media update's Talisa Jansen van Rensburg here. Are you ready to hear PR pros' side of the story? Cool! Let’s go.
Dear journalists, PR pros want you to know that:
1. … They don't just call to fill a quota
Since journalists receive
so many press releases on a daily basis, it might seem that PR pros are just sending press releases out 'to get the job done'. But that isn't the case at all!
PR pros are
really passionate about the releases they send on to journalists. And often, they have spent days working to get it
just right before hitting 'send'.
2. … They don't just copy and paste their pitches
A lot of journalists think that PR pros just send out press release en masse and 'spray and pray', but this could not be further from the truth.
There are some PR people out there who make use of this tactic (and we all know that it's not an effective way to get a story shared), but the good PR pros do take the time to ensure that they personalise the emails that they send out.
People working in PR want to build strong relationships with journalists, so if we could all just communicate and not accept the stereotypes to be true …
3. … They do get you, they really do!
It seems that many journalists feel that PR pros don't 'get them', but in reality, most of them have been working closely with journalists for quite some time — and some of them have actually been journalists.
PR pros do understand the late nights, early mornings and deadline because they are there with you! They know you are a big deal!
4. … They really don't mean to be pests
When journalists are on a deadline, it may seem like all the PR pros are actively trying to bother you, but they really aren’t!
"There are occasions when you might feel we follow up too soon or too often. When we do, we really and truly aren’t trying to be pests (especially when we know you have so many other important things to do); we're just trying to do our jobs — particularly when it comes to time-sensitive news or content," says Gabriella Brondani, PR aficionado from urban espresso.
"If it’s truly not a fit or the timing's off, we can absolutely accept that. Understandably, it's not realistic to expect that you will respond to each and every pitch, but even if it's a quick 'no thanks' for us to know not to continue following up (and thus not being a pest further), that would help."
5. … They don't just do what their clients tell them to do
Richard Fogg, CEO of CCgroup, says, "If we always did exactly what clients really wanted, all the time, journalists would suffocate under the weight of hyperbole. Yes, there's probably too much pandering to client demands, but the job of a good PR is to help clients understand what will [or] won't work for our friends in the media."
When a PR pro ensures that their client knows what
will work and
what will not, it makes the journalist's job a whole lot easier.
What else do you think journalists should know about PR pros? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Pexels