Craig Verley

When a member of the media reaches out to you, are you a gatekeeper or a guide? If you think your role should be more of a gatekeeper, you may be wrong in that approach.

When I initially left the broadcast world for a role in school communications, I did not want to be the public relations person that I found frustrating to deal with as a reporter. I did not want to be a roadblock or even a speed bump. I wanted to do what I could to get them what they needed for their stories and, if possible, also meet their sometimes insanely short deadlines.

Taking more of a guide approach in your media relations will make your interactions with many members of your local media much more positive. It will also help build trust and make you a valued and trusted voice when things get touchy or during emergencies.

Now, to be that trusted guide, you must first be a bit of a gatekeeper. Maybe you can think of yourself more like the greeter at the front door of a restaurant. You want to be the main, initial contact for your school district. This simplifies things for the reporters in your area. They will grow to know that all they must do is reach out to you, and not try to figure out who to contact. School district administrators and campus staff are incredibly busy and focused on making sure their campuses and the district are running as smoothly as possible and focusing on their students and classrooms. The last thing they want to do is play phone tag with a reporter and then figure out how to address the reporter’s needs or questions.

Everyone thinks they know schools and school districts based on their experience as a student, or possibly as a parent of a student. The reality is most reporters don’t understand the operational structures of your school district unless they have been covering it for some time. Each district is a little different and so that makes your role as a guide more important. The reporter may think the superintendent is the best person to speak with on a certain story, and the reality is it may be someone else. It is your job to help guide the reporter to the information and the individuals who will provide the facts in as clear a manner as possible, while also helping guide the reporter to aspects of the story that will help make it more engaging. The reporter and producers/editors may initially want a story for that day; however, you may know of something scheduled that will shine a light on the subject that is a day or two away. Often, they will gladly move the story to a later date, so they get the better, and more authentic aspects of video, pictures, or responses.

Yes, there will be times when you will have to be more of the gatekeeper, tightly controlling the information and access for legal reasons. Most of the time, reporters will be more accepting of that, if you have been building a strong working relationship with them as the trusted guide. They may not like the gatekeeper moments, but they will be more willing to accept them when they happen.

So, are you a gatekeeper or a guide? If you have been more of a gatekeeper, it may be time to ask yourself; why? By answering that, you can start to address how to make changes in operations and your approach to become more of that greeter at the door that helps guide reporters to what they need. This will lead to more trust with your local media, your community, and possibly, better coverage of the many stories to be told in your district.