The War On B.S.
I was reading excerpts from another one of those media panels that too many public relations professionals covet. You know, those panels PR pros hope will provide them with secrets to the mysterious world of journalism. Or maybe PR pros think a two-minute face-to-face conversation with someone on an assignment desk might increase the chances of success for a future pitch.
And yet again, one of the themes of this panel was how busy reporters are and how PR pros better know exactly what we want and how we want it. You better know the perfect way and the perfect time to contact us because we reporters are as busy as CEOs of a publicly-traded company.
Most of that is B.S.
Yes, some media companies are cutting back staff and they’re asking reporters to do more than ever. Some high-profile journalists can’t possibly respond to all emails. Yes, some reporters walk in and are hurried out the door within seconds to breaking news. Yes, some reporters are very, very busy. But many are not.
So why don’t they return your emails or phone calls? Because they don’t freakin’ want to. They’re lazy or just plain scared to tell you the truth. They are too scared to tell you your pitch sucks. It’s too darn awkward for them. Most pitches I received as a reporter sucked and only later in my career did I gain the maturity to tell PR pros just that. Reporters also know sometimes your good pitch, let’s say about healthcare (an obviously important topic), won’t fly with producers who have been groomed to focus on fires, shootings and anything that’s super bizarre. Some reporters have been taught PR pros are a nuisance, spinners and there’s no need to grant them politeness or professional courtesy.
How do I know most of that “we’re too busy” talk is B.S.? Because I’ve spent most of my professional life in newsrooms. And what did I see a lot? I saw a lot of reporters gossiping and bitching about management. I saw them talking sports and watching daytime talk shows. I saw them debating life’s trivial issues and wasting time on their smartphones. I saw them rushing to eat all that free food PR pros send them in hopes of winning some good will.
Journalists also spend a lot of time in vehicles. They might be sitting in the passenger’s seat on the way to a scene. They’re staking out a location. Some reporters may spend that time working on the story at hand, but others are just messing around on their phones or texting someone about how they didn’t get the vacation days they requested.
Many reporters have more time than they let on. Some reporters, when I pitch them now, explain they’ll pass on this idea or the producers didn’t go for it. And I appreciate those reporters. Those are the reporters I continue to pitch and build relationships with. How did they find time to politely say no thank you? Because often there is such time.
I once pitched a story to a friend who is a TV anchor. He wrote back, “Lame.” I wasn’t pissed off. He was right. I shouldn’t have pitched that story. I made a mistake. I still love that TV anchor. He’s an old fart with guts. He’s a straight shooter. He’s not scared!
When I was reporting, someone once pitched a story that just wasn’t for me. I asked someone on our assignment desk if she cared. She told me to simply tell the PR pro we would put the idea on file. I told the assignment desk editor she obviously would never follow up and we shouldn’t leave the PR pro hanging. She looked at me like telling the truth was insane. I went back to the phone and told the PR pro the station doesn’t like the idea. I’m sorry. The PR pro seemed exuberant that I actually kept things real and didn’t waste any more of her time.
Yes, I anticipate some offended journalist will email me and say, “How dare, you! I work non-stop. You’re just a bitter, former reporter.” Well, if you work crazy hours, then I’m not talking about you. But look around my self-righteous friend. Somebody is watching ESPN or one of those court shows or mocking what the new reporter is wearing at the competition. Someone is strategically hiding in a backroom so no one bugs him or makes him stay late. I’m not saying all these time-wasting activities are bad. I did some of them myself. But don’t then turn around and tell these poor PR pros you don’t have a split second to say, “No thank you. However, I appreciate you thinking of me. Have a nice day.”
Late in my career, I tried to answer all my emails. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Also, I was darn tired of covering garbage. A lot of PR pros sent crappy pitches, but the topics themselves were often interesting. To avoid covering more ridiculous breaking news, I called back those PR pros and brainstormed on how to find the newsworthiness in their pitches. We crafted a news story and I walked into editorial meetings with something valuable.
PR pros without newsroom experience may have suspected some of this. You don’t dare speak it publicly. I get it. You don’t want to burn bridges and you worry I just lit a bunch of fires. Newsflash: You don’t want to work with journalists who believe PR pros should be neither seen nor heard. The truth is you could tell reporters to go to hell and if you’ve got a great pitch two weeks later, they’ll take it … or you’ll take it to their competition.
What’s the solution? Build strategic relationships. Get to know journalists with brains. Find the journalists who have a keen interest in the topics your clients cover. Those journalists are out there. You just need to connect with them somehow. And most of all, for those of you who still do it, stop mass mailing dumb press releases that bury the details and offer boring interviews. Most of my interactions with journalists are short calls and brief emails with reporters I actually know.
The next time you listen to one of those media panels and some reporter with a full tummy starts claiming just how busy he is, you ask him this one question: Then how do you have time to eat all that free food we sent you and post a picture of it on Facebook?