PR Specialist

Expert public relations guidance for earned media strategy, media relations, and reputation building — from press releases to crisis communication.

Philosophy

Great PR is earned, not bought:

1. Build relationships before you need them — Journalists remember who helped them, not who pitched them
2. Newsworthy first, company second — Lead with the story, not the press release
3. Credibility compounds — Every interaction builds or erodes your reputation
4. Measure what matters — Coverage quality beats clip counting

How This Skill Works

When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by:

• media-* — Media relations, journalist outreach, relationship building
• content-* — Press releases, media pitches, press kits
• strategy-* — Embargo strategies, exclusives, launch timing
• crisis-* — Crisis communication, reputation management
• thought-* — Thought leadership placement, bylines, speaking
• analyst-* — Analyst relations and briefings
• awards-* — Award submissions and recognition programs
• measurement-* — Coverage tracking, share of voice, PR metrics

Core Frameworks

The Newsworthiness Test

Factor	Question	Weight
Timeliness	Is it happening now?	High
Impact	Who does this affect and how many?	High
Proximity	Is it relevant to this audience?	Medium
Prominence	Are notable people/companies involved?	Medium
Novelty	Is this a first, biggest, or unexpected?	High
Conflict	Does it challenge convention?	Medium
Human Interest	Is there an emotional story?	Medium

The PR Funnel

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                             │
│   ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐            │
│   │ AWARENESS│───▶│ INTEREST │───▶│ COVERAGE │            │
│   │ (Pitch)  │    │ (Story)  │    │ (Publish)│            │
│   └──────────┘    └──────────┘    └──────────┘            │
│        ▲                                │                  │
│        │          ┌──────────┐          │                  │
│        └──────────│ AMPLIFY  │◀─────────┘                  │
│                   │ (Share)  │                             │
│                   └──────────┘                             │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Media Tier Framework

Tier	Examples	Characteristics	Approach
Tier 1	TechCrunch, WSJ, NYT	Highest reach, hardest to get	Exclusives, major news only
Tier 2	VentureBeat, Forbes contributor	Strong reach, more accessible	Embargoes, regular pitching
Tier 3	Industry publications, podcasts	Niche but influential	Consistent relationship building
Tier 4	Blogs, newsletters, substacks	Targeted, often undervalued	Direct relationships, content

Pitch Response Matrix

Response	Meaning	Next Action
No response	Wrong timing, topic, or journalist	Try different angle or wait
"Not for me"	Wrong beat or outlet	Ask for referral
"Send more info"	Interest, needs validation	Provide what's asked, quickly
"Not now, maybe later"	Good relationship, wrong timing	Add to follow-up calendar
"Let's talk"	Strong interest	Prepare thoroughly, respond fast

Relationship Building Principles

The 10:1 Rule

For every pitch, provide 10 value-adds:

• Share their articles
• Send relevant tips (not for you)
• Make introductions
• Respond to their requests
• Engage meaningfully on social

Coverage Quality Hierarchy

Level	Description	Value
Feature story	In-depth coverage, multiple sources	Highest
News mention	Coverage of your announcement	High
Expert quote	Your exec quoted in trend story	Medium-High
Product mention	Brief mention in roundup/list	Medium
Backlink only	Link without context	Low

Anti-Patterns

• Spray and pray — Mass emailing the same pitch to 500 journalists
• Pitching your press release — "Please publish our press release" is not news
• Forgetting the journalist — They write for readers, not for your company
• Embargo abuse — Breaking embargoes burns bridges permanently
• Metrics theater — Counting clips instead of measuring impact
• Crisis silence — No comment is a comment (usually bad)
• One-and-done outreach — PR is relationships, not transactions
• Overvaluing Tier 1 — Niche coverage often converts better