I read this Twitter post and thought to myself, what gives Brian Morrissey of AdWeek the right to out a PR professional like that? Why is it acceptable for reporters to crap on PR people? Why are reporters held with such high regard?
Here's your answer: as hacks, we need these people. So if they want to crap on a pitch we send, so be it. Learn your lesson. Write better pitches. Write smarter. Know your contacts. DON'T SPAM! I would love to see this particular PR's response.
Maybe she doesn't know she's being talked about in the blogosphere. What's worse? Not knowing? Or knowing and reading all the hatorade that Google can spit back at you?
It's all about relationships stupid. When are PR's going to learn?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Do reporters have too much power?
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2 comments:
Hey,
I don't think reporters are held in high regard. If anything, we're another voice in a media world that now has many voices. (I think this is a good thing, btw.)
Yes, I decided to call out someone by name. I've been Twittering for a while about things. Despite what some people thing, only very rarely do I mention PR. But dealing with it is a part of my life. And yes, I'm sick of PR spam. If you send me your email, I'll try to fish out this email and send it to you. I imagine you'd think it spam. But yes, it's not the fault of the woman who sent the "Dear Brian" email about metals. I've never said that. It's the fault of an industry structured to have people sending hundred, if not thousands, of these emails. It's spam.
Anyway, I hope I didn't come off as egotistical. I'd like to think I'm not. I have no problem w PR people. My problem is w how the industry is set up from my vantage point.
You're wrong about one thing...reporters are held in high regard, mostly by hacks like myself and our clients. We absolutely need you guys.
And I agree with you 100% on how the industry is set up and it leads itself to PR spamming. What it really is, is laziness. Most times PR folks are well enough read, meaning, they don't take the time to read the people they are pitching. We're under pressure to get results and clients always want media coverage despite the fact that many times their news really isn't newsworthy. Add in the fact that lots of PR folks aren't properly trained when it comes to writing in a clear, concise and efficient manners and you get PR spam.
Dealing with the media is the best part and worst part of being a PR. It takes a lot of hard work, but in the end, if you're smart about your efforts, read the people you pitch, build relationships with those folks, things will pay off in the end. It's those that spam who put a black eye on our profession and ruin things for the rest of us who really are trying to be reliable sources for folks like yourself.
And no, you're not coming off egotistical. You're being honest. You have to be. That's what you get paid to do. And like you said, it's a whole new media world. What we are doing now is considered media. We're conversing. We're creating content about a subject. It's civilian journalism at it's best. This is what's so cool about my job is that I get to interact with people like yourself who have the attention of thousands of other people. But in the end, we're just two guys, trying to get paid, paying our bills, and just writing our tails off.
Good convo, let's keep it going.
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