How to claim credit when a reporter goes around you

If you do public relations, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered a version of the following story: You pitch a client to a reporter. You don’t hear back. Then, months or even a year later, that same reporter contacts your client directly. The result: A prominent and positive profile that you seemingly played no part in.

Sound familiar?

The reporter’s point of view

On the one hand, from reporter’s point of view, going straight to the source makes perfect sense. The benefits can be irresistible:

The P.R. Pro’s Point of View

On the other hand, for a PR pro, this approach sucks. Let’s review:

These frustrations are totally understandable. No one likes to be ignored. Yet don’t let your ego detract from the big picture: Your client hired you for publicity — and they got it big time! Congratulations, not indignation, are in order.

Attribution is argued across industries

Incidentally, this attribution snarl is not limited to PR For example, it happens with new-business leads across industries. Let’s say Bob introduces Pam to me. Pam and I speak, but nothing materializes.