How do newsrooms operate? What strategies should you adopt to effectively capture journalists' attention? How can you build a lasting relationship with the media? What does the digital Does it impact press relations? 🚀 Offering practical advice to follow and pitfalls to avoid, two journalists agreed to share their insights with Club We Are COM !
🤔 What do journalists really expect from communications professionals? What are the best practices for effective press relations? Isabelle Gounin-Lévy, journalist on LCI and Deputy Secretary-General of theAssociation of Economic and Financial Journalists – AJEF – et Carole Chatelain, journalist and President of theAssociation of Science Journalists of the Press of information – AJSPI – answered our questions.
Understanding media expectations better is the first step towards better collaboration. 📣 What if we finally learned to understand each other?
Isabelle Gounin-Levy,
Carole Chatelain,
# Understanding the daily lives of journalists
How is a newsroom organized?
Carole Chatelain: A newsroom is an extremely hierarchical system, comprising editors-in-chief, managing editors, and journalists. Around this core, freelance journalists also gravitate—those unassigned freelancers, sometimes overlooked by communications staff, yet whose role is crucial.
Isabelle Gounin-Lévy: Indeed, a newsroom is a pyramidal service. However, in television journalism, this service is relatively fragmented. Between journalists in the newsroom, those on air, those in the field… Working hours vary greatly, and the machine never truly stops.
Who is responsible for the editorial line?
CC : The editorial line is set by the editorial management, and applies in good faith. Field journalists make proposals and the choice is made together, despite the hierarchy of a newsroom.
I. GL.: At our company, the editorial line is also developed as a team, but one essential factor comes into play: audience measurement. The audience directly influences our decisions. It's sometimes almost excessive, but our mission is to satisfy them above all else. Therefore, a popular program is immediately reinforced, while a program that struggles to find viewers is likely to be cancelled. I imagine that in print media, the punishment is less immediate.
CC : It's true that reader surveys are quite rare because they are very expensive. In print media, audience measurement is less precise; it is most often calculated based on subscription figures. and investigations called "seen-read"..
What does a typical day look like for a journalist in the media outlets you've worked for?
CC : Generally speaking, a journalist is not required to go to his newsroom, except to participate in editorial meetings and report on what he has observed in the field. The key takeaway is that a journalist's time is extremely valuable.
I. GL.: This is perhaps the most important aspect of the journalism profession: There is no break in the flow of information! We never switch off. Even when we're not supposed to be working, we keep an eye on the news. But it seems to me that the same is true for communications professionals. : )
How do you choose the topics you cover? The personalities you invite?
I. GL.: Nous n'avons One key word: current events! All our topics are chosen based on current events. In fact, when the news is a bit "slow," it can cause us problems.
Increasingly, communications professionals and political leaders are creating their own news stories.
What role does the immediacy of information play in your daily life?
CC : Instantaneity guides our job. We are very dependent on current events.. I remember that when the Fukushima nuclear accident happened, we were just finishing up an episode. So we had to start all over again from the beginning. urgently, to include investigations into this major accident and make it our "front page"Our role is to address the topics that are most important to readers.
I. GL.: This notion of closure is indeed very complicated. There's always the desire to add something. How can a weekly publication bring added value to a daily newspaper? Between radio and television programs, how can it stand out? In any case, We must always act quickly, enrich the content and give it added value.
#Journalists' expectations of communications professionals
What do you expect from a communicator, who is the point of contact for a company or institution?
I. GL.: We need communications professionals just as much as communications professionals need journalists. Communications professionals act as intermediaries between the source of information and the media, and it works well!
When a communications professional contacts me, I appreciate it when they get straight to the point. Since our time is precious, we need clear, impactful and relevant information. Also, avoid lengthy emails and press releases that beat around the bush. And don't hesitate to follow up your emails with a short text message. : )
CC : The journalist and the communicator have an ambiguous relationship. Both seek to transmit information, the former by deciphering it, the latter by enhancing its value. We need each other, yet too often the journalist perceives the communicator as a barrier, an obstacle between his source and himself.
Communication can disrupt the building of trust between a journalist and their interviewee. Our network of contacts is essential, and the presence of a third party can weaken it.
But this is not inevitable! We need each other; we simply need to learn to understand one another to build relationships of trust. I would add that, given our very tight schedule, the responsiveness of those we are dealing with is essential.
I. GL.: How frustrating it is to wait for information from a communications professional who doesn't respond! I know that sometimes you might be hesitant to share sensitive information. However, It is always more advantageous to keep a journalist informed than to leave him in the dark. A journalist who thinks something is being hidden from him will invariably want to dig deeper.
How do you choose your sources?
CC : Unsurprisingly, we favor sources that are responsive and readily available. More generally, If you would like a journalist to look into your request, please provide us with the information. bluntly. Forget vague email subject lines and lengthy press releases. We need to get straight to the point. The clearer and faster, the better!
I. GL.: Journalists are easy to reach. Simply pick up the phone, clearly explain the news topic, and briefly introduce the interviewee. In other words, you just need to understand our pragmatic approach. : )
Another point seems important to me: It is up to the communications department to motivate the experts, especially the female experts, who are often less daring to get involved.
#Common mistakes to avoid in press relations
CC : Off-topic emails, overly long explanations, and excessive insistence from some communications staff irritate journalists.Beyond the initial contact, avoid bombarding your expert with talking points. The journalist is looking for genuine insight, not a carefully crafted narrative.
Regarding the print media, requesting a review of an interview is generally frowned upon. It's a question of ethics. Personally, I only allow review of the quotes, so as not to deprive my article of all its freedom. Once again, we come back to this notion of trust.
I. GL.: Too often, Communications professionals often believe that a powerful speech is a long speech. That's wrong! A few well-crafted seconds are all it takes to convey the right information. A speaker who grasps this is highly likely to be asked to speak with them again.
Finally, journalists also appreciate "off-the-record" information. It's important for us to gather contextual information. And remember that not everything that's said is necessarily broadcast.
#The evolution of press relations in the digital age
How do social networks and new formats influence the way you work? What has become of the “scoop”?
I. GL.: Social media has generated a real enthusiasm, which seems to have faded in recent years. Today, internet users are wary of these platforms that relay biased, partial or incomplete information.
As for scoops, they are becoming increasingly rare. In a world where communication services are extremely organized and press relations are increasingly institutionalized, original information disappears. And unfortunately, with it, a certain spontaneity.
In television, the real question is whether the information being delivered is true. We must constantly verify everything.
CC : Which channel should be favored to maintain exclusivity? With digital technology, managing the scoop – or what remains of it – is particularly complicated. Everything is happening so fast…
As an aside, a few years ago we were informed of a scoop concerning an archaeological discovery. To publish this exclusive news, we had to fight against the institution. They wanted to share their discovery widely with the media for greater visibility.
Moreover, digital technology and the obligation for the print media to provide content to websites also impact our professions. Production constraints are intensifying, the pace is becoming frantic, and updates are constant. Fortunately, provided it is used very scrupulously and solely for the purpose of saving time, for example, in data collection. AI can now alleviate the workload of journalists in digital media. but obviously in no way replace them.
#Practical tips for effective press relations
How to establish a relationship of trust between communications professionals and journalists?
CC : A relationship of trust is first and foremost a human relationship. We know the communications professionals of the companies and institutions with which we work regularly, those with whom we have had the opportunity to have a coffee and an authentic exchange.
Once this relationship of trust is established, the pair must be able to tell each other everything. The journalist is then able to keep information "off the record" and work under embargo.
I. GL.: Beyond the relationship of trust, I would say that the relationship of effectiveness is paramount. When a communications professional manages to anticipate a journalist's needs, it's magnificent. The relationship needs to be proactive and reactive, in order to create something memorable in the moment together.
On set, after a collaboration, we share our feelings. This "off-the-record" part, this brief exchange, is indeed necessary for a collaboration built on trust. Communicators, don't be too timid or too cautious, we need truthful, sourced and effective messaging.
