Journalism Research and Random Meanderings

Sunday, December 26, 2004

Some PR Truisms Worth Repeating 

Journalists read a lot of press releases and most of them are terrible. Some PR people seem to think they should write our stories for us. If you read the blog entry on rip n' read, you'll know why they think that. Personally, I would be happier if they just stated their facts and gave a contact. Unfortunately I spend a lot of wading through a page of verbose bumph trying to glean the few things worth knowing that it does contain.

Once I do get those facts I have a quick and easy rule to immediately differentiate my copy from the rip n' read artists. I absolutely do not use the quotes and if at all possible avoid the source(s) quoted on the press release. They all say the same thing pretty much. "Whatever the press release about is good and we're glad."

This is from people who are probably reasonably intelligent and knowledgeable in their field. They might actually sound that way if their PR people dug past the glib sound-bite-isms and got their "sources" to say something meaningful. Something anyone with half-decent interview skills is trained to do.

Frankly, although being a _great_ interviewer takes years of practice, pretty much anyone can pick up the fundamentals of interviewing in a few hours. Actually I found learning interviewing improved my communications skills both personally and professionally because I learned a method for having a conversation about a certain topic. People react better to me because I can make them sound more interesting to themselves.

Disclaimer: I come across many honest, ethical, hard-working PR professionals who actually care about getting me the information or source that I seek on behalf of my readers. You know who you are. You don't get enough recognition. I try to remember to express my gratitude but if I didn't please accept it now along with my sympathies for having so many mediocre peers.

i-newswire.com is a free press release distribution center. There are several of these on the 'net. They usually carry crap. People who really have something to say are usually willing to pay to be able to say it and so it should be. But every rule has exceptions. Why i-newswire caught my eye is a few things on their site that, if true, bode well for them.

Unlike many other press release distribution services, they say they "care about quality press releases."

They go on to define the problem quite well.

"The new PR killer - Press Release Spam (PR Spam)
A common problem in today's distributions are distributors who publish anything to make money. This results in journalists and editors ignoring [free press release services] time after time. Today's journalists and editors are not interested in "PR Spam" (abusing press releases to advertise products or services)"

Furthermore (and this is what really caught my attention) they offer a solution.

i-Newswire.com Press Release Help: "While no one can guarantee your press release will be published or used for an article, there are things you can do to improve your chances. The biggest obstacle to most press releases is the release itself.

====deletia====

"When you write your press release, remember your audience. It isn't your customers. Your audience consists of journalists. Journalists are in the fact business. Their goal is to provide their readers with a complete portrait of whatever they're writing about.

"To appeal to the fact-oriented mind of a journalist, forget marketing emotional appeal. You need to give them the facts about your product or service, hard data that shows why your product or service is good and news-worthy. Then let them decide for themselves. If you forget this, there's no way they'll run your press release."

Well done i-newswire. I hope they're listening.

While we're on the topic. Here's another thing PR people do that bug me.

Don't say you have a source when you don't. You might have someone to interview but, if they don't have something authoritative to say on the subject in question, not only have you wasted everyone's time, I've probably stopped looking for a source for that part of the article (or worse, turned one down) and I'm that much closer to the deadline. If you're the reason I'm rushing to file the story (or, horror of horrors, late) that is what I'm going to say to my editor who is usually sympathetic but still frying me to file. You and your source just slid way down the list for next time.

If you don't feel your source is authoritative in the subject area then say so up front. I will go away disappointed but feeling you're a straight shooter. More importantly I will know I still have to find that source material.

==PB==