Archive for January, 2010
The Purpose of PR
To be the compass or the camouflage?
To be authentic or duplicitous?
To support, or misdirect?
What is the true – and most effective – strategy of the publicist?
Do we point journalists toward honest, legitimate, newsworthy content or do we con, coax and cajole journalists toward a topic or event or an interview (yes, that might appease a client, but) that really doesn’t rise to the level of news?
It’s the former, hands-down.
We MUST service the journalist, moreso now than ever.
From a personal perspective, I can tell you that most journalists go out of their way to avoid PR flacks.
I did.
Why? It’s the compass metaphor. Most publicists don’t serve as a helpful tool or a guide for journalists. Most don’t direct news-gatherers to pertinent, timely, enterprising news stories – because they’ve never worked in a newsroom. Not their fault. They just don’t think like a journalist because it’s not in their DNA. But I think it should be.
Most publicists have never worked in a newsroom of any kind, much less stared a news director or managing editor in the face and had to pitch nineteen new and original story ideas before getting the green light for any one of them.
It’s a brutally tough business. And the challenge is “What do you have for me today?” Or, more accurately, “What unique new story idea do you have for me today – that sounds completely original, engaging, timely, local and controversial?” And how soon can you have the story written?”
That’s the challenge for journalists, every single day.
And most PR agents simply don’t approach the profession by thinking about supporting the work of the journalist. But we should. We need to consider the needs, interests, demands, challenges, pressure-cooker deadlines and objectives of the journalist. Unfortunately, most publicists couldn’t point their way to a real enterprise news story if it walked in their office, sat down on the leather couch and took a drink of the Fiji bottled water.
It’s a matter of perspective, really.
Outlook. Know-how. Familiarity. Creativity. Awareness and Approach.
Does the publicist service the cleint, or the journalist? I would argue both. In fact, the talented publicist serves the CLIENT best by serving the JOURNALIST first.
Here’s why:
We’re living in perhaps the most transitional, insecure, awkward and challenging era EVER for the traditional news media. Think about it. Evrything about the industry is changing. The technology. The audience. The business model. The career projections. The pension. (Hah!! Just thought I’d throw that in for old times sake!)
So in this jagged and rumbling media environment, journalists are more stressed out than ever.
Who will be fired next? Who will quit next? Is my employer (the newspaper) going out of business today? How will technology change my job today (and afford yet ANOTHER job responsibility)? How much of our audience has migrated away? Are we relevant anymore? Do people even pay attention to traditional media anymore?
It does not matter whether the journalist works in San Antonio, Seattle or St Paul. More work product from fewer people. Period.
If you still have a job in a newsroom, I can gaurantee your job has changed somewhat in the last 12 months. You probably have less time, and more work to do.
Members of the PR industry have NEVER had more opportunity to deliver a steady diet of legitimate, value-driven, visual and important story ideas to journalists – than NOW.
Because the media need help!
And, if you do it right – with a unique, topical and timely pitch, then the journalist will keep coming back, because you helped! You offered a valuable resource – a good story idea! You saved his bacon. You have effectively positioned yourself as a freelance “field producer” for the journalist – lining up a great story idea, with the individual around whom he can center the story, plus a topical or timely angle, and an expert (your client) to provide context or perspective.
So the client is happy with the coverage, and the journalist is delighted that you’ve helped him deliver an original story to the daily digest of news, and you’re pleased that you’ve navigated the publicity jungle pretty effectively for one more day! Ta-da! Win-win-win. Steven Covey would be pleased.
Congratulations. You’re the compass, not the camouflage!
