... and that's exactly what journalist Sally Whittle has been doing.
In a post titled "I'm not cut out for PR", Sally describes her experiences as she takes on the role of a PR for a short while.
"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."
She pitches a story idea to one nationals journalist who rather snootily sent a reply saying: "That's not a story." Next, she pitched the story to a hack who told her that her story was rubbish, but then came back saying her editor liked it, and could Sally write up 800 words for her to customise slightly, which then ran in a paper under the journalists byline. Another journalist asked Sally to arrange an interview with her 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.
It makes for very refreshing reading for all the PR practitioners out there who are fed up of all the bad mouthing that hacks give the PR industry. Now the tables are turned, I'm sure it makes unpleasant reading for those same journalists.
As Linda says in the comments:"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..."
But The Wordsmith offers a balanced view, one that has echoes of when a flack is called to defend their profession:
"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."
Sally ends her post by asking "How do you do this stuff for months on end? Seriously, journalists are just REALLY obnoxious."
How do I work in PR for months on end?
I like to think that PR is a great industry to work in, that I'm great at my job, that my peers in PR are great at doing theirs, and that it is a very exciting place to be in right now. And there's no amount of obnoxious journalists that will change that for me.
1 comment:
Its interesting to hear Sally's opinions because I think after enough years in the industry your expectations lower so much you don't think anything of it.
When newbies join my team and talk of "mean journos" I often reassure them that they have just been talking to a few who are known to be tough... that when you get to know them and what they want they become much more bearable. But the fact is its still sadly not the norm for them to be pleasant. And we have just come to accept that treatment.
Some bad PRs (and the many stories that get told about them) are always held up as the excuse for the rudeness but to be honest it is just that; an excuse.
Surely its easier to be pleasant? And whatever happened to the classic "send me an email about it...". It was the old favourite polite but clear "no, bugger off". Bring back Send Me And Email. That what I say.
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