You receive an email from a reporter at an unfamiliar media outlet, seeking sources for an upcoming story, and they would like to interview one of your attorneys. You’re excited about the possible press coverage, but you’re unsure whether this is the right opportunity for your firm. How can you determine whether this media opportunity is worth the effort?

Every law firm public relations professional can take a number of tactics to vet media opportunities that cross their desks.

  • Search the outlet: Who is the audience? Is it geared toward a certain type of industry professional, high-level executives, the general public or someone else? Is its content in line with your attorneys’ thought leadership? Before responding, find an “About” link to learn more about its mission and subject matter. Download the media kit to better understand its demographics and editorial schedule.
     
  • Investigate the reporter: What else has the reporter written? Do they appear to have a specific beat, and if so, what angle does their coverage typically take? Where else have they worked, and how deep is the reporter’s experience with the interview topic? Is there any reason to believe the interview could be hostile?
     
  • Review the topic: Is the subject of the reporter’s inquiry in line with an area of interest for your attorneys? How will it benefit your firm, a practice or a lawyer if one of your firm’s attorneys were to contribute thought leadership to the story?
     
  • Check the DA: DA stands for “Domain Authority,” an industry-accepted metric that determines the overall relevance of a particular website. A DA score ranges from 1 to 100, with 100 being the highest or best score. Opportunities tied to publications with a higher DA are likelier to be worthwhile. (Here’s a free tool to check a site’s DA.)

How can Jaffe help you with media opportunities?

Jaffe literally helped lay the foundation for law firm media relations more than 40 years ago. Since then, we have been helping law firms and legal professionals strategically navigate the media landscape to raise their profiles and spread their thought leadership. We have established deep relationships with prominent national and regional legal and business publications, and are able to easily vet the quality of a particular request. In addition, by learning about your firm, practices and attorneys, we can help determine the value of a specific media opportunity and assist in constructing talking points to ensure that your lawyer gives the best interview possible.

Want more information about how Jaffe can help you with your media opportunities? Contact Vivian Hood at vhood@jaffepr.com.