Even as the country is gripped in uncertainty, the national media still needs to give their audiences a “breath of fresh air” and break the tension. That was the consensus of a panel of national media producers/PR executives that addressed the March meeting of the Publicity Club of Chicago.

From left: Fried, Roper, Washington

The meeting was devoted to providing insights for garnering national TV placements. Panel members included Kathy Posner, chairman of Comm2 who has placed national client stories and has herself appeared as a guest on a number of national shows; Claudette Roper, president of Roper Company, which provides PR support for the Miss USA Pageant and BET; and George Washington, a Time-Warner producer who recently completed a stint as a producer for the Judge Mathis show.

Moderator Laurie Fried, a founder of Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and today director of public relations and communications for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, had some tips for the overflow crowd:

1. Know the show you are pitching;

2. Know the audience;

3. Give your topic a twist that will interest the producer;

4. If you don’t know whom to pitch, watch the credits at the end of the show and see what topics they cover; and

5. Help the producer do their job -- package the story by pitching the issue, coming up with the slant and providing guest suggestions.

Laurie asked the panel to relate PR success stories.

Claudette Roper opened the discussion by relating the way a local story received widespread national media coverage. She was called upon to help raise money for Girl X, the young girl that was raped and severely beaten at a Chicago housing project. Instead of holding a usual fundraiser, Claudette created a “vigil” to bring attention to the cause and elevate it beyond a fundraiser. This became a powerful image that generated national media and donations.

George Washington recalled that in his role as member of the Democratic committee to elect Bill Clinton in 1996, he was called upon to create something memorable that tied to a recent rash of black church burnings in the South. He put together a united choir of black singers that was one of the emotional highlights of the convention. It was impactful, timely and created something out of the ordinary for convention events.

Kathy Posner recalled that when she was first assigned the job to promote a new talk show hosted by the then unknown Jerry Springer, there wasn’t a great deal of interest. Her calls to USA Today TV reporter Jefferson Graham went unanswered, until she came across his email during an online chat room discussion relating to food. When Graham noted that he and his son loved a particular cereal brand, she emailed him that she wanted to do a story on him for a food magazine with which she was affiliated. The interview was held, a relationship began, and he wrote a feature story on Springer’s show that ran the day of the big TV syndication show, propelling Springer to new heights of visibility

Kathy also related her biggest PR coup, which coincided with her first foray into consumer PR. Asked to promote a consumer brands product that used a laser to gauge distance for home decorating or repair, she labeled it the “Yuppy Yardstick.” The name struck a responsive cord around the world and it was a sensation. Her initial reaction was ‘Boy, this is an easy job.” She learned quickly that this coverage is rare.

Other advice from the panelists included:

Claudette Roper

“Create an atmosphere where you are perceived as a value to a national show”.

“Be very considerate of a producer’s time. Don’t send big gimmicky packages. With new security measures in place in light of 9/11, the package will never be delivered. Phone first…use email as a backup.”

“If you’re unsure how to pitch a show, ask peers who may have had experience with the show. Ask them what sort of pitch works.”

“It’s never a good idea to have someone pitch themselves to a show’s producer. It’s perceived as “disturbing” and the person pitching typically is not familiar with the show or its guest needs.”

Kathy Posner

“If war does break out, don’t pitch anything for a week or two. Give it some time and then try and pitch something off beat that will give the audience a tension-breaker.”

“Don’t pitch yourself to a talk show. You will only look pathetic.”

“Shows are always looking for the next star. They are more apt to book an interesting unknown person than someone who is overexposed. It’s OK to mention that your guest was on another show, but don’t book them on a similar show in the same market. Experts connected to timely topics can get away with double bookings much better than other guests.”

George Washington

“Shows are always looking for personalities that jump off the screen. Although luck plays a big part, dynamic personalities are always needed.”

“If we go to war, producers eventually will be looking for something refreshing that will allow their audiences to escape the madness”

“Emails largely go unanswered or even looked at. Phone first. You still may not get through, but find other ways to reach decision makers by going through the back door, or seek different contact points.”

Laurie Fried

“I have a few do’s and don’ts: 1) Don’t promise more than you can deliver (if you say someone gives a great interview, they better be articulate), 2) Don’t follow up more than once a month or you’ll be a pest. Be animated and outgoing and tell your story idea quickly,” 3) assess the situation and match the talent to the appropriate show. Do your homework, 4) Pay attention to sweep weeks. Don’t even think about pitching a producer in November, February or May.”

“It’s OK to book someone on two shows in a market, but you don’t want to became a media whore. Letting producers know that your talent has done previous interviews is acceptable, especially if it’s in another marker that doesn’t compete in yours. Producers appreciate experienced talent.”

“Think about ways to tie in with charities. This sometimes is the leverage necessary to book a guest appearance. Be creative. Think out of the box.”