s#!t pr people do that journalists hate, part 2
DESCRIPTION
PR professionals outnumber journalists more than 4:1, meaning inboxes for reporters, editors, and producers are more crowded than ever. In this deck, journalists share their top pet peeves, grievances, and annoyances from the world of PR--the S&!t they hate more than anything. Reading it will help you avoid repeating the mistakes of others and hopefully give you a few good laughs in the process.TRANSCRIPT
PR PEOPLE DO THAT JOURNALISTS
S#!THATEPART 2
It’s back by popular demand.
(Or unpopular demand, depending who you are.)
because this s#!t is seriously annoying.
SO LISTEN UP
We wanted to see what drove journalists NUTS about PR.
So, like any good PR person, we did our research.
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This is a sampling of the s#!t we found.
Sometimes, the third time isn’t the charm.
Click for profiles in this presentation!
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Twitter is cool. But so is going straight to the source.
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Twitter is cool. But so is going straight to the source.
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Here are some gripes reporters shared with us directly.
"Spell my name correctly! It's not Linda, or Lynda, or Lyndia, or Libby, or Lisa ...it's LYDIA.” !
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Lydia Dishman, Fast Company @LydiaBreakfast
"After I write an article on a particular topic, I inevitably get several pitches from PR people to do a story on the selfsame topic. !
Why would I want to cover the same thing twice in rapid succession?” !
Ilan Mochari, Senior Writer @ Inc. Author of Zinsky the Obscure
@IlanMochari
Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe @scottkirsner
“One thing that often happens when executives are too managed, or too "press trained,” is that you spend 10 minutes talking to them and you realize that they have been programmed not to say anything interesting. I get off the phone as quickly as possible and look for another source.”
Pro Tip: No one likes interviewing robots.
“One thing that often happens when executives are too managed, or too "press trained,” is that you spend 10 minutes talking to them and you realize that they have been programmed not to say anything interesting. I get off the phone as quickly as possible and look for another source.”
Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe @scottkirsner
Alex Konrad, Forbes @alexrkonrad
“Being careless and using my own publication’s recent coverage as a proof point of the company being pitched.”
Pro Tip: Be incredibly aware of who you’re speaking with, their beat, and where they work.
Alex Konrad, Forbes @alexrkonrad
“Being careless and using my own publication’s recent coverage as a proof point of the company being pitched.”
Thoughtful and genuine human connections are what push your story through the clutter of a journalist’s inbox.
And yes, we mean inbox.
“Worse than phone calls are constant requests forin-person meetings. First send me an idea that's worth considering, and if we develop a relationship, then that might be a good use of our time.”
Lauren Brown, Quartz @laurenalixb
Now that we’ve outlined the pet peeves of some of the world’s top journalists,
what can you actually do with this information?
PR people outnumber journalists 4.6:1, so the answer is not sending boatloads of boring emails.
TREAT REPORTERS’ INBOXES WITH CARE
(Stat source: http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/apr/14/marketingandpr-usa)
Reporters aren't shy about sharing opinions on Twitter: Tune in and alter your approach based on their personality, style, and work habits.
LISTEN TO REPORTERS
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It's extremely tempting to send identical pitches to multiple outlets, but you will misspell a name or reference the wrong outlet. It’s not worth the awkward apology email, so craft an individual email for each outlet and reporter whenever possible.
DON’T COPY & PASTE PITCHES
You've already emailed, so include the relevant information you're hoping to discuss and link out to anything else they might need to make a decision on your potential story.
DON’T ASK IF YOU CAN SEND MORE INFORMATION
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Do your homework on a reporter's current outlet, beat, and recent coverage. Don't rely on databases to do your work for you — go the extra mile.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
After the first edition of this deck, lots of PR people complained that reporters can be difficult, too. They sure can, but if we all have a sense of humor, the whole process is a lot more fun. Take your work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously — everyone will thank you for it.
HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR
Check out the original S%#T here