My column's title this month, "Meet the Journalist," has a double meeting. The first is call-to-action: Now is the time to set up that meeting with the local business reporter you've been putting off! Meet the journalist!

The second meaning plays on the title of a recent Hollywood movie, Meet the Parents. That's the one starring Ben Stiller in which a certain meeting goes horribly, horribly wrong and ends in embarrassment and shame.

If MMM had a therapist (Ed. note: as many might argue he should), he or she would probably tell me, "Scaring people is not going to help them overcome their fear of meeting with members of the media." Perhaps that's true, but it will certainly make them sit up and take notice. Read on!

Why did I call this meeting?
Like any business meeting, you should have a clear set of objectives in mind before sitting down with a reporter, or you may end up sharing Ben Stiller's fate. Your broad objective—one that should always drive your PR agenda—is to establish or cultivate a working relationship with a journalist who can help communicate your message to you audience. A face-to-face meeting can help cement the relationship and establish credibility in the eyes of the reporter. Best of all, if it's a lunch meeting, you usually can get your company to pay for it!

Before even pursuing a meeting, ask yourself:
• What is the editorial agenda of this person's newspaper/TV station/magazine/radio station?
• Does he or she have a "beat" (a topic or theme they regularly cover)?
• What were the last three or four stories he or she reported on?
• Is this a young reporter who is likely an "open book" for ideas and sources, or a grizzled veteran who may be more cynical?
• How can you help them?

The last of these bullet points is probably the one that we tend to overlook most, because we often look at reporters as people who can help us. (Ed. note: HAH!) While this may be true, you'll be more successful if you approach things the other way around. More than anything, reporters rely upon PR professionals for background information, sources who can add to their stories, and concrete items such as photos, graphs, and statistics. If you can consistently provide these services—especially in a pinch, when a reporter needs you the most—then you'll really be on your way to PR nirvana.

So ask yourself what you have that this reporter might need one day: a firm partner who can provide the inside poop on local development issues? Lots of colorful images that illustrate the diversity of your firm's work? Principals who are knowledgeable about regional business conditions or sit on local planning commissions? When you think about it, you might be surprised at the "goods" you can offer a reporter.

Coffee, tea, or . . .
So Joe Reporter has agreed to get together to chit-chat about your firm. Where will you go and what will you do? Fancy lunch? Sit-down meeting in your office?

Generally speaking, journalists are a casual bunch. Once you've both agreed that a get-together makes sense, a reporter will usually respond to an invitation to lunch, or perhaps coffee if they're pressed for time. Suggest a cozy little restaurant where you can chat comfortably. Other than in rare circumstances (such as a formal editorial board briefing or a meeting that involves the newspaper's publisher or another high-muckety-muck), I recommend that you keep things informal (keeping in mind, however, that everything is always "on the record"). Even if you invite the journalist over to your offices to meet the principals or take a look at some current projects, a relaxed environment will usually serve everyone well.

Remember, the last thing you want to do is pound the reporter into submission with specific story ideas or requests. (Ed note: HAH-HAH!) Again, you're primarily trying to establish credibility; the big "payoff" may be weeks, months, or even years in the making.

A true story . . .
When I took on the job of AIA's chief media relations pro, one of the first meetings I set up was with ABC's Nightline, the late-night news program hosted by Ted Koppel. When I lunched with a senior producer with the show in late 1999, one of the many themes we talked about was the role architects play in designing safe and secure public spaces. I specifically recall chatting about the new Oklahoma City federal campus design by Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, and the implications on security that project would have. We continued the discussion on this topic for many months and—after shaping and reshaping the story idea for what turned out to be about a year-and-a-half—we saw a fabulous, half-hour Nightline in April of 2001 that featured Carol and other architects. A summary of the piece can still be found on the ABC News web site.

Bragging? Well, yeah, but the lesson is valid: the seed you plant today during lunch with a reporter could bloom into a lovely story tomorrow that tells your story to your audience. If that doesn't convince you, don't forget this: In Meet the Parents, Ben Stiller gets the girl in the end, wins over the family, and ends up with an adoring set of in-laws!

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.