Talk To Me, Don’t Pitch Me

June 23, 2009 on 9:52 am | In Blogs, Media Relations, PR, Public Relations | 4 Comments

Hey lazy PR people! Now that I have your attention, don’t send off-target information for inclusion in this blog, OK? Just like Valeria Maltoni at Conversation Agent, I get too many press releases from lazy PR people who can’t take the time to figure out what it is that I write about. To them, I’m just another name on the distribution list. Blast away with the shotgun and you are bound to hit something.

Come to think of it, I don’t really want press releases. Send me a short email with your idea for THINKing. I’ll read it, I promise. And if it is on-target, I’ll do something with it. Same holds true for people wanting to do guest commentary for THINKing.

Any PR people – lazy or otherwise – with a different idea? Tell me.

Other Posts Of Interest

  • Tamika

    Your June 23 email about “lazy PR People” sounds like you had a rough encounter with a PR person and you decided to share your negativity with this rest of us “PR People” (which isn’t fair by the way). However, as you know, many of us have the burden of getting news out to media outlets on behalf of our clients, so we’re just doing our job in that we’ve identified you as a media source. In our business, media reports on news and we hope you see our jobs as getting news to you, hopefully making the process just a little easier. Yes we know, it may or may not be something you can use, but don’t hate the player, hate the game.
    We have a hard job of keeping up with exhaustive media lists that change by the minute. The world of PR and Media is going through a tremendous makeover, so forgive us if it’s a little tough keeping up with an ever-changing media list. Not to mention the different categories of media we must juggle from local, regional and national campaigns in all the hundreds of thousands of industries. And God forbid if it’s an international list! Geez. Many of you “Media People” like to treat us “PR People” like we’re the enemy, but I beg to get the answer to this question. “Can we all see the value in one another and decide to get along?” If you can’t use my news, I understand. Delete it. I promise not to take it personal. Just because it’s not news to you doesn’t mean it’s not news.
    I would LOVE to personally meet every journalist and reporter that exists in my database and personally follow their work, but that’s neither possible nor logical. I know you get my point, so I’ll end there. I just wanted to take the time to say, “Stop picking on the PR folks, we’re your job security and you’re ours!”
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reading mine too.

  • http://www.my-creativeteam.com Harry Hoover

    Here’s the thing, Tamika – I’m both media and PR. I was a reporter for six years and have been in PR for 25, and now – by virtue of blogging – I’m doing both. I have had negative experiences with PR people recently and as a PR professional, I’m tired of it and you should be, too.

    I see the value in good PR people. That is those who take some time to target their pitches, using a rifle not a shotgun. I know it is hard to keep up with lists, but that is part of our job.

    You want good results; results that change opinions? Then, be a pro: target your pitch to those who care.

  • MasterShephe

    I couldn’t agree more with Harry. I’m young and haven’t had many opportunities to really experience the true dark-sides of any particular field, but Tamika, it sounds like you’re job is too hard.
    When Harry says “be a pro”, it’s a loaded statement. Basically, if he doesn’t like the updates he received from PR people, then the PR people aren’t doing their jobs. End of story. Maybe the world needs a new kind of PR person that CAN “be a pro” and really use that rifle because if PR works as Harry says it does, like an annoying shotgun, then PR people aren’t really doing PR…They’re just being outdated.

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