Media Relations

By telling your story effectively through the media, you can earn goodwill with the public and build trust.

When you think of the news media, you usually think about the reporters you see on your nightly news broadcast or on cable television. But reporters are more than talking heads on your TV screen. They are important conveyors of information in your local community and can define or undermine a company, institution or organization that does not have a plan for how to interact with them.

Regardless of the situation or circumstances, a good media relations plan identifies:

• the key messages
• the most important audiences
• the best media through which to reach them

Whether you are trying to tell a good-news story about a new product, a charitable donation or business expansion, understanding what the news media wants to hear and reaching out to the appropriate media outlet are crucial to success. And in the event of a crisis, dealing correctly with the news media can mitigate the problem, and dealing incorrectly with the media can make it much worse.

Finlayson Consulting has decades of experience in dealing with the news media and Marc Finlayson himself is a journalist by education and training. Before becoming an advocate, Finlayson reported stories from North Carolina to California, and even abroad. He knows how journalists think, what information is important to them and how to get points across in a concise, understandable way. Finlayson can either speak with the news media on behalf of a client, or can coach a client’s own spokesperson.