Become A Media Expert

By: James M. Brown, Esq.

You want the media to know you as the expert in your area of law. What does this mean to your practice? It means incredible free publicity! It means you will be thought of throughout your community as the go to expert! It means that the perception you have created is that you are the authority; the go-to person; the maven; the reliable source. It also means when you call someone in the media with a story you will be listened to.

Now that I have your attention, I’ll show you how to make this happen. You can do it with some simple, regular, well-planned in-house steps. Someone in the office has to be responsible for regular emails, press releases and communications to be effective. Any breakdown decreases the effectiveness of the plan. One effective way many of my clients do it is to hire a marketing major from a local college and put them in charge.

You are ready to go. Start sending press releases. When you file an unusual case send a copy of the pleadings to the newspapers, television and radio stations. When I say newspapers I don’t mean just your daily papers. Put all of the niche papers in your database. If your client is Catholic or Jewish or Hispanic and a newspaper exists for that market, send a copy of the pleading along with a press release to the appropriate paper. This isn’t necessary for the $10,000 rear-end collision (but, how many of those do you file). I’m talking about the case that may be normal for you but could be written up to have a little bit of sexiness to it. Make it juicy and send it out. Be sure to have a quote from you in it and a phone number to call you. It is important to emphasize how unfair the defendant or the system has been to your client.

If yours is a state in which Workers’ Compensation cases are appealed for a jury trial you can make a big deal of employer appeals after the claimant has prevailed throughout the administrative process. Here you are protecting the rights of an injured worker in a system that was designed to let people receive their benefits without needing attorneys. If employers didn’t take action like this, victims like your clients would never have to hire an attorney.

Verdicts can be played up even more. Send out those releases. Let it be known that you are championing the rights of the victims of negligence. Make your quotes juicy in order for them to be sound-bite on the news or a lead in the paper.

Even if the release isn’t always used, your information is stored in a resource file. It becomes the “weight of the evidence” in a reporters mind. The more they see your name the more you are the expert. This is only true if the information you provide is true. Be honest with the reporters. Give them good information. Don’t overplay something insignificant. If you screw up once they will never call you again.

When you are calling a reporter for the first time it helps if you are familiar with their work. Compliment them on something they have done in the past as a segue into why you are calling them about this story.

When telling why you are calling, or when writing a press release, get to your point quickly. Don’t speak in “legalese” and don’t waste the reporter’s time. Hers’ is just as valuable as yours. Be respectful of it.

Reporters are always fearful of getting scooped. If any other reporters have contacted you it doesn’t hurt to mention that. Don’t lie about it but do it in a way to show that what you are talking about is newsworthy and you don’t want them left out.

News conferences aren’t usually worthwhile unless you have something earth-shattering to say. If you are filing a major lawsuit on a case of major interest the media might want to be there when you file it. A conference on the courthouse steps afterwards could be of interest but that is more or less “impromptu.” Most attorneys rarely have a need for a press conference. Don’t have one unless you are breaking something really big. If you do have a press conference, have some of the plaintiffs there with you. Don’t have a window behind the podium. That is horrible for cameras. If there are any props you can use, bring them. It may be hokey but it makes your conference more interesting. If you serve refreshments, be classy (use real plates instead of paper, organic juice instead of soda, etc.). For a few extra dollars you can look like the attorney you want to portray yourself as.

Pay attention to your opportunities for free publicity. When a politician rants about the cost of malpractice insurance or lawsuits against manufacturers, write an op-ed piece or a letter to the editor telling the truth. Why weren’t trial lawyers throughout the country blasting the truth about the McDonalds story when the defense industry was using that story as a reason to trash our industry? Why aren’t we saying people drive safely because of us? Why aren’t we saying that there would be a lot more medical malpractice if doctors weren’t forced to practice safely because of lawsuits? There would also be less instances of malpractice if physicians would report those doctors who should not be practicing. Use the issues that are happening every day as your forum to get your name known. Contact the reporter who has written a story to compliment them if you agree with additional facts in support. If you have a different opinion let them know it in a professional, fact filled way.

Once you have a system in place to do this on a regular basis you will be on your way to creating YOU (Your Own Uniqueness) in the media mind. When they need a quote or sound bite to make something local you are the first name they will think of. When providing the quote, be colorful. You could say “The injuries from that truck accident were devastating” and it sounds like anyone else. Or you could say “It looked like a battlefield with four cars that were in flames from the overturned gas truck.”

The caveat is you always have to be available. If you have a private internal phone number the media must have access to it. Give them your cell phone number. Do not put them off. They have deadlines. If you can’t meet them someone else will.

When you are being interviewed focus as if you are having a one on one conversation with the reporter. Rehearse your “ad-libs.” That will make the difference between sounding like the expert and just being another attorney.

Do not ever, ever say something that is not true. The reporter who you are giving a story to has to know that what you are saying is the gospel. If your facts are not accurate they are in trouble. If you are not sure of something tell them.

When you are being interviewed for television or radio do not say uh or like. You will sound like an amateur if “uh” keeps popping up during your thoughts, Practice so you don’t use that during a pause. It is the same thing with the word “like.” It is annoying to the listener to hear someone say “It’s like the building like on Fifth Street or is it like Sixth Street.” Poor English sounds as if you are not the expert you are portraying yourself to be.

Radio and television talk shows are a made for attorneys market. Send a letter to the producer with your topic for a show. Follow the letter up with a telephone call to schedule a date for your appearance. Make your topic timely. Read the newspapers and follow the political arguments to tailor your subject to something that may be of interest.

Now, go a step beyond what most guests do. Take out classified ads announcing your upcoming appearance. Let it read something like this:

• Attorney James Mitchell Brown will be on Morning Talk, 11:00 AM Radio at 10:30 Friday, June 23. Call with your questions about his topic, “Should we have limits on Jury awards for injuries?”
• Attorney James Mitchell Brown will be on Morning Talk, 11:00 AM radio at 10:30 Friday, June 23^. Call with your questions on his topic, “How to win your Social Security Disability Claim.”
• Attorney James Mitchell Brown will be on Morning Talk, 11:00 AM radio at 10:30 Friday, June 23^. Call with your questions on his topic, “Why do employers fight legitimate Workers’ Compensation claims?”

Your ad makes you special because you have made an extra effort to publicize your appearance. The way to get invited back is to have the phone lines light up. Announcing in the ad that you are taking calls will help generate calls. It doesn’t hurt to have a few clients ready to call with a few “impromptu” questions.

Bring four to six questions with you for the host to start the interview off right. They may know nothing about your topic and this makes it easy to get things going. Ask before the show starts if you can give your office telephone number a few times so people can call with questions they may not have time to ask on air.

Be sure to answer the questions that are asked. Be polite to every caller. You may get some ridiculous calls. Handle them all like the professional you are. I was a regular on one show and the host rigged the headset so that he could make fun of the callers in my left ear while they were talking in my right headset. I stayed calm while he was having a great time.

The host may ask at the end of the show if you will come back. You would love to but it is up to you to initiate the next appearance.  Call the producer to arrange a date and topic. They don’t call you. If you have a marketing major working for you assign them to this task.

In order to keep your credibility, don’t overdo it. Most shows do not want you on as a guest if you have been on another station within 30 days. Watch the calendar to stay within the guidelines that the station may have set. If you aren’t sure, ask.

There is one bit of advice to guarantee maximum success for this endeavor. Purchase a box of candy or flowers for the station receptionist. Find out the person’s name in advance to make it even more effective. Some people will call the station asking for your telephone number. You want the receptionist to give it to them willingly. A gift guarantees it.

Becoming the Media Expert:

1. Find out the names of the reporters at the newspapers and broadcast media who should be your contacts.
2. Find out the local talk radio and television shows that you want to appear on as a guest
3. Prepare templates for press releases about your cases.
4. Assign someone in the office to be in charge of sending the press release.​​​​​​​