What is Insider Media Relations™?

 

We're a team of former journalists who lived and breathed the daily news cycle inside newsrooms from small markets to the national network news desk in New York City. We use our insight and experience to help our clients build a powerful media relations strategy and manage any interview with grace and authority.

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Our media relations training starts with putting yourself in the media’s shoes. We can help you understand what it’s like to be a member of the media these days because we’ve been there ourselves. From the time a reporter walks in the door in the morning to the moment they leave at night, their day is run relentlessly by the clock. It doesn’t matter what happens during the day, how many stories fall through, or how many contacts don’t return calls, reporters must write, shoot, and edit and make their deadline, plus produce social media content, and produce a couple of extra versions for the next show or the website. The pressure is relentless.

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Why is Media Training Important?

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Your responsiveness and your ability to help a reporter tell a story is the first step to building a collegial working relationship. The M&C Insider Media Relations™ process helps you build authentic relationships with the media so you and your organization are top-of-mind and first on the list of phone calls when a reporter needs the information you have.

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The Phone Rings and it’s a Reporter on the other end. Do you feel

Confident about your Media Training?

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If you’re asking yourself “Do I need media training?” the answer is YES. There are many ways to help media interviews be successful and an endless list of ways for things to go so very wrong. Learning how to manage the media spotlight with grace and authority goes a long way toward establishing yourself and your organization as credible and trustworthy. We call our process Insider Media Relations™ because it was developed through our experience on both sides of the camera. 

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A great media interview starts with preparation. Let’s get started!

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How do I Prepare for a Media Interview?

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You’d never hop in the car and take off on a road trip to someplace new without a digital (or for us old folks, a paper!) roadmap. Getting prepared for a media interview is similar: start with a roadmap, research your destination, figure out multiple routes to get where you’re going, and respond to changing conditions along the way. The M&C Insider Media Relations™ process helps you get prepared for an interview by knowing:

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• Am I the right person to talk about this subject?

• Is this interview going to be contentious or a friendly chat?

• Who is this reporter and what does he or she want to learn?

• What is the tone of the media outlet this journalist represents?

• Am I up to speed on the approved messaging for my organization?

• Am I ready for the most difficult questions this reporter can ask?

• What are the techniques to get myself out of a difficult media situation?

• Do I know what news is happening today in my industry or area of expertise?

• Do I have all the information I need to be a credible source?

• Am I ready with techniques to present my side of the story most effectively and rein in a conversation that’s going sideways?

• Do I look good and feel confident in front of the camera?

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With the M&C Insider Media Relations™ process, you’ll be ready to handle any media interview and advance your message with confidence.

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Building a Powerful Media Relations Strategy

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Do you have a great story to share but struggle to get the media to listen? Grabbing the media’s attention in the incredibly noisy public space gets harder by the day. The M&C Insider Media Relations™ process can help you build a powerful media relations strategy.  

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What are the Principles of Good Media Relations?

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Media relations is the process of earning media coverage for you or your organization. Gone are the days of dropping a press release and getting coverage. Earning media coverage today requires a smart, consistent strategy. That’s where M&C Communications can help. The Insider Media Relations™ process capitalizes on the principles of good media relations:

 

• Building authentic relationships with the media by engaging with them where they hang out: Twitter!

• Becoming known as a trustworthy and respected partner the media can turn to for reliable information

• Developing interesting, informative stories with a human angle by focusing on people over products

• Creating a professional digital footprint that gives you and your organization credibility

• Developing rapport with the media before a crisis hits your company or your industry

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M&C’s strategic approach to media relations can help you and your organization earn media coverage. We’ve helped clients in diverse industries leverage the power of strategic media relations to advance their message. Call us to get started!

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Get Started on your own Insider Media Relations™ and Media Training Plan 

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Whether you need to build your skills with media training or create an effective media relations plan from scratch, M&C Communications can help demystify the challenge of working with media to get your story noticed and protect your brand.