Business
Reporter and PR: Pressures and Dynamics on Both Sides
Fernando Henrique Ahuvia analyzes newsroom and PR routines, explaining how to anticipate stories and crises.
Fernando Henrique Ahuvia breaks down the transition from newsroom journalism to public relations on Marketing - The Podcast. He details differences in daily routines, behind-the-scenes negotiations, and how reporting experience helps prepare spokespeople.
Fernando Henrique Ahuvia, who currently works in communications planning at SBT after years covering daily sports and managing PR for athletes, analyzed the relationship between newsrooms and PR professionals in a conversation with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast. The discussion stems from a landscape where a significant portion of journalists work outside traditional media outlets, migrating toward corporate and institutional communications. The full episode covers additional milestones from Ahuvia's career in journalism and television.
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Pitching and Story Angles on Both Sides of the News
Ahuvia rejects the idea that public relations is simply a refuge for those who left reporting out of frustration. Having covered soccer clubs and the Brazilian national team before managing the public image of athletes and network projects at SBT, he emphasizes that PR work remains centered on fact-checking, relationship building, and understanding newsworthiness. In the video above, he shares a detailed account of the unique challenges involved in negotiating with athletes and public figures.
For Ahuvia, the core difference lies in where daily efforts are directed: "The difference is that in the newsroom, as a journalist, you are looking for the news. In PR, you also need to identify where a relevant story exists and create the right conditions for it to reach the journalist." He points out that effective media relations requires a firm grasp of editorial criteria, publication timing, and the client's profile to pinpoint the exact moment to pitch a story.
Distinct Pressures and Behind-the-Scenes Negotiations
The groundwork leading up to an interview is often invisible to those working exclusively in newsrooms. Ahuvia explains that securing ten or twenty minutes with a source requires prior alignment, vetting appropriate media outlets, and managing risk around statements that could cause friction even before publication.
"As a reporter, I was very familiar with the pressure for information and tight deadlines. As a PR professional, I also came to understand the responsibility of prepping someone to speak, protecting a relationship, and, at the same time, not losing the journalistic value of the story," says Ahuvia.
That field experience makes it possible to anticipate reporters' behavior when conducting media training for spokespeople. Ahuvia explains that he steps into a reporter's shoes to forecast hooks and tough angles: "Today, when I work on a pitch or prepare someone for an interview as a PR advisor, I try to think: 'If I were on the other side, if I were still the reporter, what would I ask? What's the most obvious question? What could be that curveball question that catches everyone off guard?'"
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