We are not the enemy: An open letter to journalists from a PR professional
PR consultant Katie Clift, who has worked on both sides of the media fence, argues that for the industry to survive, PRs and journos need to learn how to work together.
The day I did it, I instantly regretted crossing over to the ‘dark side’.
When I quit my radio broadcasting job and become a full-time media advisor, I got a very big shock. It took years for me to get used to working on the ‘other’ side of media – a side I had some very big hang-ups with after working for years as a journalist.
I had some awful experiences with media advisors as a broadcaster. I still cringe today when I think of the constant follow-up calls – which somehow came most often when I was on deadline to go to air, emails with poorly-placed pitches for my show, being chased for interview audio relentlessly, and interviewing talent for 40 minutes, unable to get a word in, in what I was assured would be a three minute interview.
To be honest in these days of click bait the PR/Journalist division seems almost quaint. I have more respect for a PR who calls themselves a PR than I do for people paraphrasing what PR gives them and calling themselves a journalist.
The tension between PR and journalism arises when good journalists are seeking disclosure of news-worthy stories and the PR people see their role as blocking disclosure.
Sadly pr has penetrated all of the important barriers and is embedded in what we read as News today. It is literally the case that the only certain news is what is suppressed or sought to be suppressed. Like the files the abc gave up without a murmur.
You are forgetting one small detail, especially in this day and age of many journos being freelancers. YOU are being paid to “beg” us to write these stories. But you expect us to do it for nothing. And then with pieces like this almost insult us?
Who compensates us for our time when you have an “event”, we have to get there and back – usually to a mid city location – under our own steam and often waste time while we all hang around waiting for something to happen?
And the statement “Journalists need good PR professionals to provide timely, newsworthy, relevant and hard-hitting content. You need us to provide tip-offs, help navigate breaking news, find suitable talent, organise interviews, explain data and, at times, to create story angles out of nothing” is insulting.
We don’t need you to source our stories for us; quite the opposite really as without us, your stories never see the light of day.
Thanks for your comment Line! I agree with the trend of click bait, and your point on paraphrasing. There seems to be a mix in many newsrooms of a ‘cut and paste’ of press releases, and original work. Resources and time constraints play a big role.
What never ceases to surprise me is that (some) journalists fail to recognise that PR people aren’t just sitting around waiting for them to call with their deadline (although this is much better than journalists stating they contacted you for comment, when that clearly never happened) – PR has evolved so much and often our own channels have greater reach than your publication, so really there is often very little carrot for us to help you – particularly when you’ve written a story and are just going through the motions. Most of us PR folk are happy to help, but it’d be great if we were contacted early on – have you every tried to research, edit, and turnaround a story in half an hour? And a thank you hardly goes astray. Admittedly, the power balance is different when PR-ers are pitching to journalists, but when you’re the journalist contacting a company, recognise you’re not at the top of the priority list, be gracious, polite, and say thank you!
Reminds me of all the times I’ve read stuff from grumpy journalists saying IF WE DIDN’T RESPOND TO THE MEDIA RELEASE, WE DON’T CARE.
I would estimate about 40%-50% of the follow up calls I did as a PR got this response: “oh, really? You sent us that? That sounds pretty good, thanks for calling”
“PR specialists and journalists are equals.“
Lol.
Journalists are paid to provide – hopefully unbiased – reporting on events that are of and in the public interest.
PR people are paid to provide manipulated and sometimes wholly fabricated narratives to support commercial outcomes, and suppress unfavourable ones.
Do you see the difference? Do you see why journalists think of you as the enemy?
“PR has evolved so much and often our own channels have greater reach than your publication, so really there is often very little carrot for us to help you”
Then why do you need us? And don’t just say that it is to help us poor saps out and without PR we’d be nothing …
There are good PRs out there. But the majority have no concept of business, of creating a story, of…. well, much at all (and I say this as someone who hires PR people). There are good ones, but they are a tiny minority.
The disconnect is a real issue. More and more money flowing into PR, to target ‘earned’ media, while the advertising dollars to drive said media dry up. No wonder so many brands are turning to creation of their own content. Now if only they could do it well..
And they have trouble getting that right. I receive so many PR releases that have no bearing on what I do. A little bit of research and mail list culling (or correction) can go a long way.
I am fed up telling PRs I have never previously dealt with that a release on baby formula, the goings on of a pollie in mid South Australia or drink cup enabled ski goggles have no use in a video camera publication.
Does anyone really think Adele Ferguson has produced her recent body of work by thinking “I really need to work co-operatively with the PR people at CBA, CommInsure and 7-Eleven. I need them to provide timely, newsworthy, relevant and hard-hitting content. They’re my greatest ally.”?
Very nice, informative and useful ……Thanks a lot….
If you’d prefer a more light-hearted approach, here’s one I prepared earlier:
https://staging.mumbrella.com.au/three-ways-journalists-annoy-pr-proffesionals-323174