Comments on: Revenge of the flacks

For all the public-relations pros who have been ignored by the media over the years, it's time for schadenfreude.

[suyts]

Not only that, but the public themselves had enough. For many of us, we decided long ago that we didn't need some "wanna be" journalism prof. telling us what was important to us. Most readers can discern what's relevant to them and what isn't. Strange concept for journalists it seems. For a brief moment in time, many of us turned from traditional journalism (newspaper, radio, TV) to the net for our news. Sadly, it became more of the same. Now, we are forced to be our own gatekeepers. Probably a good thing, maybe not.

[SherrilynneS]

As in most professions, technology is changing how we operate.

[RegCrowder]

This should also be a reminder for everybody in PR that a well-written press release is a remarkably useful and versatile tool.

But do spend a little time getting some useful information into your press releases. If the press release is obviously mindless, vacant hype, it is not going to do you or your client a bit of good no matter where it shows up.

Fortunately, there are (with some highly entertaining exceptions) a lot of good press releases bouncing around cyberspace these days. And it doesn't look to me as if loading them up with a few extra key words to make them search engine friendly is doing them any harm.

REG CROWDER
Freelance Business Journalist
London, UK & Brittany, France
http://www.RegCrowder.com
http://www.journalistdirectory.com/journalist/TgTQ/REG-CROWDER

[acfow]

Let's not forget that journalists play a critical role in vetting news and providing objectivity. Finding (even more) ways to bypass that process will only do a great disservice to readers. But wait, we can all tell the difference. I disagree. Thanks to Web 2.0, the press release is just one tactic PR people are using to disseminate information about themselves and their companies. It's getting harder and harder to separate fact from fiction. Not everything is newsworthy and most times we need a journalist to tell us that.

[andismit]

In the UK, the just published Metrica 2007 Media Analysis Survey showed: "High message delivery and spokespeople mentions suggest the emergence of a copy and paste publishing trend in online media. Online featured the strongest message delivery of any media type with half of coverage delivering key messages, and an average of three message deliveries per article.There is also some indication of a similar trend amongst regional titles."

Translation - it is getting easier for businesses to have their "message" replayed unaltered online (though not IT/telecom companies, who Metrica say: "struggle to see their messages delivered and spokespeople quoted. This highlights the problem that tech PR often faces in translating marketing messages into PR stories that appeal to journalists. More than half of IT sector coverage appeared in the business press reflecting the strong B2B nature of this sector?s activity."

On the subject of press releases getting higher search rankings, surely that is only one part of the process - if the press release is full of irrelevant, unreadable nonsense then you will disappoint the reader - you will create a negative effect.

I've worked in tech PR for 21 years. Am I happy about the above? Yes and no. Technology has created some exciting new ways to get a client's message out there - at the same time, we need a credible and independent media more than ever. But who will pay for it? Interesting times.

http://escherman.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/is-copy-and-paste-journalism-the-norm-online-evidence-from-metrica/

[LeahPR]

Just want to reitterate this point, "and decide for yourself how much of what you're reading has been taken verbatim from the press releases themselves." As a PR professional (who doesn't appreciate the term "flack") there have been countless times where CNET and other publications have pulled from my press release verbatim for stories and briefs. Not to mention content from pitches and follow-up emails (for business media and trades). Yes, there are unprofessional folks about there who call themselves publicists or PR execs -- but there are many more unprofessionals who call themselves journalists. I sometimes wonder if when reporters sit on their high horse and revel in their power of being a "gate keeper" -- is it really because they wish they make the salary of a PR professional? Is it because they feel special just because so many people are calling them w/ a pitch idea? I'm not sure what it is -- but sometimes it is just plain annoying. Sorry, Charie -- had to vent. Read one too many postings of a journalist whining about PR folks -- when they often depend on us to get their stories out.