As PCS ’98 approaches, RCR editorial staffers are bracing themselves for an onslaught of press releases ranging in news value from important to the less-important.
A print journalist for 20 years, I also spent five years doing industrial public relations for Fortune 100 multinationals.
Let me share some caveats, which result from my pet peeves about some internal and external wireless company P.R. people with whom I’ve had some strange encounters lately.
Remember who, what, when, where, why and, most of all, so what. Don’t bury us in minutiae and wonder why it doesn’t get printed.
Read the publication before pitching us so you know what we cover. A one-size release does not fit all media. Unless the news is earth-shattering, don’t call late in the business day on Thursdays for a weekly published Mondays.
Don’t spin me too hard. I get dizzy, and you know what’s likely to happen next.
Dealing with bad news is like surfing. You either ride in ahead of the wave or get buried under it.
It is patently ridiculous to try to hide information already on the public record, including news your corporate partners or trade associations already have disseminated.
Teamwork is essential, but so is a chain of command. If you’re out of your league in handling a reporter’s request, don’t dither. Refer the caller up the ladder.
Let reporters speak directly to company executives responsible for the subject. Follow-up questions almost always are inevitable, and it is a lot better use of everyone’s time to get the task at hand completed at once.
Communicate with your internal and external public relations colleagues so that one hand knows what the other is doing. This way, reporters aren’t badgered by many P.R. people about the same news item.
And for Pete’s sake, make sure your voice mail takes messages or at least lets callers know it does not.
Thank you in advance for your assistance. It is much appreciated.
