I believe the sides we’re talking about are more national media vs. trade media instead of agency vs. corporate. For example, I have B2B and B2C clients and can leverage the same list of 25 “media champions” at key national outlets for both.

Ultimately, I think we’re all on the same page with this issue, just reading different versions of the book:).

Thanks again for joining the conversation!

Bottom line: I think both you and David have valid arguments for different reasons. I like your idea Matt, of having champions for key publications. That’s the way agencies should be thinking–and many already are.

The key take-home I was trying to make was to build a network (maybe 25-30) of media contacts that truly value your relationship and allow those contacts to guide you to your relevant contacts when needed.

I too agree that there is a steady influx of so called “PR professionals” that are confusing the basics of story pitching and media relations here in the social media space. In the end, a relevant (well written) pitch or your ability to package a story is absolutely necessary.

As always, thanks for adding to the conversation!

First, let me clarify that i was NOT saying that relationships aren’t important. They are. I build relationships with key reporters (key to me anyways) on an ongoing basis. And I leverage those relationships when relevant. So, to be clear, relationships are incredibly important in our business.

I was saying that it isn’t the MOST important thing in media relations. Great story ideas shared with relevant journalists is what’s most important. One could argue that they’re equal. I could see that. But relationships don’t trump quality story ideas and resourcefulness. In fact, you can’t build a relationship without providing those two things first.

The reason I wrote the post is that I’ve seen lots of chatter lately – usually from social media types or tech PR folks – who elevate relationships above all. They say you must build a relationship with a reporter or blogger before pitching them. To that, I say hogwash.

Secondly, they claim that good PR people develop relationships with every person they pitch. That’s what I said is impossible for many agency folks. But beyond impossible, it’s often not considerate of the reporters’ time.

Should I still keep taking time away from education reporters’ busy days because I worked on DeVry for six months – eight years ago? Not only do I not have a story to share them, but even if I checked in to see what they’re working on, I couldn’t help provide any resources for them. I would be completely wasting their time.

What I’ve seen is some social media folks confusing the word “reporters” for the 25 or so bloggers they follow on Twitter and dictating that the only right way for all PR people to do their jobs is to constantly interact with all their reporters, too. That is what I’m saying is impossible. If I only had to keep up with a few handfuls of reporters the past eight years and they all blogged and had Twitter accounts, life would have been a hell of a lot easier.

Regarding your tips above, not only do I wholeheartedly agree with them, but I use them myself – often. Your readers would do themselves and their clients a service to incorporate them into their practice, too.

(my apologies for the diatribe…)