PR pet peeve

This is distrurbing, but not surprising. I want to apologize on behalf of all PR people! But as you say, folks just need to READ, that's it. It's not difficult or daunting.

Stephen - Wow. Since you were kind enough to send us a pitch for The Bad Pitch Blog, it looks like things have gotten worse...not better.

I continue to receive some pretty bad ones as well. My latest favorite included the salutation "To Whom it May Concern."

Your final thought in this post applies to my pitch as well.

In my case, and in my defense, I might ask this of a journalist if he or she tells me that the pitch doesn't match their beat/topic even if I've done research into their work. I've found that sometimes what I think their focus is (based on my interpretation of their work) and what they think their focus is (based on the intent behind the reporting) isn't the same. And I want to learn where I went wrong so I don't mis-pitch the journalist again.

Steve,
I'm no journalist, yet flackery is one small part of my job, yet I run into the same thing: http://www.attentionmax.com/blog/2007/10/a_compelling_pitch_for_my_attention.php

Stephen - This post inspired me to create a Top 10 List of things you should never say to a reporter. I'll let you know what the final list looks like. Thanks!

I completely agree. I get the same thing from vendors pitching me for products or services. We have a web site, blogs, lots of places to figure out what our hot buttons are and most go the "bulk" approach.

Stephen,

You are absolutely correct. Today there is no excuse for PR pros' misguided story queries. A simple search of your name on BusinessWeek.com will tell the publicist all he or she needs to know about your editorial predilections.

Unfortunately, many senior PR execs seem to feel they no longer need to get their hands dirty "pitching" story ideas -- a naive and fatal mistake.

Oy. And Ouch.

OK, now we're discussing this, here's the other question I don't like to answer:

So what are you working on now?

It's a funny thing, because when we're working on stories we call all kinds of people and tell them what we're working on. So it isn't much of a secret. At the same time, when someone I don't know calls me on the phone and asks me that question, my impulse is to clam up.

A question I will ask journalists is "What kinds of topics interest you these days?" or "What kind of stories are you looking for?"

In half-hearted defense...with all the changes going on in newsrooms lately, it is possible that information about a reporter in one of the myriad "databases" is dated. They might be reading a profile of you that says you cover B2B enterprise software, while your beat just switched to beauty and fashion.
OK, that said...Google is a really keen PR tool. And it does these really cool things called "alerts," that can be set up to send you stories by a certain journalist every time he/she writes one.
It ain't brain salad surgery. (And if you know that reference, you're older than I am.)

I'm older than you are, Laura. That's Emerson Lake and Palmer. I had a roommate who insisted on playing that stuff.
You're right. We do switch beats. So, instead of asking, What do you cover, you might ask, Are you still covering tk? As I say, it really boils down to coddling a journalist's hypersensitive ego and the eternal, nagging question: Doesn't anyone read my stuff??

Yes, this hurts. In PR we have lots of people who just don't understand how to do their job.

PS - was great seeing you at DEMO! ;-)

Flackery is hard these days. There's too many newspapers/online journals/magazines and often, underresourced PR offices. I can't call everyone, yet my lists are very extensive and my own. I find out who the right people are and send only to them.

However, ideally I would like to be running my own PR firm so I could work with two or three clients that I chose, and therefore, I would work closely to the media with them.

I have TEN and I'm really tired as I have to be across EVERYTHING, much like a journalist. I have to be across gossip, real estate, lifestyle, health, pharmaceutical, food and wine, corporate psychology and human resources, extreme adventure and also, business. I read close to 5 newspapers a day to make sure I'm across what's happening worldwide to see if there's a story that could link with to my client.

Business stories I hate the most, as it's the area I know the least about and the Editors are pretty rude. Sometimes I ask journalists to help me out as then I won't need to bother them again, or I'll get it right next time. At least I'm attempting to get it right.

This is the conversation I had with a senior finance writer recently:

me) Hi _____, it's _______ from _______, have you got a spare minute for me chat with you about a business story I've got.
journo) sure
me) blah blah blah (keeping it brief to the point and in 30 sec to 1 min (my golden rule as it's a pitch) - I actually practice before I call to make sure my points are clear and brief.
journo) Let me stop you here, I'm a finance writer, this is a business story.
5) Sorry for taking up your time, do you know who the best person is for me to speak to?
6) You're in PR, don't you know this?
7) No I don't but I'm good at asking questions to get my answers, much like you. Thank you for your time today.

F**K OFF. What a wanker. We all call someone for info. The journalist calls the punter/expert, the PR person calls the journo. The problem is that journalists live in this world where they believe that everyone wants to talk to them. They don't. They on occasions HAVE to, but in many cases it's like walking on eggshells talking to a journo, especially when you're not sure if they're doing a hatchet job on you.

Journalists come in all sorts. A lot of them are quit frankly the scum of the earth who would sell their mum for a good story, hence HACKS. I can't even begin to tell you how many journos have screwed me over and put my job on the line. I'm a harder person for it and I now play a much tighter and closer to my chest game with the media. Information is power and it costs. It's a deal, you have to listen to me on occasions and I'll look after you when you need me.

I love some of the editors I work with, and really cherish my relationship with them, because I know WHEN to call them and that my dear Hacks is trial, error and a little help with direction.

You see, when we do have what you want (the scoop, the party invite) and you call us and are all nice saying, "hey, can we chat with such and such - or can we get in), I won't always get you the best tickets or product. We all get around, and IT all goes around eventually.

Don't get on your high horse about PR people. In reality, not many journos could hack being a flack, because they couldn't deal with the pace or handle the rejection. You've got to realise that not all of us are tweens in our first job.

Come down a notch and be nice.

Woaw Flack001 - thanks for keeping it real for the PR folks out there, who do do their jobs well - read, analyze and connect the dots and in turn provide and bring to journalists' attention: real-world examples, companies, execs, etc. and dare I say, possible story ideas.