Can You Guarantee PR? - Is It Ever Necessary or Appropriate to Pay to Get On the Air?

Yesterday, I had an interesting phone conversation with a producer in charge of a Lifetime cable TV program. I've been handling publicity for a new book titled, "The Calcium Lie," which focuses on natural health. This producer offered my client a 3-4 minute segment on her nationally broadcast show in exchange for a fee of $16,000.

The idea of paying to get on the air also came up in a recent New York Times article that described a production company that had been soliciting business from various community foundations and universities. This production company apparently offered these organizations and schools the "opportunity" to be featured in a broadcast hosted by former news anchor Hugh Downs that would air on PBS stations throughout the U.S. In exchange for this coverage, this production company was demanding more than $20,000. The article questioned whether any of the clients who actually coughed up this hefty chunk of change ever received any airtime at all, but that's not my focus here.

I've come across the concept of "coverage in exchange for money" on other occasions too. Not long ago, I spoke with a friend who works for a market research firm led by a former political pollster and consultant. My friend said another publicist had offered his firm an interesting proposal. In exchange for a fee -- approximately $2,000 to $5,000, as I recall - this publicist "guaranteed" that he could place the CEO of the market research firm on Fox News for an interview.

This raises the question, "Is it ever possible for a publicist to guarantee that he or she can place a story or interview on the air?" If we're speaking about a legitimate news broadcast, in my experience, the answer is "no." That Lifetime cable TV program doesn't hold itself out as a true "news" program, so there's no "ethical dilemma" involved there. It really is possible to place a story on that program in exchange for a hefty fee. The question then becomes, "Is it worth it?" For a handful of individuals and companies, the answer may be "yes."

I strongly advise against taking that approach, however. Perhaps it's due to the fact that I spent 20 years as a producer with news organizations including CBS News and CNN, but I'm a big believer in the value of "earned media." In other words, if a story is truly newsworthy, I'm confident that there is always a way to deliver that story to an audience without having to pay to do it.

Besides, people are savvy news consumers these days - and they can tell the difference between a truly credible, legitimate news story and an "infomercial-style" paid segment. You simply can't buy that kind of credibility. As the phrase implies, this credibility must be earned.

When it comes to connecting a story or message with an audience, a number of my clients politely say that they have a very specific audience in mind - Oprah's audience. At that point, I usually lapse into my lecture about the importance of "casting a wide net" when pitching any story. (I'll always pitch the story to the producers I know at "Oprah," of course, but this is definitely the time for me to manage my client's expectations!)

The fact that so many people seem tolerant and receptive to the idea of a "guarantee" - and frequently seem willing to pay big money to anyone offering them that kind of promise - tells me that these people underestimate the power of a truly strategic PR campaign. Having represented a wide range of clients over the years, I've found that it's almost always possible to find a newsworthy angle that will appeal to the media - even if it means creating a contest around a product, or conducting a survey that will be of interest to journalists.

The individuals tempted by "guaranteed" coverage are really underestimating their own power in the PR process. Trust me, the producers, reporters and assignment desk editors who are the "gate-keepers" when it comes to getting a story on the air are constantly looking for new content, and are naturally receptive to story ideas that fit their broadcast or publication. These journalists are grateful for any pitch that will help them inform and entertain their audience. Believe it or not, these journalists have families and some semblance of a personal life too, and they are always grateful for any good story idea that will save them from "burning the midnight oil" to come up with yet another segment idea for their next show.

Like many other tempting offers, the promise of "guaranteed" placement in the news media is almost always too good to be true - and in the cases when this kind of coverage really can be delivered, the high price is rarely worth it. In responding to an offer like this, my advice is to echo the words of former First Lady Nancy Reagan, and "just say 'no.'"

If you would like to share your thoughts on the concept of paying to get a story on the air, I'd love to hear from you!