A reporter answers the question: "Why Don't You Cover Us?"

Dan Primack, Editor-at-Large for Private Equity Week and author of the daily and free PE Week Wire email newsletter, devoted the top of his column today to providing guidance to PR people (must have been a slow news day). Here's his post:

“Why Don’t You Cover Us?”

I get asked that question all the time, and the usual answer is that the item doesn’t fall within my editorial bailiwick. For example, it’s great that Johnny Johnson gotpromoted tomanager of the Chuck E.Cheese in Toledo, but it’s really more appropriate for someone else.

But this rambling is specifically aimed at PR folks who represent banks and law firms that work on private equity transactions (i.e., relevant items). When you ask the title question, my answer is usually as follows: “You were too late.”

The problem is that many of your clients like to issue their own press releases, which invariably come out after the involved company has issuedits own statement (often neglecting to mention either the bankers or lawyers). In other words, I don’t see your press release until after I’ve already written up the deal.And it’s highly unlikely that I’ll print another item with just this extra tidbit of info.

The solution is to get your clients into the company release. If they really want separate ones, make sure it’s distributed within minutes of the company’s. If your clients balk, just forward them today’s Wire. Then they won’t need to keep asking so many questions…

Dan does a great job with the Wire. So if, like me, you work in the PE space, you might want to subscribe. Here's the link.