“Journalists have the attention span of a goldfish and the memory of an elephant.”

In sharing his view on how companies should approach journalists, Michaël Sephiha, seasoned journalist at De Tijd, used this very pertinent quote which captures it brilliantly.

Media engagement effectively contributes to enhancing visibility for the company and lays the foundation for increased coverage. Building a relationship with key reporters is an important aspect of any long-term communication program. While the interests of companies and journalists might not necessarily be synonymous, the aim is to find common ground. Michaël insisted that mutual trust, ethics and professionalism are the backbones of the relationship companies cultivate with journalists.
Let that be clearly noted and understood before considering building your relationship with a journalist.

These are some of the observations shared by Michaël during last week’s Euronext TechShare session hosted by Whyte.

Whyte is a partner to TechShare, an educational and mentoring program that familiarizes tech companies’ leaders with capital markets. The program is designed to help successful tech companies (TMT, Digital, Life Sciences, Cleantech) that aspire to grow and are likely to be interested in the capital markets within 18-36 months. It brings together executives from high-growth and innovative SMEs with experts, academics and renowned entrepreneurs. As part of its expertise, Whyte covers the financial communication topic and offers best practice guidance on how to communicate in a listed environment.

As financial journalist with a unique background at Belga, L’Echo and currently De Tijd, Michaël provided for great insights, crispy anecdotes and a very interactive session.