All sorts of people become journalists. Often, but by no means always, they conform to various stereotypes; the scruff, the student, the hack… But if they are to last more than five minutes in their jobs, every single one – without exception – signs up to two over-riding principles. No.1: they are driven by about what their readers want to read about. No.2: they are nobody’s poodle.
Today, the other 99% of the UK PR industry is clapping its hands with joy at the idiocy of some joke PR agency that thought it would be a good idea to ‘incentivise’ journalists to write about their clients. The deal goes something like this: “Give our client some press coverage Mr Journalist, and you might win an iPad!”
Consider for a moment, why this might prove to be a teensy-weensy bit counterproductive. Said PR agency is not fighting to get the very last seat on the lifeboat of a sinking ship with this stunt, it is presumably trying (or at least it should be) to shape public opinion toward its client’s wares by shaping the opinion and the news/editorial priorities of trade IT journalists.
Here’s the PR/journalist ‘cash for column inches’ transaction played out in another format:
PR: “Hi, here’s an iPad.”
Journo: “Wow, thanks.”
PR: “Write a story then, there’s a good chap.”
Journo: “Er, no.”
On some occasions, with some journalists, you might get a different outcome. Just remember that press coverage you have to pay for, probably isn’t worth buying in the first place. It certainly isn’t worth reading.
