Cheers and Jeers

Three cheers go out to freelancer Rob Buckley for telling PRs that he won't accept canned comment for his features.

And jeers to the columnist who sent out a request this week for PR-written quotes (that obviously, mustn't be written in the style of PR) for his latest article - apparently he's just too darned busy to do any of that time-consuming interviewing stuff that some journos go in for.

My view? This guy is a hack of the worst kind. I'm not about to publish his name, but I would never commission him, and I'd advise any of my editor chums to adopt the same line.

I know from experience that it's entirely possible to research, interview, write and proof a 3 page feature in 48 hours, if you're prepared to hit the phones and annoy enough people for long enough. The writer had twice as long to put together his piece.

Okay, it's not always fun to be up against a hideous deadline, and I wouldn't care to repeat the experience too regularly, but it's completely possible - and sometimes, it's the nature of the job.

It's a topic I've probably wittered on about far too often on this blog, but I would love to see a register of professional journalists who (for starters) commit to:

- not using PR or marketing copy in independent editorial
- interviewing companies based on merit, not commercial interests
- refusing to accept commercial work from companies or individuals they also report on as a journalist
- only using web PR services as an occasional back-up to active research

Who knows? Maybe we could even have a fun badge and a secret handshake or something...

Comments

[Joe Banks]

You know, it's a tough one this.

On the one hand, it's great that there are more and more journalists out there happy to write their articles using potted comment from PRs, as we get to control the way the client's message is expressed rather than relying on spokespeople and/or the journalist's ability to interview competently...

On the other hand of course, there's nothing more frustrating than putting in a load of work to pull quotes together and get them approved on time, only for them not to be used. And of course, you'll never know why - the amount of enquiries we see with the words 'no phone calls please!' attached is actually pretty depressing. It's as though verbal pitching has become some kind of communicable disease.

[SallyF]

It is indeed a thorny issue, and hopefully the more it's talked about, the more the industry will work its way to a more fair solution.

Incidentally, the owner of DWPublishing, which owns one of the PR newswire has very reasonably asked us to refrain from discussing his company and to point out that it's a breach of terms and conditions for anyone who uses his service to share a request with any third party who isn't prepared to pay the very reasonable fee for their own subscription.

So that's you lot told, then.

[Linda]

Hi Sally, it seems more than ridiculous for me to be commenting on this, as as you know I work on PR, somehow alongside journalism, having carved out my reputation among those who know me, as a hard-nosed journo.

It's a constant struggle for me to act 'ethically' and the areas I work in PR-wise, haven't, hand on heart, clashed PR wise, even if, in theory I could make a lot more cash flogging tales about certain people I come into contact with.

Aint never gonna do that. Have been working for the red tops today and to say I have been pondering my future would be like saying Calum Best was a bit of a ladies' man.

[ClaireW]

And how about a register for PR execs promising not to send out presss releases without contact details, or act like freelancers are something stuck to the bottoms of their shoes??

[PeteJC]

Hi Sally

I'm new to your blog but wanted to say it's really refreshing to find somewhere that hacks and flacks can share information and advice. I'd like to see some of my fellow PRs biting back a bit more, though! Sometimes hacks can be just as unprofessional and lazy as the worst PRs, I reckon.

Anyhow, I wanted to say that isn't a PR providing comment is helpful for journalists on occasion? I know that I've sometimes got comment from an executive who would never put themselves up for a telephone interview, or I've written copy when an editor doesn't have the budget to commission a freelancer themselves.

Sure, nobody wants to see entire newspapers being written by chicks called India in West London, but isn't saying you should never use PR copy a bit unrealistic?

Pete

[SallyF]

I think that sourcing copy from a PR and dropping it verbatim into copy is bad practice. Journalists who do this are misrepresenting themselves badly - the reader thinks they're getting a balanced, representative view of an issue or topic, but they're really just getting another flavour of advert.

Sure, there are times when email comment is a necessary evil - I've used comment from the DTI and DoH press office, for example, because the Secretary for Health isn't going to take time out to chat to me about modernising diagnostic services in the NHS or whaever fascinating topic I happen to be covering that day.

But I would like to see it viewed more as a necessary evil, and not as something that's on a par with proper research and interviews.