PR's vs. Journalists: A journalist's apology

If I’d read this post about PR peeves (by journalist Alex Blyth) a couple of years ago, whilst working as a journalist, I can guarantee that I would have nodded sagely in agreement before moaning loudly to the office about PR’s.

Journalists often view PR’s with contempt. Their errors are sneered at and they’re sometimes seen as the ones that couldn’t take the pace and the pressure of a career in journalism.

I was certainly guilty of rolling my eyes at badly targeted press releases and switching off from phone calls the moment ‘PR’ was mentioned.

But recently, in the work placements I've undertaken as part of my journalism to PR career change, I’ve seen a whole new side to the world of PR and I have to say, you guys are really up against it.

I’m not saying that PR’s have been unfairly targeted by journalists. and Alex's post raises some fair points. There are some faux pas that just aren’t acceptable.

It’s bad form to email a press release to one magazine, but address it to one of their direct competitors. And any real-life journalist receiving a beauty press release when the magazine has never carried a beauty section has every right to be irritated.

But I’m now in a privileged position where I’ve worked on both sides and I now understand why the endless ’10 things I hate about PR professionals’ lists must be a real smack in the face.

I’ve written a list of 5 assumptions made about PR’s by journalists below and  using my recent experience I’ve explained why I think they’re wrong.

So to all the PR’s I’ve cut off mid-pitch;  To the PR’s whose press releases I didn’t acknowledge and the calls I didn’t return: I apologise.

Five myths about PR’s (hopefully) busted.

Myth 1. PR’s have it easier than journalists.

They’re under just as much pressure as journalists. More often than not they’re working on numerous
accounts and dealing with the demands of awkward clients and awkward journalists whilst trying to churn out timely press releases and document coverage back to clients, and that’s just scratching the surface.

Trust me they’re not sitting in a bar schmoozing clients over a G&T – it’s not the 80’s!

Myth 2. PR’s think journalists are a clippings service.

This is as big a pain for the PR as it is for the Journo. Despite paying clippings services to have all media monitored, sometimes the services miss stuff and the PR is left to track down the missing coverage for their client.

So when PR’s ask when a certain feature is going in consider that they may be trying to do you a favour and keep an eye out for it so they don’t have to disturb you if their clippings service lets them down again.

Myth 3. PR’s don’t understand journalists or their publications.

PR’s are dealing with hundreds and hundreds of publications each day for numerous clients.

If a PR is working on, for example, four clients in four different sectors  they might need to cover national, regional and international, plus trade press, supplements, local and national broadcast , freelancers and even then there’s still online and bloggers to think about.

So if a PR calls up and asks a daft question, or requests a forward planning list, don’t be so hard on them, they’re only asking so they can target their pitches more accurately for the publication.

Myth 4. PR’s have no respect for deadlines.

PR’s understand you have deadlines. They work their socks off to try and meet them.

Unfortunately many of their clients don’t. They pull a features sent for approval apart, then ask for ridiculous changes which the PR has to diplomatically explain can’t be done (‘It won’t get used if there’s 50 product mentions in a 500 word feature’).

Then interviewees go AWOL and spokespersons are happy to give comments – but next week.

PR’s understand deadlines perfectly. It’s explaining them to their client that’s the challenge.

And at the end of the day it’s the client paying, so they can do what they want, when they like.

Myth 5. PR’s are failed journalists.

An arrogant assumption that is completely wrong. Believe it or not, not all PR’s initially wanted to be journalists. They actually love what they do and have a whole range of skills that journalists don’t have.

There needs to be more mutual respect between PR’s and Journalists. PR’s need journalists and as much as they don’t want to admit it journalists need PR’s too, especially since job cuts have left a small amount doing the work of many.

As in any profession there are good and bad journalists and good and bad PR’s.  There’s not much to be done about the bad in both, but the good ones need to start working together a bit.

If both spent a little more time understanding what the other needed rather than making snarky lists and comments about what one another do wrong, then PR’s and Journalists could be a pretty great team.