Putting the “Relations” Back in Media Relations
Posted by admincarolyn on Oct. 27, 2025 / Blog, Thought Leadership / Subscribe 0
By Sarah Thornton, APR
Past President, PRSA Las Vegas Valley Chapter
After celebrating “A Night for PR Stars,” I’ve been thinking a lot about how much our work really comes down to one thing: relationships. Real ones. Behind our successful news placements are two people working to tell a story they believe matters…a reporter and a PR professional.
Earning Trust in an AI World
Reporters today are dealing with overflowing inboxes, which was evidenced by our event’s guest speaker McKenna Ross of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. She mentioned that at least some of the pitches she receives aren’t written by humans. And doesn’t judge them for it! If the pitch is credible and the story sounds interesting, she said she will pursue it. That doesn’t mean you can use AI for all of your pitches. But finessing them to be concise and compelling won’t hurt.
After you write your pitch and before you hit send, take a minute to actually read what a journalist has been writing lately. Think about what genuinely fits their beat. When your pitch reflects that kind of care, it will read like a conversation, not a campaign.
And once you make that connection, nurture it. Reply promptly, deliver what you promise, and respect deadlines. Those little gestures go a long way; they’re what separates trusted partners from just another email in their inboxes.
Relationships Over Reach
We’ve all had moments where it’s tempting to blast a pitch to every contact on the list and hope someone bites. But that approach rarely builds anything lasting. The best results come from relationships that evolve over time.
When you develop mutual respect with a handful of journalists, those partnerships start to work both ways. They reach out to you for context, quotes or story ideas because they trust you’ll add value, not just push an agenda. That’s when media relations feels less like pitching and more like collaborating.
Lessons from Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a “big little city,” right? It’s a big market with a small-town feel where word travels fast and authenticity matters. The strongest media connections here aren’t transactional; they’re built on consistency and respect.
Some of my most successful stories have come from quiet groundwork: sending a useful stat, making connections whether they are with my client or not, offering background insight or just being someone you can rely on to help find the answers they need. By the time the right story appears, the trust is already there.
Of course, I’ve made mistakes too. I’ve addressed the wrong name in an email, copied someone I shouldn’t have on a thread, even called someone the wrong name in person (I was nervous!). Those kinds of things will happen to the best of us. What we do after that is how we change the trajectory of our careers. I love the philosophy that in business you either win or learn. Sometimes I spend an entire day learning!
Staying Human
Technology will keep evolving, whether we want it to or not. As public relations professionals, our job is to use the tools available to us to do the best work possible. Even though tech will change, the fundamentals of media relations shouldn’t. The core of our careers, no matter who or what we represent, is people. When we lead with empathy, curiosity and authenticity, we don’t just earn coverage. We earn trust.
Because when we put the “relations” back in media relations, the stories we tell resonate longer and the connections we build make our profession stronger. Let’s go slay the day by winning and learning our way to success!
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