It's no secret to anyone who's in either public relations or journalism that the relationship between the two professions can be somewhat strained at any given time. Much has already been written on this topic, primarily in public relations publications. Now, with the growing proliferation of blogs, journalists are taking their turn at the "podium" to expound on the subject.
In a recent blog posting, Jeremy Zawodny suggests journalists place a blanket ban on public relations from tech firms. Zawodny went on to equate the pitches he received with spam, and suggested that the best way for journalists to fight back was to filter their in-boxes so they would not receive correspondence from PR firms.
As a former CNN Financial News staffer, I know all too well what it's like to work at a major outlet, where you're flooded with e-mails, phone calls and all kinds of useless information. However, as with many things, I believe it's important not to paint with a brush that's too broad. There are many PR pros who go to the trouble to carefully research what reporters write about and to offer them genuine, new developments in those industries. I found that information very useful when I was at news outlets, and the response I get from reporters at major publications indicates they do as well.
I believe rather than perpetuating a divided camp discussion, the better approach would be for the two sides to work together with the mutual goal of improving the information they deliver. That will benefit the clients of PR firms, as well as the readers, listeners and viewers of the media outlets with whom they communicate.
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