When a tech hack goes tech flack

My colleague Ben pointed out a must-read post from journalist Sally Whittle who has blogged about what, as a journalist, she found it like being a PR person for a short time. Her overall impresion: "journalists suck!" Why? Because her experience was tough and involved calling people to place a story and she was given a rough trot. I'd recommend you read her article and the comments from her PR and journalist readers - there are 32 comments on her post already.

What I think is important to say here is that normally a PR person with some contacts (or one who is able to specialise in one industry sector) is not normally having to cold-call journalists. They will have contacts in their little black book who, when they have a story to place, they will get in touch with and it's quick, relatively painless and they know pretty much what to expect. That's my impression any way, I hope it's not too far off the reality of Sally's experiences vs others doing similar jobs to here right now.

Comments

[John Redford]

Love Defined

What is love, but an emotion,
So strong and so pure,
That nurtured and shared with another
All tests it will endure?

What is love, but a force
To bring the mighty low,
With the strength to shame the mountains
And halt time’s ceaseless flow?

What is love, but a triumph,
A glorious goal attained,
The union of two souls, two hearts
A bond the angels have ordained?

What is love, but a champion,
To cast the tyrant from his throne,
And raise the flag of truth and peace,
And fear of death o’erthrow?

What is love, but a beacon,
To guide the wayward heart,
A blazing light upon the shoals
That dash cherished dreams apart?

And what is love, but forever,
Eternal and sincere,
A flame that through wax and wane
Will outlive life’s brief years?

So I’ll tell it on the mountaintops,
In all places high and low,
That love for you is my reason to be,
And will never break or bow.

http://www.br3games.com

[Sally Whittle]

Drew,

I think you're absolutely right. Contacts do help.

Overall, I think I was pretty good at pitching (helped by the fact it was a good story) but it wasn't much fun!

I used to tell PRs at training sessions that I knew what pitching was like - after all, as a freelancer, I pitch stories to editors all the time. Of course, now I realise the way that certain hacks talk to PR execs is completely different to the way those very same hacks talk to fellow journalists.

All in all, I learned lots, I'm glad I did it. Briefly. Now I'd love to see some PRs sitting on my side of the fence, and gaining the same sort of insight into the "PRs suck" mentality!