PR’s been an issue of contention on Wannabe Hacks in the past – and here I’m not going to discuss the merits or downsides of journalism’s best frenemy, but merely how to get along nicely with them. Because whether you love or hate PRs, chances are you’re going to be coming into contact with them, and whether you choose to keep your friends close and your frenemies closer, or just like to keep a healthy contacts book, things are just more pleasant if you keep on good terms.

Teen movie sentiment aside, having a good relationship with a PR is definitely beneficial. Especially if you’re starting out as a freelancer. If you’re lucky enough to have a landed a junior role within a publication, you will be receiving a few press releases a day. All it takes is to follow one up press release and you’ve got yourself a contact. Make sure that you get what you need from that release – if it will improve the article, then it will improve their coverage and everyone’s a winner. I once created a gallery story which generated a fair amount of traffic by asking for photos, video and an interview from a press release – you shouldn’t see a press release as something to regurgiate, but instead a jumping off point for a more creative article.

With freelance – it’s a little more tricky. However, a good PR is a great way to help your pitches if you’re stuck for ideas or want your finger on the pulse. If you’re writing for online publications with little restriction on content and pressure on timeliness, then having the inside knowledge on an exclusive event or release could make you a very attractive prospect as a writer.

But how to engineer those relationships? I was lucky enough to have a very good friend as a digital music PR.  She would keep me posted on the latest things and, as an arts writer, when she needed coverage, I would be on hand. This is why when PR-journo relationships work well, they can offer a great solution to a stories/coverage dearth. PRs know a lot of editors and publications, and offering a well-written piece of coverage is a more attractive prospect than just another press release.

If you don’t have friends in PR places, no fret — they’re not as hard to find as you might think! As long as you know what you want to write about, then you can look for a relevant press contact. From a particular musician you’d like to know more about to a fashion brand you love, a bit of a resourceful Google search / Twitter request will help you out. Even a more generic plea into “celebrity style”, for example, will have plenty of PRs looking to help. Approach these people with an email saying you’re a freelancer, which publications you write for (if you don’t write for any yet, then suggest your services in helping them create any copy for them to pitch) and what kind of thing you’re interested in.

With any luck, your inbox will soon be brimming with invites and releases. Make sure you let them know you’re pleased with their efforts by not just ignoring them! If you don’t like something a PR has sent, explain it’s not quite something you’d be able to pitch, it’ll help them send you more relevant and useful things next time, as well as improve the chances they’ll hit your inbox with something better. If you can’t pitch it anywhere, then write about it on your blog or ask if you could get an interview or an element of exclusivity to aid your pitch.

PRs have the stories that a wannabe hack can struggle to find – so make the most of them. But remember, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship – if knowing PRs well has taught me anything, it’s that they hate a journo flake. Don’t promise coverage unless you know you can provide it. And good luck!