Primack on negotiating the exclusive

Dan Primack of Fortune.com writes about how a public relations person should negotiate with a business journalist when offering the reporter an exclusive.

Primack writes, “Paul Gillis argues that giving an exclusive can create enemies for your company, in the form of reporters who didn’t get the exclusive. In some cases, he may be right. So be sure to limit the fallout, among other publications with which you’d like to maintain relationships (Note: If your news is big enough, other outlets will feel compelled to write their own stories — lest their readers think they missed it).

“Once the original piece runs, reach out to other reporters by offering certain details that weren’t in the original story. Not violating your exclusive, per se, but perhaps there were some interesting data point that didn’t make the initial cut. Or perhaps access to someone (executive, customer) who wasn’t interviewed for the original story.

“If you get a particularly belligerent rival, consider lying. For example: ‘That reporter already had the story, so we had to give him the exclusive.’ Perhaps not my best advice — or at least not my most moral — but you probably won’t get called on it. Even if the rival speaks with the original reporter, it’s unlikely the conversation will include: ‘No, you’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t scoop it, they spoon-fed it to me.'”

Read more here for his other suggestions.