The Stormys: PRs salute their favourite journos
The relationships between PRs and journos can often be a little fraught, so in the spirit of peace and friendship one Sydney-based agency has come up with its own awards, The Stormys.
Last week the 13 winners in categories including ‘Most approachable TV producer’, ‘journalist that best featured our client’, ‘best blogger’ and ‘journalist we’d most love to employ as a PR’ received the surprise trophy in the post.
And the initiative seems to have caught on, with Wordstorm PR pledging to collaborate with other agencies next year to reward their best contacts.
The winners:
Fiona Baker from Body + Soul – The journalist that best featured our client
Carly Odonovan from TODAY – The most approachable TV producer
Olivia MacKinnon from Beauty Heaven – The most enthusiastic journalist
Andrea Zanetich from Fox In Flats – Best blogger
Berlinda Conti from The West Australian – The most approachable journalist
Bonnie Cleaver from Prevention – The best email responder
Michelle Vellacott & Rhys McPherson from Australian Retailer – The publication that best supports our clients
Lillian McHugh from MiNDFOOD – The journalist we’d most love to employ as a PR
Bree Player from Shop Til You Drop – The must follow journalist on social media
Gyan Yankovich from Cleo/Dolly – The journalist who we’d most like a make-up lesson from
Sarah Harris from Studio 10 – The journalist with the most enviable style
Rosie Waterland from Mamamia – The journalist with the quirkiest writing style
Samera Kamaleddine from Women’s Fitness – The journalist we secretly want to be BFF with
Pass the sick bucket
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Being named on this list is grounds for a defamation action, right? Reputational harm, etc.
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Christ, how embarrassing for them and those of us who work in PR and are constantly trying to convince people to take us seriously…
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Term ‘journalist’ used loosely.
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not sure all the journos would be happy
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Getting named on this list would be a real journalist’s worst nightmare.
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Hasn’t the agency just alienated every journo and blogger not on their list?
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I would be humiliated to have received one of these ‘awards’.
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yes, unfortunately this is one award journalists would not relish. Should perhaps be re-named the softies…
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Indeed Steven … being named “The journalist that best featured our client” would not be something any self-respecting journo would want to add to their CV.
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So misguided. I would be mortified to be on this list.
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I don’t generally like to comment negatively and I support the PR industry but this is a terrible idea. The quirkiest writing style award is ok (just) but the rest are most likely to get the individual journalist hauled in front of their editors.
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This is just like the award ceremonies you have at the end of high school. How dumb and unprofessional.
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How many bottles of Grange accompanied those awards?
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Any self-respecting journalist who received one of these would surely give the game away wouldn’t they? I’d love to see a list of the winners.
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Oh god, there is a list. How embarrassing.
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Looks like the PR experts just damaged their own rep…
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Talk about confirming the worst prejudices about the PR industry – and I am a PR… *groan*. I swear we’re not all using client hours to conjure cringeworthy awards.
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‘received the surprise trophy in the post’…in an unmarked, brown paper package. Anyone who lands an ‘award’ like this must feel at least a little dirty
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Wow – do they not deal with any male journalists or are male journalists just really bad!! Methinks publicising this list is a joke and every single person mentioned would resent being named.
Every PR has their ‘go-to’ producer or journo – that doesnt mean all the rest are terrible. And that’s what this list is indicative of. Did they actually consider every single on of the 10-20,000 or so producers, writers and journalists for this award. Probably not.
Im a PR professional with years of experience and and my favourite go to people are not on this list. To me – these guys and girls all deserve awards. But I repay them by respecting their integrity and by continually giving them great stories that will benefit their audiences. I would also never ‘rat’ them out so publicly.
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I was named on this list and am MORTIFIED- I can’t even recall having dealings with them and wonder if that was my crime. Can I sue?
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I agree the list is atrocious and alienating. And as an FYI, the “client best featured” was a charity they do pro bono work for and about the teenage girl who runs it…
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I find it hard to believe that a PR agency would name and shame the ‘journalists’ who give their brands a plug. This could get them in a lot of trouble if their editors and publishers find out. Also what are their clients thinking… we don’t have to work hard we’ve got our 10 media we can rely on and that’s it!
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fucking idiots. this really beggars belief. what utter morons.
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On the upside, that’s another agency I won’t be troubling myself with looking at. I’d be horrified to be on this list and equally horrified if I was one of their clients (which I won’t and never will be). This is exactly the kind of behaviour and attitude that brings PR into disrepute.
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As the number of real journalists dwindle, this cuddling up exercise is downright repulsive.
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Today show producers are NOT JOURNALISTS !
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Wow.
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PR gate ensues.
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Is it more like getting an igNobel prize or a razzie?
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I don’t understand what all the fuss is about? They have merely made a lighthearted gesture to thank some journalists that have done great work. Isn’t this meant to be positive? There’s no name shaming…PR agencies working with journalists is not a secret…it’s how it works. Journalists rely on these agencies for content at the best of times, as otherwise many of these businesses or initiatives would never be discovered. Perhaps I’m missing something here but I don’t see how a journalist’s reputation can be damaged by an award from a PR agency saying that they wrote a great article? This isn’t the Logies. I have worked with this firm before and will continue to do so – they are lovely people to deal with and do a great job! To be honest, I’d suggest the cynical people here should find something more news worthy to whinge about.
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Seriously? I am a journalist with 20+ years experience. This is not a list any self-respecting journalist would want to be on. Cringeworthy
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So all you massive whingers are hard hitting journos with stellar careers?
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Beyond embarassing.
Mmmm – seemed like a huge of waste of time to me – ie why bother conducting such awards (and if you do, keep it internal) – but when I read where the winners worked (and therefore the type of PR agency), I understood. It’s fluff PR – make-up, fitness, fashion, style, etc. The biggest issue in their lives is which is mascara is better – a waterproof one or one that lengthens your eyelashes.
These awards are not for me, but hey – if they enjoyed doing it, then so be it. No harm done.
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No self-respecting PR professional will be applying for a job at Wordstorm any time soon…
Seriously, how embarrassing.
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The issue is newsworthy because of the shifts and changes that are taking place in PR. There are so many of us are fighting for people to take PR seriously and give us a seat at the table of greater influence where the planning, bigger ideas and business innovation is taking place.
The fact some people don’t see the harm in them is worrying for a number of reasons.
1. The agency assumes that journalists and bloggers will care for, and want these things.
2. They don’t actually award good work. Instead, they celebrate a journalist’s inbox management, approachability, BFF appeal, make up and how manipulated they can be by client stories.
3. It’s a shallow publicity ploy wrapped up in the guise of thanking journalists. They don’t quietly thank people in a heartfelt way. It’s all about them and not really about the winners.
They’re just fluff and I hope people realise that PR isn’t really about this!
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I didn’t go in to journalism to diligently reply to the 3000 PR emails I receive a day.
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Comment 31 – clearly a Wordstorm employee.
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Not one male journo on the list.
All this shows is that PR girls cozy up to their female journo counterparts to pull strings to get their products publicity.
I would be ashamed if I was a journo and made this list.
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