Connecting PR Professionals to the Media

Lachlan Abbott, Bentley Campus - Methodist Ladies' College

One of the most fascinating aspects of my time at Methodist Ladies' College (which is coming to an end very quickly!) is the relationships I've observed between our department and the local media, both in a personal and professional way.  We've been told quite frequently that PR professionals will often foot the bill for lunch with journalists in order to get stories printed, but I'd never seen it in action and was therefore a bit taken aback when it happened.

There is one person responsible for promoting the college in the local media, and they certainly have their favourite outlet.  They have a very close friendship with one journalist in particular who works for one of the local newspapers, and this friendship led to four articles concerning the college being published in the last edition.  There was quite legitimately a whole page devoted to MLC stories.

After studying journalism, there's a part of me that questions the ethics of this.  But on the other hand I believe that because the college operates in such a tight-knit community, these types of relationships would form the basis for a vast majority of the local media content.  Making contacts within the various media outlets and cultivating relationships is not only important, but necessary if an organisation such as MLC is to have a voice within it's community.  There's only so much newsletters and posters can achieve, and having regular media coverage within local papers is no doubt a real feather in the cap of our department.

On balance I believe relationships between PR professionals and the media must remain mutually beneficial, with the onus being primarily on PR practitioners to ensure they maintain these relationships in an ethical and professional manner.