10 Ways to Become a Journalist's Most Trusted Source

Getting featured in the media once is exciting. Getting featured consistently is what builds a reputation.

The difference between the two comes down to one thing: your relationships with journalists.

I spent 15 years as a TV news journalist before becoming a media and PR coach for small business owners, and I can tell you these relationships do not require hours of your time every day. But they do take weeks, months and years to build. Whether you are a solopreneur or you run a big team, whether you make big money or small money, your relationship with journalists is the key to becoming their go-to source.

Here are the 10 habits that will get you there. I still do every single one of them.

1. Get to know journalists before you need them

When you email a journalist cold with a pitch, you are asking a complete stranger for their attention. They have no obligation to open your email, let alone reply.

But if they know you, if you have helped them out before with a source or a story, everything changes.

Journalists are incredibly time poor. They are on constant deadlines, newsrooms are leaner than ever, and they receive hundreds of pitches a day. So build genuine connections before you have news to share. If you come across interesting research, industry data or a story idea that suits their round, send it through even when there is nothing in it for you. Seed the relationship over weeks and months so that when you do pitch, you are not a stranger.

2. Be upfront and honest

Always tell the truth, provide context, and be clear about what you can and cannot discuss.

Journalists value transparency. Give them the whole story rather than a PR spin on your angle. They are direct communicators, they appreciate the same in return, and honesty lays the foundation for a long-term relationship.

3. Respond quickly

Never pitch a journalist a time-sensitive story and then leave their reply sitting in your inbox all afternoon.

A timely response shows you respect their deadlines, and that you actually understand what those deadlines are. If you cannot answer properly right away, even a quick "Got your email, give me 10 minutes and I'll get back to you" keeps you in the running. Reliability is everything in this relationship, and most people pitching journalists do not have it.

4. Tailor your pitch to their audience

Never pitch a media outlet you have not consumed. If you have never read that paper, listened to that podcast or watched that program, you have no business pitching them yet.

Make sure your story or comment is relevant to the outlet's readers and matches their style and tone. Ten minutes of homework before you reach out puts you ahead of the hundreds of generic pitches landing in their inbox.

5. Always add value

Share useful insights, data and contacts. Connect journalists with other experts if you are not the right fit. The more helpful you are, the more likely they will come back to you.

If your pitch includes data, have it ready to go and pull out the most relevant numbers. Do not make a journalist wade through a 1,500-page report. In an era of 24/7 news, the source who makes a journalist's job easier gets used again and again.

6. Own your mistakes immediately

If you slip up, get something wrong or pass on information that does not check out, jump on it and correct it right away.

Owning mistakes quickly builds credibility and shows you are accountable. Feed a journalist wrong information and say nothing, and you will never hear from them again.

7. Stay consistent with your message

Keep your key points and tone steady across all your communications. Consistency makes you memorable.

Find the niche you represent. If you are a leadership coach, what kind of leadership coach? Who do you serve? What is your superpower? Generic angles do not land with media. Specific ones do.

And do not worry about repeating yourself. A lot of media is formulaic. Staying fit over the holidays, end of financial year money tips, new year habits. These stories run every single year, freshened up with whatever is trending. Double down on what you stand for and keep showing up with it.

8. Honour embargoes and agreements

Respect every off-the-record request and every embargo. No exceptions.

If a journalist trusts you with information before it goes public and you share it early, you have burnt that bridge permanently. Keeping your word, every time, is what makes you a source they can tell anything.

9. Skip the spin and be real

Journalists can spot spin a mile away. Avoid rehearsed or evasive answers, and never answer the question you wish you had been asked instead of the one in front of you. Audiences switch off, and so do journalists.

Be yourself in every interview, whether it is TV, radio, podcast or print. Speak from the heart. You built your business from the ground up and you are an expert in your field, whether you like that title or not. And if you are asked something you cannot answer, say so rather than making it up, especially in spaces like health or finance where getting it wrong matters. The media love real, and they especially love personality and character.

10. Follow up promptly after interviews

Send any promised material or clarifications as soon as possible. It shows you are organised and invested in helping the story come together.

And go to the nth degree, especially if you have not been featured yet. If a morning news show wants you on set at 6am and you have to move mountains to get there, move the mountains. Show a journalist you are easy to work with and committed to making the story happen, and they will come back to you again and again.

The takeaway

Some of these habits sound almost too straightforward. That is exactly why they work. Your competitors are not doing them, and that gives you a huge advantage when you are going after organic media and free PR.

Focus on these 10 habits and you will stop chasing one-off media wins and start being the source journalists call first. That is how you build a reputation, not just as someone who got featured once, but as the go-to expert in your field.

Liz Nable is a former TV news journalist and the founder of Media Masters Academy, where she teaches small business owners how to land free media coverage and build their reputation as industry experts. Hear more on her weekly podcast, Media Magnet.