Why You Don't Need Relationships with Reporters

Here’s something you won’t hear from many PR professionals:

You don’t actually need relationships with reporters to get coverage for your news.

How do I know?

Because at least 75% of the coverage I’ve earned for clients has come from reporters I had never spoken to before.

Honestly, it might be closer to 90%.

It’s not something I’ve ever tracked, because it’s never been something I’ve worried about. I’ve never once believed that my lack of existing relationships in a certain industry would determine whether I could land coverage.

And you shouldn’t either.

I’m not saying relationships don’t matter. They absolutely do. And, if you can, you should build them long before you have news to share.

But here’s what even the best relationships won’t get you:

The reporter could be your best friend, your neighbor, or another parent from your kid’s soccer team (yes, that’s happened). It still won’t matter without a strong angle and a compelling story.

News has to be news — no matter who it’s from.

But, here’s what relationships will get you:

When you have a relationship with a reporter, they’re less likely to leave you on read. And when they say “no,” they’re more likely to tell you why.

That feedback is PR gold.

In a perfect world, every pitch would get a thoughtful response. And that feedback would help me approach the next reporter, and the next one after that.

But the reality is, PR always involves some cold outreach. Even in the nichiest-of-niches, news evolves. A FinTech company partners with a CPG brand. An AI startup wants local coverage for a new office. Stories expand, and rarely does news fit the exact same group of reporters every single time.

If it’s truly news, that’s okay.

Real news gets coverage.

Relationships help refine what news is, validate it, and position it better.

Ideally, you have both.

But if you have to choose? Start with real news.

See you next week,
Megan