A reporter’s confessions about PR – Part II

 If you’re going to be successful in public relations, you need almost magical insights into clients, consumers and the journalists who serve as the conduit between clients and consumers. Here are a few insights into the reporters and editors who receive your pitches, news releases and demand answers for their questions.

Being in journalism a couple of decades gives me some perspective that may be useful to you. First, reporters can be nice people. That may surprise you because often we have to be hard-nosed when we’re writing a negative story or think we’re not getting full candor. Even then, we can share a joke with the PR folks we work with, chat about a hobby and enjoy the same interactions as any two humans.

Second, we’re stressed by time constraints and the fear we’ll be replaced by a robot, outsourced to India or simply cut loose with no replacement. No one wants to be laid off, but frankly, we’re most concerned about having no replacement because it means our readers and sources will no longer be served, which is bad for society, and because it sort of says the beat we covered maybe isn’t as important as we like to think it is.

First, reporters can be nice people. That may surprise you because often we have to be hard-nosed when we’re writing a negative story or think we’re not getting full candor.

Third, we don’t read the whole newspaper either. We don’t just automatically know everything that’s been reported on other beats or sections of the paper. On the other hand, all of us are writing the great American novel in our spare time.

And finally, we’re not all liberal Democrats, despite what some critics say. There are indeed a lot of liberals in newsrooms; people eager to change the world gravitate to the field because it’s a shortcut where a 22-year-old cub reporter’s stories can have an impact that would take decades to achieve climbing the corporate later or volunteering somewhere. There are also some conservatives among the working media, but that doesn’t make any of them tolerant of government waste or unresponsive public officials.

Contrary to another misperception held by some, we do appreciate getting news releases. We can’t follow up on all of them, and they’re not all relevant to our beat – or even newsworthy, --but we often depend on them for story ideas.

I’ve been known to hold onto a release for months before I can get a chance to do a story, or a trend piece by grouping several together.

My favorite release prompted quick action. It was embossed in a giant chocolate bar and arrived by delivery service. If the content hadn't sparked a legitimate story, I would have just gobbled it up, but I did indeed write a story on manufactured housing about a Georgia trade association.

Now that I’ve confessed that I can appreciate the work of PR pros, here are a few more things that get under my skin.

 Stonewalling

 If you’re not going to comment, at least let me know.

Journalists really do want to represent both sides. Friends in the business tell me they never recommend to clients that they stonewall because it leads to one-sided reporting. Plus, stonewalling makes your clients look guilty.

However, I can believe there may be tactical reasons when a source doesn’t want to comment. While you may not want to explain that reasoning -- even off the record, at least let me know that no comment will be coming.

Reporter's Confessions about PR -- Part I

I’ve always instructed young journalists not to begin writing the story until hearing from all sides to prevent writing just from the perspective of the first source you talked to and then inserting the obligatory quote from the other side to demonstrate fairness.

Real fairness requires keeping an open mind.

But, when there is a deadline and I’m trying to keep that mind open, don’t make me wait to hear back from you when you already know you’re not going to comment.

 The stacked news conference

 A news conference is to allow working reporters the chance to ask questions in order to get a complete understanding so we can produce an accurate and understandable story for our readers and viewers. It’s not that we deserve special treatment. It’s just that if we’re going to be accurate, we need information, and a news conference is a good way to transmit it to the whole press corps at one time.

So, don’t invite us to a room already filled with employees, supporters or other cheerleaders. Despite the practice of presidential campaigns, the rah-rah boosters won’t sway the story in your favor. Instead, they merely get in the way.

Parking the media in the back of the room makes it harder for us to do our jobs, which often requires follow-up questions. Instead of ensuring a positive story because the only questions that can be asked are fluff, it may trigger a negative one due to journalists’ frustration.

 No contact information on websites

 As a reporter, it’s annoying to try to get a comment or information only to find there are no email addresses, phone numbers or even mailing addresses on company websites. You can argue that you’re trying to avoid drowning in spam, but there are ways to post email addresses that foil the robotic spiders who collect them.

I’m always puzzled when I try to do a story on a news release I received in the morning only to find that no one is able to answer my questions in the afternoon when I call.

As a consumer, the absence of contact information comes across as arrogance. It says you are happy to take my money but won’t be bothered to speak to me.

 Funneling all contacts through the PR department

 Almost as annoying as having no contacts on the website is the practice of insisting that all contacts go through the PR department. It says to me that you don’t trust your coworkers to shade the truth with the company line.

It also wastes time. If I know the vice president for manufacturing, and I know he has the answer to my question about production, why should I have to leave a message with the secretary in the PR department for the PR director to call me back to find out what my question is before calling the manufacturing VP to get the answer and then call me back with it?

 The unsupported press release

 I’m always puzzled when I try to do a story on a news release I received in the morning only to find that no one is able to answer my questions in the afternoon when I call. Like when the official I need to interview isn’t available or the backup data isn’t handy.

Why send the release if everything isn’t ready for journalists who actually respond to it?

It’s also baffling to me when simple questions can be answered without a return phone call.

 Calling the journalist after the reporting

 Every journalist dreads those calls. Asking to review quotes before publication, asking when the story will run, asking for a link to the story or a copy of it, and so forth.

When it does run, no one wants to hear about nitpicking corrections. Fixing significant factual errors is one thing; demanding a correction because some official’s five-word title got shortened is another.

I’ve had complaints because the number of words describing a competitor was 10 percent greater, because I used the term “social workers” instead of some euphemism designed not to scare low-income parents, because I reported that an out-of-state lawyer was practicing without a Georgia license when he was.

And by the way, hollow threats of lawsuits are bad form. Most media organizations are very familiar with the laws on slander and libel. We know when you’re blowing smoke.

 Consultant Walter C. Jones, Sr. has been a political reporter, congressional aide and leader in multiple professional organizations.