If We Had a 'Meet the PR Pro' Panel for Journalists

Local chapters of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) frequently have “meet the media” panels as a feature of monthly programming. In these informative sessions, local journalists representing print, TV, radio and online media outlets share the type of news they cover, how they cover it, the best way to reach and pitch them, and more.

These are helpful sessions, especially for younger public relations professionals.

But I have often wondered why we can’t reciprocate—why can’t we invite an audience of journalists to hear a panel of PR professionals? Because there are a lot of misperceptions among journalists about what PR is and how PR professionals do their jobs. 

 Here are some points that could be made to an assembly of reporters:

• Media relations and pitching stories to journalists is a small part of what PR people do. While some PR people may focus on that role, such as media relations managers or public information officers (PIOs), some PR people do very little or no media relations. 
• News releases and pitches are just one tactic PR people use. PR is about building mutual relationships with multiple publics, and all forms of communication are used by professionals. These can include paid advertising, organizational media such as newsletters, annual reports, brochures and more, or the vast array of digital media including email campaigns and social media and wed sites. Most PR people have a number of ways to directly and effectively reach internal and external publics. Journalists come into play occasionally.
• Where journalists sometimes feel outnumbered by PR professionals pitching them far more stories than they could ever do, PR people feel outnumbered by journalists asking for comments, interviews and information for stories the PR person may not have initiated. A news conference can help add efficiency in such cases, but with breaking news a PR pro may have to make multiple callbacks to journalists even as they are dealing with questions from a client or CEO, planning an investor conference call, working a community relations meeting, attempting to meet a deadline for internal communication and more.
• While journalists sometimes complain of PR people pitching things that are not even newsworthy, PR people complain of some journalists doing stories that are more market-driven (ie good for ratings) than newsworthy, or they cover stories in a way that is sensationalistic as opposed to objective reporting. 
• Journalists may feel annoyed by PR people interrupting them with pitches, but should keep in mind that it is often only through a PR person that a journalist is aware of some news or gets access to an interview with a well-informed source. Often such high-profile individuals have to be convinced to even do an interview since they feel too busy for journalists. PR people also offer media training so that executives give clear, concise, factual and compelling interviews that provide key information as well as those all important quotes, SOTs and actualities. 
• Journalists should be careful who they call PR people. Just as not every rogue blogger is an actual journalist, there are numerous people out there who pitch stories who have no degree in PR, much less accreditation (APR) or even a job title that is public relations. Don’t judge a whole profession by a few imposters or bad actors. In fact, in the history of White House press secretaries, only one or two was actually a PR person. Most come from politics. The same lack of PR pedigrees is common in corporate and nonprofit settings as well.
• Legitimate PR people are inherently ethical. They bristle at the notion of “spin” and deception. College PR programs stress the big picture and ethical practice of PR. Advocacy for an organization and persuasion if done honestly is not “spin” or “putting an organization in a positive light.” It is professional representation of a voice and perspective that has a legitimate right to be heard in the “marketplace of ideas.”
• Finally, the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the “press” is not actually about journalism. It is about all citizens being able to print (ie on a printing press) and distribute information, and today that applies to other communication technologies. PR and advertising professionals are afforded the same rights as journalists in this regard.

These are just a few comments that could come up at a panel for journalists to understand public relations and those who practice it, as well as how it should be practiced professionally. There are many productive journalist-PR pro relationships, and they usually involve a healthy mutual understanding of each other’s job.