Managing the media better...

The chapter about online media relations is another example of how important it is to have a solid and defined contact management strategy.

At my previous job, I pushed to implement a system that enabled the media relations people to have a list of all their press contacts, which publications they worked at (many journalists write for more than one publication) and what their field of interest was. This last bit of data was very important. I find that it is easy to get lazy when sending emails so that you send any new information to everyone on your media list.

I don't think this is a very productive strategy. If a journalist is interested in health issues, make sure they receive those updates, but don't overwhelm them with information from the campaign that isn't relevant, or they will probably ignore every email, including the ones that they would be interested in reporting on.

By seeking to make emails relevant, I think you will get a more positive response from the media, who will appreciate the fact that your media relations is more sophisticated than many current campaigns.