diving into a pitch. For her, email and Twitter direct messages are the best ways to reach her, but she checks her Twitter DMs most often. She encourages PR pros to get to know journalists while being professional. Being human goes a long way. 

Freelance journalist Maya Shwayder also mentioned Twitter in our May 2020 AMA. Especially in the age of remote work, in-person coffee connections may no longer be possible. Maya encourages PR pros to reach out organically via Twitter or another social media channel the journalist is active on. Alex Kondrad of Forbes also prefers Twitter conversations because they feel more organic. 

Salvador Rodriguez of CNBC suggests following journalists on Twitter. If there’s a tweet that a journalist puts out there that you genuinely relate to, feel free to respond — it’s the most realistic way to build a relationship with them. 

PR Tip: Find your target journalist on social media and reach out on whichever channel they're most active. But remember to build a rapport before going in with the ask. 

3. Be genuine 

Above all else, authenticity is key when building relationships with journalists. In our September 2020 AMA webinar on Fintech, Renato Capelj of Benzinga emphasized how important it is to make your intentions clear with journalists upfront. Before going into the relationship, ask yourself "how do I want this relationship to look?" Mary Ann Azevedo of TechCrunch emphasized the importance of building a real relationship. Part of that relationship is also knowing what types of trends and stories a journalist covers. Suman Bhattacharyya says that knowing a journalist's beat is important for building a more genuine relationship.

PR Tip: Authenticity is key. Make sure you know the journalist's beat and be clear about your intentions upfront when pitching.  

The bottom line: journalists are human and the best way to build a strong working relationship with a journalist is to approach the relationship like you would with any other colleague. Connect personally, leverage warm introductions, and be genuine. 

To hear more real tips from journalists, join us for our monthly Ask Media Anything webinars.