Few journalists find information on Web sites highly credible. But more than half the magazine and newspaper journalists surveyed in a recent Middleberg/Ross "Print Media in
Cyberspace Study" said they would consider reporting an Internet rumor if it was confirmed by an independent source.
Despite this declared lack of credibility, corporate Web sites are among the first three stops journalists said they would make in following up on a story.
Too often, Web sites are governed by self-interest, according to a range of industry experts. A one-sided, upbeat self-evaluation might aim to advance your goals, but it
actually helps create an environment in which a majority of journalists say they find Web sites less than reliable.
"I think what journalists are probably worried about is the fact that whatever they see on a site they can't put to print," says John Schneidawind, director of media relations
for BellSouth. "It's the same general skepticism they would have with any unvarnished news found in a regular press release. They haven't done any reporting on it yet."
What Web sites do offer is trustworthy story leads, especially within their newsroom sections. Yet self-promotion is far too thick in these pages, say experts, making it hard
for reporters to trust what they're reading.
"You have to remember, reporters already know a little something when they call you," says James Horton, senior director and founder of online-pr.com. "If your information is
not accurate, eventually they'll find out and your credibility is shot."
To give this Internet integrity thing some perspective, Web chat rooms or message boards are viewed as highly credible by 2% of journalists, according to the study. That makes
pages written by unprofessional Web junkies only 1% lower than "Web-based industry info service supported by for-profit business."
Posting the Good with the Bad
Turning a credibility deficit around means PR professionals need to adapt to how journalists use the Net.
"The old line of PR was, 'don't tell the journalist the bad news because they may not know it.' With the Web, they know it," says Steve Ross, associate professor at Columbia
University graduate school of journalism and co-author of the Middleberg/Ross Study.
Given this inevitability, bad press should be posted on your Web site right beside the good.
"Your site will no longer be self-serving once you post all the news about your company. It now serves the reporter," says David Brown, president of the PR firm Sawchuk, Brown
Associates. Such sites are viewed by reporters as resources and not as corporate mouthpieces.
"Reporters who have written about us and used our site will usually reference it for future articles," says Brown. "Serving them increases your company's chances of getting
mentioned in other articles."
Presenting both sides of the story also gives balance to what's going on with your company and establishes a level of trust with the press, says Don Middleberg, chairman and
CEO of Middleberg & Associates and co-author of the study.
"I think it's the job of the PR professional to go out of their way to find the right buttons that will help the press do their jobs," he says.
Middleberg suggests a site should include:
- Links to articles that mention your company.
- Story suggestions of how your company could be used in an article.
- A list of unbiased experts who would add insight and flavor to articles you proposed.
- Hot links to your industry trade association's Web page. (Association sites were considered the most credible among sites in the study.)
If Not Us, Who?
Granted, getting your CEO behind the notion of publicly announcing your company's shortcomings is no easy sell. Senior managers need to be educated about the relationship-
building process with the press.
"You can't go to the media in January with good news, avoid them for the next few months when some bad news hits and expect them to print your story when things turn around.
There's no relationship there," says Brown.
Middleberg concurs.
"You can't put your head in the sand when things aren't going well," he says. "The information is out there because of the Net, so you can't hide from it. It's best to
present that information in the way you would like it to show. The single worst thing your company can do is stop communicating."
(Brown, 518/462-0318; Horton, 212/371-2200; Middleberg, 212/888-6610; Ross, 212/854-7328; Schneidawind, 202/463-4183.)
Tips for the Trade
Helping the press can be as easy as 1,2,3, (4,5.)
1. Make sure there's a special place on your corporate Web site for the media.
2. Give input to reporters the way they want to receive information. Entire
interviews can be done by email if that's the way the reporter wants to work.
3. Stay online all the time when you're in the office. If an inquiry comes in,
respond quickly.
4. When you see interesting information in association pubs or magazines from
your industry, send it to journalists who cover your company. If possible, send
it as an email with a very specific subject line so they can easily file it
for future use.
5. Unless requested, don't double up on pitches. In other words, don't send
an email, followed up by a phone call or fax.
-Marilynn Mobley
Acorn Consulting Group
770/578-6002