CBS News exec Shawna Thomas’ 3 tips for building better relationships with journalists

When Shawna Thomas, executive producer of CBS Mornings, addressed the honorees for Ragan and PR Daily’s Top Women in Communications Awards last Thursday, June 16, in New York City, she took pains to point out the similarities between the role of communicators and journalists.

“My job is all about storytelling,” Thomas said. “Your job is all about storytelling.”

And while she pragmatically pointed out that these two groups might not ever be fast friends, there is still a mutual respect between the professions that can help produce great stories.

In a keynote conversation with Ragan Communications CEO Diane Schwartz, Thomas offered suggestions for PR pros looking to get their clients featured in the news.

The big takeaway? It’s not all about you.

As Thomas pointed out, both journalists and PR pros are storytellers at heart. But it’s easy to forget that when you’re being asked to push a new product hard.

Thomas revealed that one way to get featured in one of the programs she produces is to help them tell a story in which your client is just one character. She gave the example of a new product for breast cancer – but the pitch focuses on the person dealing with that illness rather than purely on the product.