Music to a Reporter's Ears

Reporters are often -- OK, let's just say always -- on some sort of deadline.

While most of us are fully aware that our sources are not always sitting by the phone or staring at the computer waiting on a message for a quote we need, it is still not a good feeling when we can't get in touch with the person we need.

Here are a couple of things you can do to assauge the reporter's anxiety...and it helps to establish yourself as a contact the reporter may want to try again:

• Have a "If you're a reporter on deadline..." alternative on your voicemail - This is music to a reporter's ears. It means there's another way to get in touch with you and it's usually a cell phone number.
• Provide another contact - Make sure the reporter knows who your second-in-command is...and who else is authorized to speak on your organization's behalf. It's OK to be unavailable or go on vacation, but be sure you don't miss a media mention because of it.
• Say which messages you check most often - Not a phone person? Are you the type who lets the voicemail inbox fill up? Say that: "Hey, you know what? I'm better with email so if you really want to get a hold of me faster, send it to this email address."

The moral of the story? It's OK, and mostly expected, that you won't be available all of the time. But providing these alternatives is a great way to help the reporter out.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media relations consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.

It's Possible to Get Pushed Out of the News

The story was about greyhounds.

And I was super excited that I was covering it. The focus was a greyhound rescue in Springfield, Ohio and who wouldn't want to play with the dogs and write a cute, cuddly story?

Except. While we were at the rescue, the photog and I noticed the wind was picking up and blowing -- hard. We could barely stand up and some point it hit us that we were in the middle of a windstorm.

By the time we got back to the newsroom, the cute, cuddly greyhounds were no longer the highlight of my day. We quickly learned that the winds had reached up to 80 mph and weren't regular winds; they were remnants of 2008's Hurricane Ike and the storm had downed trees, felled power lines and caused up to $1 million in damage. The power was actually knocked out at our sister offices and instead of several local papers, my newspaper had to produce one big newspaper.

Needless to say, the greyhounds took more than a backseat to this news; poor things were completely kicked out of the car.

The story never ran.

If this should ever happen to you, here are a few follow-up tips to make sure that you get your story when things calm down a bit:

• Call the reporter. Give it about a week before you contact the reporter and tell them, "Hey, I know things got a little crazy, but I was wondering if you were still interested in the story."
• Let them know if you have an update. If anything has changed in your story between the last time you spoke to the reporter, make sure they know there is fresh information to include in the story.
• Offer to recap. You don't know what happened to a reporter's notes, photos or recordings between now and the last time you spoke. Be prepared to go over everything as if you're interviewing for the first time.

The moral of the story? If your story has actually gotten the attention of a reporter, gotten the interview and is *this* close to being published or broadcast but it doesn't happen -- due to some fluke of nature or bigger story -- don't be discouraged. There's always another day.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media relations consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.

Does Your Name Reflect What You Do?

You have an idea for a nonprofit or a business. It's inspired, it's divine.

So you name your organization, Sunshine for Life Corp.

That's beautiful. But what does it mean? And what does it say about what you do?

The reason why we're focusing on names today is because the name of your organization is the first thing a reporter -- or potential customer -- will see about you. Your name should either tell what you do or inspire some sort of curiosity where people will ask about what you do. It shouldn't flat out leave people confused.

If you do name your organization Sunshine for Life Corp., make sure you include a little tagline that says, "Health and Wellness Consulting/Personal Training." You need to include these details for a few reasons:

• It helps your search optimization. If a reporter is looking for someone to comment on health and training in your city, that's what they may Google to find contacts. If all you have on your site is "Sunshine for Life," who will find you without the specific name of your business?
• It helps people understand right off the bat what you do. With a name like Sunshine for Life Corp., you may get calls about generating solar energy. Make it clear what services you offer.
• It gives you a professional and expert touch.  If a reporter is looking for expert information, they are more likely to go with the organization that gives off an expert vibe, if you will. If they are looking for statistics on health and wellness in their area, Sunshine for Life Corp. may not necessarily convey that the organization has that information available. However, Sunshine for Life Health and Wellness is good. And Sunshine for Life Center for Health and Wellness is even better.

The moral of the story? Consider not just how the name you choose makes you feel and the meaning it has for you, but also how it presents your expertise to reporters -- and potential clients and customers -- looking for you.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media relations consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.