Gaining earned media coverage in the fiercely competitive APAC landscape can often feel like a high-stakes game. However, the recipe for success is within reach and quite straightforward.
Your winning media coverage strategy should be carefully crafted based on validated wants and needs of journalists. We've got some insider intel having surveyed more than 3,000 journalists in 19 markets worldwide to understand what PR professionals like you can do to win journalists over!
Use these three rules to focus your outreach efforts, build your credibility, and increase your earned media coverage.
Rule 1: Deliver Exclusive Value and Priority Content
Mutually beneficial. These two words sum up the relationship between PR professionals and reporters just perfectly. You’re going out of your way and trying everything to impress and gain the attention of journalists for positive coverage, but journalists need you too!
They rely on you for access to key people, places, and things. The more you know what they find valuable (and are able to show it), the more they will see you as a valued media partner.
So, What Kind of Content Do Journalists Prioritize?
To build better relationships with members of the media, start with delivering the content and information they actually want. When asked, journalists cited a clear preference for the following content types:
Keen to find out more ways PR professionals provide value? Download our Tip Sheet – How to Win Over Journalists for More Earned Media Coverage now.
Rule 2: Get Out of Your Own Way and Avoid the “Don’t Call List"
Earlier, we’ve been focusing on what journalists are after, but understanding what they aren’t after is also just as critically important! By strategically avoiding the actions that irritate journalists, you run a higher chance of building good faith while also showing them that you respect their time.
When asked what would make them block a PR professional or put them on their "don't call" list, journalists cited these top offenses:
Rule 3: Focus on the "R" in PR: Start with an Authentic Connection
Going back to the two magic words - mutually beneficial. A mutually beneficial partnership indicates that both parties walk away with perks. However, it does not mean that the “reaping” of these benefits takes place simultaneously and the time period could also be uncertain. A successful relationship is not always transactional.
The best PR folks are the ones who add context and value outside of their immediately pitching needs, and who actually want to build a working relationship, not a transactional one.
- Journalist offering personal words of advice on building media relationships
The Best Way to Introduce Yourself
Journalists are open to connections, but this does not mean you should be hounding them 24/7 or hitting them up for coffee as and when you feel like it. When making the first move, they have their preferences on how you should do it,
By following these 3 rules, you can significantly improve your chances of securing valuable earned media coverage and positioning yourself as a trusted source for journalists in the APAC region.
For more insight into what journalists really want from PR, download the full 2025 State of the Media Report today.
About Weiying Chong
Wei Ying is a Content Marketer at PR Newswire APAC. With an avid love of writing from lifestyle to thought-leadership topics, she has adopted an honest voice that gives her articles a refreshing take. Always informed of the latest trends, Wei Ying will bring you appealing content as she crosses her fingers that it doesn't get a scroll past.