You’ve heard, Don’t Fight the Fed. Here’s another mantra to practice in the near term: don’t fight the news cycle if you want to get media coverage.
When a story like tariffs dominates the conversation, it’s not the time to get creative. Instead, refocus your energy on identifying angles that fit into the news cycle. Reporters don’t have free reign on pitching angles during strong news cycles like this. Experienced journalists know their ideas will have more success if they pitch ideas that the public is discussing.
We’re in a Hard News Cycle
In February, I wrote a post that we were headed into a hard news cycle with the Trump administration. A few weeks later, a Washington Post reporter casually mentioned in a conversation with me that “it’s like drinking out of a fire hydrant right now.” In other words, there are so many hard news stories with this administration that reporters can’t even cover them. Newsroom resources are also more stretched during times like these, as deadlines become tighter and the news cycle changes with new information.
This approach isn’t just for businesses trying to reach a national audience. If you’re a local business, try to demonstrate or visualize how tariffs are impacting your community. It shouldn’t be difficult since trade dominates all sectors of our economy. Just be objective with your approach, preferably supporting the angle with data or internal research/surveys that support your argument.
And just for clarity – your story doesn’t have to be solely around tariffs. There are repercussions and sidebars that come out of tariffs – including immigration, unemployment, consumer spending/confidence, etc.
Throw out the Marketing Messaging Playbook
Just remember: don’t pitch an advertisement. Stay away from subjective terms when communicating with reporters; no fluff, stay focused on the hard news and it’s impact. Don’t test marketing messaging in times like this. If you pivot to this type of approach, you will better position your brand for unique moments like this. #alwaysfreshpr
About MACIAS PR
MACIAS PR was founded in 2009 by Mark Macias – an Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. City & State Magazine named Macias one of the top 50 best PR pros in New York in 2022 and 2024. Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year, and PR Firm of the Year. Message us if you’d like to get a customized strategy.