I'm not cut out for PR

In a slightly odd turn of events, I have been doing some PR and copywriting for a business in recent months (nothing to do with what I cover as a journalist), and I have to say:  journalists suck.

I pitched a story idea to one nationals journalist who rather snootily sent a reply saying: "That's not a story."   

Next, I pitched the story to a hack who told me that my story was rubbish, but then came back saying her editor liked it, and could I write up 800 words for her to customise slightly, which then ran in a paper under her byline. Huh.

Another journalist asked me to arrange an interview with my client but also to schedule calls with two or three of its competitors, and also provided a list of statistics, facts and figures she'd require for the article. Normal practice, apparently.

I've provided canned comment on request to half a dozen journalists, only one of whom bothered to say thankyou. That's just rude.

How do you do this stuff for months on end? Seriously, some journalists are just REALLY obnoxious. 

Comments

[Brendan Cooper]

LOL! It's so refreshing to hear a journalist say that journalists suck, instead of saying PRs suck. We just need a PR to say it... hmmm, could be an interesting post...!

[Brendan Cooper]

LOL! It's so refreshing to hear a journalist say that journalists suck, instead of saying PRs suck. We just need a PR to say it... hmmm, could be an interesting post...!

[Linda]

Welcome to my world.

Shout out that PRs are tossers and you get a Mexican wave of support. Dare to whisper some journalists are tossers and you must be kidding, right?

To be honest, I think more and more journalists will be finding out for themselves what's expected of them in a PR/copywriting role - they have to find work to replace all the commissions slipping away...

[Kim]

Those are shocking. Expecting you to write 800 words for the journo is beyond belief, really. No wonder PRs hate us so much:-)

[Linda]

PS I always say thank you.
so there.

[Sally Whittle]

Kim,

I think the point is (from talking to PR types at any rate) that these aren't particularly shocking - a PR friend tells me it's quite common for hacks to expect PRs to set up all the interviews for a feature, to provide canned comment or to write copy for the publication to run. I am just too snarky to do it with a cheery smile, I reckon.

[Kathy Hubbell, APR, MS, Fellow, PRSA]

Hi, Sally - you know, we always advise clients that it's necessary to build relationships with journalists BEFORE you need them. When I train people in media relations, I always caution them about media deadlines, what reporters need and what they don't have time for, and to become a source for the media, even if they aren't asked specifically about their company or organization. And saying thank-you does everything. I've worked with local, national and international media, and the rudest anyone's ever been is with just sheer silence. In today's cyberworld, it's still important to remember that relationships take time to build.

[Anne]

I try to be polite, I thank PRs for helping me, I let them know when copy runs, etc.

I do a lot of copywriting work for PR companies and digital agencies, but no media relations. I'm not sure I could hack it, if you'll pardon the dreadful pun.

[The Wordsmith]

I think there are good and bad PRs and good and bad hacks. I'd never expect or even ask a PR to set up calls with a clients' rivals or write my copy for me. That's my job. Hacks that lazy ought to be nominated for a Churner Prize.

[Kim]

Oh yes, asking the PR to set up interviews with the client's competitors takes the biscuit! I can't believe anyone has the nerve to do that.

On Wordsmith's point: it's true I've come across plenty of poor PRs. But I haven't met any who are downright rude. I guess it's one of those jobs where you're paid to be polite. Unfortunately, I think this is precisely why so many journalists are rude to PRs - they know they can't answer back. It's pathetic, really.

[Sally Whittle]

Thanks for all the comments.

@Kathy: Thanks for commenting, but I'm not sure I agree. If your story is good, you don't need a previous relationship with a hack. And if you don't have a relationship? The best way to build one is by offering good stories. I can't think of an instance where a PR has needed to build a relationship with me before pitching.

@Kim: Yes, arranging interviews with competitors was new to me, but a PR friend I asked at the time said it's not considered an unusual request in PR circles; it happens all the time. I'd love to try it on Microsoft some time, though: "That's great, if you could also line up the marketing guys at Sun and Oracle, I'd REALLY appreciate it, ta!"

[Ben Matthews]

Refreshing post.

But as The Wordsmith alludes to, there are so many good PRs out there who are doing great work for their clients on a day-today basis and over many, many years without recognition.

Because PR is meant to subtle and appear natural, it's more difficult to tell a really good piece of PR work (and it's oh-so-easy to spot awful PR...)

Journalists aren't snooty - they're just overworked and short of time. And PRs, as you found out, aren't far behind...

[Jen Zingsheim]

Ugh...I hated doing media relations work when I was in PR, for many of the reasons outlined above.

I find the exchange on the need to build relationships interesting...I was taught and know that it's important (critical), but there were always situations where it wasn't feasible to do so beforehand (like a very targeted publication for a niche interest story). It's a chicken and egg thing, isn't it? How do you build relationships beforehand, if you don't know what the story/pitch/client is going to look like?

The Internet is good for this, with more journos authoring blogs it's a good way to introduce yourself beforehand. But, I think with newsrooms cutting back, we'll see more journalists stretched too thin and less accessible--at which time it will be very difficult to build relationships, and yet at the same time it will be more important.

Great post...good luck!

[Ben Roome]

I love the deadpan comeback: "that's not a story".

Can you pitch the story idea to us so we can all tell you whether it's a story? (But remember, the more letters after our names, the more valuable our opinion).

Then you can sell it into Paul Liptrot.

[The Wordsmith]

There /are/ great PRs out there, undoubtedly. I've had some fantastic ones come up with the goods literally minutes before deadline when I've been in a deep hole. Sadly, I /have/ come across rude ones, too - the ones that don't want to give you case studies, or even give you a quote from their client (in-house PRs being the worst offenders for that). The ones who think they are dong you a favour (they're not, they're paid to promote their clients properly). The ones who promise stuff and fail to deliver. Or reject your request because you're not the /right/ publication.

I rarely dabble in PR myself - at most I'll write a release for someone. But only if it doesn't conflict with my usual hacking areas. Tis the devil's own job...

[Ben Matthews]

'Twas inspired to write a take on this post: http://tinyurl.com/5fqurb

And as The Wordmsith mentions, as a PR practitioner I sold my soul a long time ago...

[Sally Whittle]

@Ben Matthews - Yes, I do know there are plenty of great PRs out there, and I thank all the ones who've helped my sorry behind over the years. I, however, am not a great PR. Truly, I suck. I don't do great work for many, many years without recognition. I want a byline dammit, and I want it now!

Also, some journalists ARE snooty - I think responding to a concise, tailored pitch with exclusive case studies and new stats to back it up with "that's not a story" is snooty. And it was a good enough story to run in two other papers that week. Harumph.

@Benroome. Trust me. It was a cracking story. And I didn't even use the word "leading" once.

[Sherrilynne Starkie]

I take comfort in knowing that if the story runs, I've served my client well. I always try to give a journalist the benefit of the doubt; a bad day maybe? Either way it's not personal. You're dreaming in technicolour if you think you're getting a byline though. A feature we wrote ran earlier this week in the FT and another one goes out in the Sunday Times (hopefully). Picking up a cheque will give me more satisfaction than getting a byline.

I've set up interviews with customers often. Analysts too. Partners, no problem. But I think I'd draw the line at setting up interviews with competitors. Did you actually do that?

[Yeelim]

Great post Sally - but you've only touched on one aspect of why working in PR can sometimes be frustrating (and honestly, media relations is probably the lesser of the evils - most journalists are good to work with given that you give them what they want!).

PROs also have to deal with cleints who don't understand PR and think everything they have to say should result in a story in the FT! Then there are internal pressures from the MD to hit ever increasing revenue growth targets. Don't forget the exhaustive beauty pageant parades otherwise known as new business development...

It's all fun and games on this side of the fence!

[Sally Whittle]

Yeelim - fortunately my client is lovely, and very appreciative, so i don't have that stress. But yes, I'd be a rubbish PR for those reasons, too. I have a newfound admiration, I think.

And Sherrilynne, yes, I did arrange the interviews. It involved a not insignificant amount of subterfuge, which I was a bit uncomfortable with, mind. Do you mean it's NOT normal practice?

[Chris Norton]

An interesting and refreshing post Sally. Having worked in PR for near nine years I think you just seem to become thicker skinned. You get used to your client amending your perfect press releases and journalists telling you they aren't any good and then publishing them in full.

Some journalists are rude but I have to agree with Ben a lot of time they are just short on time and overworked.

If they were polite to every PR person on the phone or on email they wouldn't never do anything else.

[Sally Whittle]

I LOVE how many PR types are defending journalists here - I'm finding it very touching.

I don't have a problem with being rude. Seriously, a slightly rude journo is NOTHING compared to an editor bawling out a reporter for missing a story. Like I said, I'm just too snarky to do it with a smile.

Also, I think because these are things I don't do as a hack (I'd never ask someone to arrange interviews with the client's competitors, or say "that's not a story" to someone) I genuinely hadn't really realised it went on so often. It's just an eye-opener.

[David Child]

I'm not sure I'd agree that all journalists suck (I’m not sure I’d dare to be honest!) but I refer back to my previous comments on journalists not saying sorry/thank you all the time – it happens, but us PR-types are pretty thick-skinned and tend to accept it’s part of the job. I’ve never been explicitly asked to set up interviews with competitors but have on several occasions been ‘encouraged’ to set up several interviews or secure comment from a range of parties to save the journalist time. And frankly when journalists ask me to write 800, 500, 1000-word articles I love it – I see that as an ultimate result.

I love my job – and I’d much rather be a PR than a journalist (I'll restrain myself from commenting on whether it's the devil's work or not...). I think one of the key differences (and one of the challenges that I know team members at Quest have faced in moving from journalism to PR) is that a PR couldn’t care less about a byline – it’s all about the client. Whereas (and I’m generalising here) for a journalist it’s all about the glory of finished article with their name on it. That’s why a PR will go to great lengths to get every ounce of a key message in a comment or article without strangling the life out of it whereas a journalist will go to great lengths to strangle an attention-grabbing headline out of a story whether or not it was an intrinsic part of an interview. On a final point, for me the best part of the job is when your client phones you to thank you for that piece last week/month/year in whichever publication as it just brought in a £2m deal/£10k deal/paid for the annual fee by itself etc – that’s what we’re here for.

What your experience also goes to show is that one journalist’s idea of a good story can be entirely at odds with their colleagues’/editor’s/peers’ and that it’s always worth one last phonecall – never say never.

Sally, sounds like you’ve had a pretty tough time of it – if you fancy handing the work over to an award-winning PR firm next time then I promise we’ll send you a box of Fat Rascals.

[Linda]

Possibly a relevant piece:

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=38348

Good day.

[charitygirl]

Interesting post. I'm in PR, working for a charity and I have journo friends so I get their stresses and struggles and would not want to change places!

BUT... is it too much to ask for some clarity and politeness? Not all hacks are rude but quite a chunk are difficult to deal with.

You've got mr tabloid feature writer who throws a vague case study request your way (deadline the same day) so you find someone suitable who is willing then call back to pitch the story. They then change their request considerably because they don't like the sound of the story so you then have to not only find someone else but also let down the first person you asked...

You've got ms national news desk who is not only abrupt and uncommunicative but asks you to 'send the release again' thus ensuring you will yet again have to call and re-pitch and then, surprise surprise, resend the release...

At a conference you attend, a reporter on the media panel rants about how infuriating it is to be contacted 'at the wrong time' then admits they don't tell PRs when the right time is to call. I suspect never.

In my case, covering all the UK on a range of stories from local events to national launches you deal with scores of different outlets every week. And the media database we rely on for contacts... outmoded doesn't explain the half of it.

We are always polite and professional, ensuring we have photos and interviews available before we pitch. We try to respond as soon as possible with incoming requests.

We juggle the demands of need-it-now reporters, corporate partners aka professional press release destroyers, colleagues with their own favourite key messages and our fundraisers. And smile while we're doing it, on a shoestring budget.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job.