Guest post: Time for a PR manifesto
The Australian PR industry has been under the spotlight more than ever before. In this guest posting, Renee Creer, New Media Director at PR firm Stellar Concepts suggests a new manifesto:
Is it just me or has PR been slammed more in the last month than in the last few years? The industry appears to be copping it from all sides. We’ve had:
- Neil Shoebridge’s AFR piece titled How to lose clients and annoy reporters. He argues that the PR industry is awash with incompetent people and outlines his top and deadly PR sins.
- Jason Whittaker’s guest post on Mumbrella titled Precious PR hacks and why they do their clients no good. Here, Whittaker has had enough of PRs telling him how to do his job.
- Ed Charles, journalist and blogger, named and shamed a PR in this post after he and other food bloggers were spammed via a contact list of bloggers Charles published online.
- Heated industry debate, in B&T magazine and online over Brisbane agency, Publicity Queen, and their promise of guaranteed publicity.
And that’s not the extent of it. So what does one in PR say or do about all of this?
We consider ourselves an agency of smart, professional people who know the media and have good relationships with journalists. We have, on occasion, f#*$ed up, gotten it wrong, and done dumb stuff.
There are always two sides to any story or coin and may we state that the stupid and incompetent are not just confined to the PR industry!
Rather than scrap it out school yard style, we’ve decided to outline A NEW MANIFESTO FOR PR.
We promise to:
1. Not be idiots or self important show ponies
2. Not pitch stupid, irrelevant stuff to media outlets, journalists or bloggers
3. Continue to comply with spam laws
4. Limit blanket distributions where possible
5. Exercise humour
6. Get to know the media or blog’s scope and where journalists’ interests lie
7. Build reciprocal, positive relationships
8. Play nice
9. Make PR as relevant and exciting as possible
10. Always strive to be better at what we do
11. Follow up and keep our word
12. Set a positive example
13. Educate younger staff and clients on the right way to do media relations
14. Not make claims that we can’t justify or promises that we can’t keep
15. Do our research
16. Beware of fibbers and phonies
17. Try to fix things when they go wrong
18. Be patient and reasonable in the light of differences
19. Ask and learn more about how journalists work and what they need
Like to contribute? By all means, add to the list.
Renee Creer
This posting also appears on the Stellar blog
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Nice post, Renee. As I’ve already said, I don’t think anyone is saying ALL marketing types are unprofessional, immoral, annoying or don’t understand media. To say so, as a journalist, would only be hypocritical.
Could I add a few to the list (and something I’d hope other PR firms would take up):
1. Won’t ring journalists immediately after sending press releases. Yes, we DID receive your press release – that’s how e-mail works.
2. Won’t demand the right to view copy, nor refuse access to talent or stories if this demand is refused. Trust most journalists will write a fair and balanced story most of the time – and put the rest down to unavoidable bad luck.
3. Will be respectful of deadlines. If journalists need information by a certain time/day, it’s generally because they need something by a certain time/day. They’re only trying to write a balanced story with as much input as possible.
Is that fair? Would be interested to know your thoughts…
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Trevor Young – the PR Warrior – recently did a fantastic, balanced post on the subject titled ‘PR vs. Media fight to a nil-all draw’ here: http://www.marketingmag.com.au.....-draw-1252.
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Thanks Jason. Just on your points:
1. Yes, immediately after sending would be annoying however PRs do need to follow up sometimes because, in our experience, many times a release hasn’t been received or is buried in a full inbox. Also, sometimes a timely follow up call has meant the difference between getting a result or not.
2. Agree totally. It is editorial not advertorial after all.
3. It’s in our best interests to help journalists meet deadlines. Sometimes this is out of a PRs control. For example, if the deadline is particularly short, sometimes the client can’t react in time due to a host of reasons.
I can’t help but think that relationships between hacks and flacks would be greatly improved by people actually creating ‘relationships’!! From this grows trust, rapport and better results for both parties.
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20. Provide value to clients?
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i don’t think anyone would disagree that all renee’s points are reasonable expectations for the media to have of PR professionals who want to enjoy long and effective careers. It’s frustrating that all PRs get tarred by the stupid actions of the few. By the same token i’d like journos to recognise the value that corporate PRs provide in demystifying the scary press and providing access to otherwise media-shy talent
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..and i would just add that sometimes journos need to appreciate that PRs are often doing the best to get material or a usable response from their snr mgt within deadline. Unfortunately, the business world doesnt move as quickly as the news world (who elsd does?) and execs have businesses to run. The key is in the PR having internal respect and open communication with the journo to help them manage their sources.
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…not sure what Mark’s suggestion means. PRs work in the commercial world. If they dont provide value, they get fired. The market sorts the wheat from the chaff. Doesn’t this happen in journalism too?
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Let’s not forget that many journalists exhibit rude and abhorrent behaviour despite having a code of conduct/charter to adhere to.
I’m thinking of the people who ring at five minutes to 5pm demanding information/a quote for a story about to go to press only to cover their behinds, with no intention of using the information because that might stuff up their angle.
Then there are the ones who tell you to f*ck off – just because they feel like it.
There are countless more examples of rude behaviour, usually exhibited by those higher up the food chain – arrogant political reporters, jaded roundsmen etc.
I note that few journalists ever try to educate their less savvy PR counterparts about what not to do, hence all of the blowhard whingeing.
There are many good PR operators around, as there are journalists.
Sadly there are also just as many boofheads such as those encountered when wading into the murky waters of what passes for journalism these days.
If everyone was doing their job properly and professionally, none of these discussions would ever occur!
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Thanks for your comments. There are faults on both sides and everyone’s experiences are different. I have never been on the receiving end of situations mentioned by Queenie. Things are much more serene in consumer / lifestyle PR. I’d like to think we can, for a moment, focus on the positives of improving relations.
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Tim, I’ve formulated some guidelines for how to and how not to approach bloggers. A lot of Prs approachme for advice on this. Would you be interested in a short post on the rules?
Here’s one to add:
Don’t take without asking even if you legally can.
The list in question was a crowd-sourced spreadsheet of 100 or so bloggers and their email addresses which was left open to allow individual bloggers to aggregate these lists. It wasn’t something intended to be a quick and easy mailing list for third party marketers. Yes, legally we published it and I guess I shall never again give benefit of the doubt.
I can see the temptation as it would take hours to build one up. But still…
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Hi Ed,
I awlays welcome guest posts. Anyone who’s thinking about doing one can email me at tim@focalattractions.com.au.
And feel free to nag me if I don’t reply immediately. I currently have an embarrassing, and daunting 1544 unread emails.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Lovely idea. As a journo, I cannot see it working.
Point 13 should be point 1. It should be months before a young PR gets on the phone to a journo. If that were the case, many of journos’ gripes about PRs would evaporate.
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Ha! Simon – well here’s hoping. Just thought we’d put it out there. I totally agree with your comment on point 13.
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Simon says: “It should be months before a young PR gets on the phone to a journo. If that were the case, many of journos’ gripes about PRs would evaporate.”
Perhaps we could say the same of young cadet reporters?
It’s all in the training 🙂
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Great post Renee
While reading I found myself nodding and smiling, remembering my first experiences of media relations as a junior and how much I learnt. Though, I must add, it saddens me that we as an industry (PR) still have to defend and educate others and ourselves on best practice.
However, I do believe the best solution lies with our junior staff, and wholeheartedly support your point 13. Get junior staff engaged in understanding media from the start! Let them sit in on phone calls to journos, take them to professional development events, introduce them to best practice and if you can, get them inside media outlets to see first hand how the media works. From understanding comes acceptance, from acceptance comes behaviour – and ultimately, isn’t this the best thing for the client?
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Can you all just GET OVER yourselves? Anyone who has to write ‘manifesto’ for PRs protests too loud methinks
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I love the list, so here are a few more:
I will take regular professional development seriously, regardless of how much I know now
I will work to understand the needs of all my target audiences (including journos)
I will follow the PRIA Code of Ethics and be proud of it
I will take some time to let my hair down with my colleagues, contacts and friends at networking events
I will be passionate about PR
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Great idea in creating this list, Renee.
While it’s geared toward traditional journos, my team created a Blogger Outreach Code of Ethics a couple of years ago.
You can download the full PDF here:
http://blog.ogilvypr.com/wp-co.....ethics.pdf
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Brian, You might want to read Crikey today and go and have a chat to your colleagues in Pulse. They might need a refresher.
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Anthony, thanks for the comment. As you can imagine, that’s already been done.
By the way, before you’re in the mood to leave a snide comment elsewhere, I suggest you go back and re-read your post from the 11th about bullying and negativity in social media here in Australia. Personally, I liked this line the best:
“This highlights my concern about social media forums. While they can share valuable ideas and knowledge, they also provide a very prominent forum for the ugly side of our society.”
How true!
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Brian, I am flattered you read my blog. I hardly think a hate site on Facebook vilifying women can be compared to my comment above about ethical PR practice (which has been widely reported).
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Point 8. Play nice…
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Surely point Number 5 is the most important in all of this. PR, not ER! Maintaining a sense of humour is critical in all relationships, professional or otherwise.
Yes, occasionally we deal with very serious issues but for the most part, a normal day at work for the vast majority of both journalists and publicists involves communicating about products, expert commentary, events and ideas. This is not life or death stuff.
Even on our worst days – the day when a blogger trashes a PR person for a blanket email or a journalist gets annoyed by another follow-up phone call – no one is harmed beyond a bruised ego or rising blood pressure.
I think perspective is critical in all of this. We are all working hard with, I hazard to say, good intentions.
The best relationships I have ever built have been ones where both parties have maintained some gentleness and humour towards each other, even when the pressure is on. We exist in a symbiotic relationship, not a parasitic one. While ever everyone remembers that and (see point 8) plays nice, we’re all going to spend a lot less time defending and attacking and a lot more time focusing on the work at hand.
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That is point number eight, by the way – not meant to be a smiley face!
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Perhaps PR people might have to be qualified/licenced/accredited, similar to the chartered status they have in England. That might go some way towards a more professional industry.
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Renee, I greatly enjoyed reading your PR manifesto – and the comments that followed – because they are those little pearls of wisdom that are (sometimes) forgotten.
I agree that PR and journalism are fabulous professions that work to meet each others’ ends (having worked in both roles myself!) while not actually giving each other what the other would like completely.
Which, of course, is how disgruntlement grows, difficulties arise and lack of patience for the new or learning professionals comes about. What a great thesis this would make for someone! 🙂
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