Media Coffee Podcast

In the latest Media Coffee Q&A, we return to India to learn more about how journalists in the country like to work and find out some essential tips for PRs looking to strengthen their relationships with the press. We talk to Sachin Kalbag, a journalist with nearly 30 years of experience across The Hindustan Times, The Hindu and the India Today Group. Sachin began his career in 1994 working as a trainee feature writer, report and copy editor in Mumbai. His career has crossed both print and digital, with a stop in Washington as a foreign correspondent for Indian Newspaper Daily News and Analysis.

More recently he joined think tank The Takshashila Institution, specialising in policy teaching as senior fellow for media and governance.

3 recommendations for working with journalists in India from Sachin Kalbag:

• India is a big country – companies need to be very targeted in their approach to secure coverage
• A major issue journalists face when communicating with PRs is a lack of data or expertise in targeted industries or topics
• Transparency, credibility and authenticity are the three main pillars on which press releases should be built on

In this Media Coffee Q&A, we talk to Fabio Insenga, Deputy Editor in Chief of Italian news agency Adnkronos, about the collaboration between journalists and PRs in Italy and get tips on how to strengthen that relationship.

Fabio has more than 25 years of experience in journalism, spending 15 years at Adnkronos before returning after a stint with the Italian edition of Fortune Magazine. He is currently spearheading the development of new formats in new media for the brand.

Founded in 1963, Adnkronos is based on Rome and covers global breaking news stories in politics, finance, culture, sport, fashion and tech.

3 recommendations for working with journalists in Italy from Fabio Insenga:

• Use press releases wisely and avoid sending too many – always choose the most important news you want to communicate
• The best way to follow up with journalists in Italy is with a phone call or WhatsApp message
• PRs and journalists need to build collaborative relationships for them to be mutually beneficial

In the latest Media Coffee Q&A, TradeArabia Editor, Sree Bhat, talks to us about working with the media in Bahrain and offers insight into getting press releases from journalist inboxes to editorial calendars.

Established in 1999, TradeArabia is one of the largest online news portals in the Middle East. It covers business news across various trade and industry sectors in the Gulf region.

Sree has more than 30 years of experience in India, the Gulf and Papua New Guinea, bringing a wealth of knowledge on digital and print editorial.

4 recommendations for working with journalists in Bahrain from Sree Bhat:

• Press releases are selected based on relevance to each outlet; local news is always preferred
• Always verify the information in your releases to ensure it is accurate
• WhatsApp is increasingly being used as a method to contact journalists in Bahrain
• Companies and brands always need to think about how their news impacts readers in Bahrain

In this video Q&A, Chris Seper, Vice President and Digital GM at NewsNation, talks to us about the media landscape in the US and the best ways to work effectively with journalists Stateside.

Chris joined NewsNation in 2021 and oversees the development, growth and day-to-day operations of the brand’s website, mobile app, social platforms and other new and emerging non-linear distribution channels.

NewsNation is positioned as America's source for unbiased news, where engaged users get news that represents the full range of perspectives across the country.

5 recommendations for working with US journalists from Chris Seper:

• Credibility is key: help fight misinformation by providing links to sites and sources
• Choose your battles when sending press releases, and follow up with the most important ones
• Personalise your press release’s message based on the targeted media outlet
• For broadcast interviews, put forward spokespeople who have media training and can deliver key points clearly
• Consider the topicality and timing of your press release

Founded in 1971, ANI (Asian News International) is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency producing content for online, TV and newspapers. It has over 100 bureaus in India and across the world.

4 recommendations from ANI's Sanjay Mehra:

• Write a press release like it’s a news article, and avoid using too many adjectives and promotional content
• Authenticity is one of the most important factors ANI considers when viewing press releases
• The best way to follow up with journalists is by email
• Try to send press releases during working hours, when editors are more likely to see it and give it attention

In this episode, we hear from Chris McKeon, Political Reporter at PA Media in the UK. Chris is based in Westminster and provides analysis for PA's Mediapoint wire. He started his journalism career at the Surrey Advertiser before moving to the Liverpool Echo.

PA Media is the national news agency for the UK and Ireland. It provides a continuous feed of text, pictures, video and data into newsrooms around the country.

5 recommendations from PA Media’s Chris McKeon:

• Before writing a press release, spend time thinking about the value of your story
• Avoid sending press releases during public holidays and other major public events
• Prime Minister’s Questions is on Wednesdays between 12-1pm – this sets the political news agenda for the week
• Communicating with journalists via email is always better than calling
• Provide contact details for journalists to follow up with any questions

In this webinar we hear from Rubén Marcos of Spanish news agency Europa Press. Rubén takes us through the media landscape in Spain, his recommendations for attracting a journalist’s attention and how to get press releases on point.

Europa Press is one of the largest private news agencies in Spain. It was founded in 1953, as an independent company with two main principles: professionalism and independence.

5 things to look out for from Europa Press’s Rubén Marcos:

• Alongside providing pictures and video to news agencies, think about including sounds bites that radio stations can use 
• WhatsApp is an increasingly popular methods for journalists in Spain to request interviews 
• Avoid sending press releases early in the morning and aim for the afternoon instead (unless your news is time-sensitive) 
• Check ahead when sending press releases to ensure they don’t clash with any holidays or celebrations that could delay pick-up 
• Make sure you have a spokesperson ready to answer any follow-up questions journalists may have