When sending out a press release to editors, many PR professionals set themselves up to publish a finished piece. They do not take into account the fact that journalists may ask detailed questions about the text they would like to publish. This is a big mistake, as it is important to be properly prepared for such an interview.
Sometimes a journalist who has received material from us would like to publish it today, but is missing some essential information. In such a situation, a PR person who is unprepared to talk to him contacts his client - of course, there is nothing wrong with this, as long as it is not basic information about his business. In any other case, data and material for publication should be collected well in advance - so that journalists, in the event of interest, have quick access to it and the opportunity for publication is not lost irretrievably.
PR professionals must have a concrete knowledge of what they are writing about. It is mandatory that they know the answers to the questions: what is the text about, why is it relevant, what is the journalist's relevance and why are they contacting them about it. PR professionals should also be prepared to provide more detailed information - depending on the client they represent and what they offer. For example - in the case of event promotion, they should be ready not only to provide information about the date and location of the event and its theme, but also about its detailed schedule, previous editions, price and conditions of participation, number of people who will attend the event and attractions prepared by the organisers.
Of course, there are many such issues, and these are just some of them. It is also worth remembering to prepare the photos in advance in print resolution - so that at the last minute to send them to the journalist it does not turn out that this is not possible.
Author of the text: Marta
