RULES FOR WORKING WITH THE FINANCIAL MEDIA

The general rules of disseminating basic material required to be disclosed are essentially simple and mechanical, yet if a professional approach is ignored, the effect will be sharply diminished.

In working with the media—in any medium—the objective of your presentation should always be kept in mind and in focus. The idea is to present the message about your company in the most favorable light, with focus on the key points, and without distorting the truth. This should be kept in mind even when the news is obviously positive. The most successful media relations are those practices that are clearly thought out beforehand. In dealing with the financial media—or any media for that matter— some simple rules apply universally:

• The ultimate judgment of news value by the media is made by its editors. Even in those publications that cross the line that separates news from advertising, the publisher knows that if his editorial content does not consistently interest readers, the number of readers will diminish, as well as credibility of his publication. This is invariably followed by a cutback in advertising revenue, which is inevitably followed by bankruptcy. A primary factor in any publication, then, is its editorial judgment.

• Each medium is predicated on a different editorial format—for example, Fortune magazine does not print routine earnings reports, Barron’s rarely does personality pieces on corporate heads, and so on. Each broadcast journalist has a different format and approach to the news, in addition to time restraints. Each online publication has its own format and editorial guidelines. The editorial point of view of every medium must be discerned and understood before any approach is made to it. Do not, under any circumstances, submit material to any medium you haven’t carefully read, seen or heard beforehand. You will not only be wasting your time, you will be annoying the journalist and foreclosing future relationships.

• Competition for news space or air time or internet space is extraordinarily keen. Even though business news coverage is increasing in many media, editors receive five and ten times as much news as they can possibly publish. Therefore, the form of presentation of news to a medium is extremely important. It must attract attention for its essential news value in the shortest possible time. It must be in a format traditionally acceptable to each medium. Wherever possible, it must be written in a journalistic style acceptable to most editors.