Online newsrooms offer more than just news
“Media relations” means exactly what it says: a relationship with the media. Media relations professionals are trained to build relationships in order to have better coverage in the press and have a gatekeeper available to send messages to the public.
Peter Granat offers tips on improving media relations. He says that one of the key ways to build a relationship with the media is to cater to reporters’ needs. This essentially means reaching them in the easiest and timeliest manner as to not cause them to miss deadline or lack information.
Online newsrooms can be one of the best tools for a company to improve media relations. According to “Manage Media Relations Using an Online Newsroom,” this type of central hub of press information distributes valuable resources that can increase coverage and give out story pitches.
EncoderPR stresses the importance of functionality online newsrooms. It is recommended to make all information available by linking, embedding and allowing for RSS feeds. It is also made clear that the best way to reach a reporter is to use his or her preferred method of communication. This is where social media newsrooms come in to play, by allowing journalists to reach a company through many different mediums of online communication.
It is easy to see how helpful online newsrooms are for journalists. The information is quick and easy, which reduces time consuming conversations back and forth between companies and journalists. PR and media relations professionals are learning to cater to the needs of journalists. All in all, the development of online and social media newsrooms continues to be an effective practice in improving relationships between companies and the media.
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