Media Relations and Media Training | David Wills of Media Profile

PRGN Presents • Season 4, Episode 2 • Originally published as an audio podcast on January 25, 2024. The number of paid journalists has fallen by about half in a decade, and the reporters who remain are producing more than ever. So how do you earn coverage? David Wills, senior vice president at Toronto-based Media Profile, joins Abbie Fink to talk about media relations and media training. David explains why a pitch has to connect to what audiences are worried about, such as affordability and public safety, and why targeted pitching beats a shotgun approach. Reporters rarely have time for coffee anymore, so he pays attention to how each one wants to be contacted, and Media Profile hosts an annual holiday party for journalists where nobody pitches anything. On the training side, he describes the videotaped simulations his team runs. A CEO should talk about mission, vision and benefits, he says, and leave the dates and numbers to others. The same skills help leaders in presentations and town hall meetings. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Busy reporters want information that fits their story, so tie your pitch to the issues their audiences already care about. • Learn how each reporter prefers to be contacted and respect it, because trust built over time leads to coverage. • Media opportunities are not advertisements: bring something of value to the reporter’s audience. • C-suite spokespeople should speak to mission, vision and benefits, while others supply the details. • Seeing yourself on video in a realistic simulation is one of the most powerful ways to improve as a spokesperson. Read the full episode notes and transcript: https://prgnpodcast.com/episode/media... --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE GUEST David Wills is senior vice president at Media Profile, Canada’s largest full-service independent PR agency, based in Toronto. With the firm for more than 25 years, he counsels clients on earned media strategy. An experienced media trainer, he has helped countless politicians, executives, spokespeople and community leaders succeed in media interviews. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/media-profile... • Connect with David:   / davidrwills   --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE HOSTS Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations, the oldest continuously operating PR firm in Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/hma-public-re... • Connect with Abbie:   / abbiesfink   Dr. Adrian McIntyre is an anthropologist and communications advisor specializing in the marketing and selling of expertise. He is a founding partner at Speed of Story, where he helps entrepreneurial experts and boutique firms clarify their positioning, package their intellectual property, market their premium services, and get paid for their thinking, not their time. • Learn more: https://adrianmcintyre.com/ • Connect with Adrian:   / adrianmcintyre   --------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:59 Meet David Wills of Media Profile 01:13 Why Earned Media Still Matters 01:58 Getting Coverage When Newsrooms Are Shrinking 03:22 Is It Really News? Fitting Into the News Cycle 05:23 Building Trust With Reporters 07:56 Staying Connected When Reporters Don't Have Time for Coffee 10:10 Why Media Training Matters 13:36 Training CEOs to Speak as Leaders, Not Fact Sheets 14:55 Interview Simulations and On-Camera Practice 17:49 Using Media Training Skills in Presentations and Town Halls 19:24 Podcast Outro --------------------------------------- PRGN Presents features conversations with members of the Public Relations Global Network. No matter where you do business, there is a PRGN member agency in your region with the deep industry expertise, international experience, and local market knowledge you need to connect with your target audience and achieve your goals. Find a PR firm near you: https://prgn.com/pr-agencies/