9 Steps for Handling Media Outreach During a Tragedy (and How to Educate Your Clients)

This includes pitching, follow ups, current campaigns and more

Good morning, Top Tier subscribers.

This week, we’re going to tackle a tough conversation in light of recent events: How to handle media outreach during a humanitarian crisis and/or horrifically painful news cycle.

Because we feel it’s SO important to get this information into the hands of as many publicists as possible, we’ve decided to make this a free post … and encourage you to share it with all of your colleagues (at your agency or elsewhere).

While the impetus for this post was, of course, the 1,300+ Jews who were slaughtered by Hamas on Saturday, October 7th — the most murderous attack on Jews since the Holocaust — this advice stands for any similar situations.

From what we saw in our inboxes, 99% of publicists and agencies were operating as business as usual the Monday morning after Israeli Jews were slaughtered, babies were murdered in front of their parents, women were raped and murdered and burned and paraded through the streets, and dozens were kidnapped.

But in the days to come, that statistic STILL held true. There was almost NO mention of the absolutely devastating and horrific current events in pitches, despite the media industry being heavily populated by Jewish professionals. We understand you still have a job to do and goals to meet, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of alienating your target audience.

This is a great time to remind you all that your job is public RELATIONS … it’s the “relations” part of your job that actually matters most. When you prioritize your own needs (or your client’s needs) over being a decent human being, it comes across as insensitive. And while there was no mention of the events or any heartfelt sentiments, what’s even worse is the tone deaf emails many writers received all week long:

“Hope you had a great weekend!”

“Happy Monday! Excited to share that my client…”

“Trust all is well in your world…”

“Happy Fall! We’re thrilled to announce that …”

Finally, on Wednesday, October 11, the very first message of acknowledgment was received … sent by an agency to (presumably) its entire contact list. It was a masterclass in proactive, sensitive, thoughtful and heartfelt communications. This is how you foster relationships. This is how you build trust. This is how you show that human beings are more important than client goals/your bottom line.

It read:

Good morning (and afternoon to many).

I'm reaching out on behalf of Stanton & Company, a philosophy-driven brands boutique PR agency, to extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to all those affected by recent events worldwide. Our hearts go out to you, your families, and anyone touched by these unfortunate occurrences.

We understand that during these difficult times, it may be challenging to engage in "business as usual" activities. If you wish to opt out of any such correspondence and take the time and space needed to mourn this moment, please feel free to respond to this email with your preferences.

Furthermore, if there's anything we can do to support you personally, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here for you.

Warm regards,

Team Stanton & Company

Jill shared this agency’s message on the PR Czars group on Facebook and then many thoughtful one-off messages began rolling in (Stanton’s still remains the only agency-wide one received) over the following days.

Examples of thoughtful email openers received:

“It’s been a tough week. Hoping humanity prevails.”

“I pray that you and your loved ones are safe and unharmed from the attacks in Israel. It’s been a stressful and scary week, and I pray the terror ends soon.”

“Hope you’re doing okay in light of recent events. We hope it’s okay to be reaching out, and if not, feel free to disregard or opt-out of communication at this time.”

“Our team extends our heartfelt thoughts to all those affected by recent events around the world. Our hearts go out to you, your family, and anyone touched by these unfortunate occurrences. Should you wish that we withhold from outreach for the time being, please do let me know.”

“I wanted to first ask if you're accepting pitches at this time. With the current world events, we want to be extra cautious and respect individual wishes. If you are accepting pitches, I wanted to check back in on the below.”

“I know it's been tough to juggle work this week, and hope you don't mind my reaching out.”

“How are you? There are no words to communicate how I feel about what is going on in the world right now. And sending this email – pitching this week seems so insignificant, inconsiderate and frankly, wrong. Because I still have to do my job, I thought the best way to approach this is by removing the “fluff” from this gift guide pitch, and just sending this as a resource so that if/when you are back up and running OR if you need a distraction from the world and are working on gift guide coverage, this helps make it a little easier… and maybe a little less time-consuming so you can focus more on what matters.”

Example of a smart pivot and great communication:

Another email received was the following … a really thoughtful, proactive pivot during a difficult time (we would have loved to see more of this):

Good morning,

Writing with an update on this collaboration: given the events unfolding this week, the launch is being held to a later (TBD) date. We will make sure to update you when the new timing is confirmed. 

Example of an agency apology for an insensitive pitch:

One of the “hope you had a great weekend” emails Jill received on Monday hit hard … it was from an agency she really liked and admired, so it was especially triggering. So she decided to respond, “Great weekend? Surely you've read the news. Please read the room. I honestly expected better from your agency.”

That employee must have forwarded it to her boss, because the next thing Jill received was this perfectly handled message from the founder/CEO (and we so appreciate the staff education component!):

Hi Jill,

This email was brought to my attention, and I’m thankful it was and wanted to reach out immediately. I am still working on etiquette training with some of the younger team members but I agree with you 100%—it has not been a great weekend, to say the least. Just wanted to extend an apology. I have chatted with our team thoroughly to ensure this doesn’t happen again. My heart feels shattered by everything going on, just horrific, terrible, so incredibly sad, scary. We appreciate you and enjoy working with you. 

What to do during a nightmare news cycle

There are a lot of nuances to consider here … a lot. So this advice isn’t one-size-fits-all by any means. But use this as a guide to help navigate rough waters:

1. Sometimes, silence is best. On Monday, October 9, nobody should have been sending pitches about a new shade of lipstick or a follow-up to a pitch they’ve already sent 3x to a writer but never heard back on. At the very least, publicists should take a day of silence to honor the tragedy and give space to their colleagues/media friends who may be impacted by it.

2. Decide as an agency (or freelancer) how you want to handle communications. As you can see from the above examples, one agency decided to send a blanket communication to media acknowledging the tragedy and giving media the opportunity to opt out of emails as they grieve. They also offered support. Other agencies sent a heartfelt sentence or two in their intro before diving in … these felt authentic and genuine and were much appreciated. Decide how you’re going to handle it and apply that across the board.

3. Communicate that decision to your staff immediately. And make sure to communicate to your decision to all your employees/freelancers because you want to make sure everyone is on the same page about how to handle their emails/outreach. Explain your decision to them and field any questions.

4. Look at your pre-scheduled pitches and social media posts, too. If you use scheduling systems for pitches and social media posts, it’s easy to forget that those are still in play. Based on the decision you made in #2, you may want to adjust or cancel some of those posts/communications. Take the time to assess them now.

5. Meet with your clients and provide education and support. Plenty of publicists reached out to Jill after her Czars post to say they had alerted their clients that they would’t be pitching that week and also advised them on how to handle their social media. They explained why to their clients … some of whom pushed back and didn’t care. Client education is crucial at a time like this and you may have to have some really tough conversations. And at the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for YOUR business … and while on the surface that may appear to be “make the client happy” ask yourself how happy they’ll be long-term if you’ve burned bridges with key media they want to cover their brand. Empower yourself. Remember, you are not an order-taker … you are an expert, a professional and the one who knows best about PR efforts. If they knew best, they wouldn’t need you. Guide them through this gracefully and they’ll appreciate how you protected their brand.

6. Look at any campaigns in progress and decide how to proceed. As you can see from the pivot example above, one agency decided to hold a collaboration. Others held on launches. Again, discuss this with your clients. And explain that their “big” news will likely get lost in a news cycle like this anyways.

7. Have a media event that week? Decide if it should be rescheduled. A writer friend had an event surrounding an Israeli wine brand last week and it was cancelled. Good move. Work with your client to decide what’s right for your particular situation. And don’t be surprised if a lot of RSVPs suddenly turn to “no” or people forget to show up altogether because they are distracted or not in the mood to socialize or “party” or hang out with people and put on a fake smile.

8. If you have a personal relationship with a journalist you know is affected by the tragedy, reach out. Several publicists reached out directly to Jill with a personal note because they have a strong relationship and know she’s Jewish. It was touching and much appreciated.

9. Think about timing. How long you continue to do these activities and make special accommodations is up to you and the aftermath of tragedy taking place. Trust your instincts. Check the vibes on social media. Ask your colleagues what they are doing. Watch the news. You’ll know when it’s OK to resume business as usual.

There may be more things to think through as well, but this is a good start. At the end of the day, people always remember how you make them FEEL. Why not do you small part to make them feel just a little bit better in the wake of tragedy?

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Did you learn anything new today? Any questions on this topic? Our comment section is open and we ALWAYS reply!

Thanks again for being a part of this wonderful community we’re building. If you know a colleague who could benefit from this, please share this newsletter with them. We’re putting so much time and effort into these weekly articles and are thrilled to be able to get them in front of people who are benefiting from them. 

Jill & Nicole

PS: You can always email us with any questions: info@toptierconsulting.NET

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RSVP for Our New Group Workshop: Everything You Need to Know About Sending Press Samples to Ensure a Better ROI

Join us on Monday, October 30th — or purchase the recording to watch at your convenience! — for this don’t-miss workshop!

There’s a lot more to consider before simply sticking your client’s product in a box with a little packing paper and dropping it off at the post office. During this jam-packed presentation, we’ll share the scoop from a writer’s perspective so that you can look like a hero to your client. Well touch on:

• How sending a press sample can lead to more coverage for your clients

• When and how to send a product sample

• How to vet the editorial opportunity and do your due diligence to make sure you’re sending your sample to a writer who has the potential to write about it (read: avoid unethical writers looking for freebies)

• What writers like to see in the box and what they don’t

• Big bloopers people make when sending press samplers (that they probably don’t realize they are making!)

• Things writers receive that are an automatic waste of your money (avoid these and save your clients some serious cash!)

• What else should be included with the mailing (hint: more than just the product)

• Tips for how to best spend your budget AND get a stronger ROI

• What to say in an email when asking if a writer wants a press sampler (and the number one thing that a writer never wants to hear)

• How and when to follow up to ensure receipt and inquire about possible coverage

• Open Q&A at the end where we’ll tackle any other questions that you have.

Date: Monday, October 30

Time: 11 am PT/2 pm EST (this session will last one hour)

Can’t make it live? No worries. Pay now and we’ll send you the link to the recording right after the session — then, you can watch it at your convenience.

Rate: $39 Paid TTC Substack Subscribers; $99 Free TTC Subscribers

Ready to sign up? Send an email to info@toptierconsulting.NET and we’ll collect payment and send you the link for the Zoom session.

Questions about the session? Just shoot us an email and we’ll answer them!

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Pitching holiday gift guides? Don't forget to check out our Most Popular Holiday Gift Guide Resources

Here are all our resources to help with your holiday gift guide efforts:

• The ULTIMATE INSIDER’S GUIDE to Holiday Gift Guide Pitching Workshop(one full hour of best practices, sample subject lines, a checklist of what to include in your pitch, advice for how to stand out from the crowd, tips for getting your sources included, examples of real HGG pitches that worked and answers to your most pressing questions)

• Christmas in July Zoom Q&A with Affiliate Marketing Expert Sarah Karger (this will answer ALL your affiliate-related HGG questions!)

• A Real-Life Example of an HGG Product Pitch Format that Most Writers Will Delete (hint: Don’t do this!)

• What NOT to Pitch in a Holiday Gift Guide (seriously, save these pitches for another time)

• A Handy-Dandy Checklist of 10 Things to Double-Check Before Sending Your Pitch (don’t send another pitch before making sure you’ve included everything a journalist needs!)

• 5 Golden Rules of Sending Press Packages

• 6 MORE Golden Rules of Sending Press Packages

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Book a Private Consulting Session With
Jill & Nicole for October/November

Yes, we are booking private sessions for you/your agency again, so if you’re interested in more direct access to us, book one of these:

• Want to workshop a few pitches with two top-tier writers? Try our Pitch Perfecting session.

• Looking to build deeper relationships with journalists? You’ll love our Become a Journalist’s BFF session.

• Have a slew of questions you want answers to? Book an Ask Us Anything session.

• Are you putting together a press trip and need help with the details? We offer a Press Trip Invites and Itineraries session.

• Need fresh ideas for sending mailers to writers? Book our Press Package session.

• Scheduling an in-person or virtual media event? We can help, with our Hosting the Perfect Virtual/In-Person Media Event session.

Have other ideas you need help brainstorming or creating an action plan for? We offer Custom sessions, too!