The Industry You Love to Hate
The thing about mainstream media coverage of public relations is that it is really rare for an article to take more than a glancing look into our corner of the world, so when it happens it sends the industry and its friends and foes into a frenzy of self-reflective hyper-analysis of the piece and its implications.
When Sunday’s New York Times business section featured a cover story about the PR game in Silicon Valley, I knew it was just a matter of time before the blog posts and tweets in response would send my Blackberry skittering across the table. And my people did not disappoint.
From the “PR guy” quoted in the piece who breathlessly explained in a 2,000-word treatise complete with pretty charts and graphs how his one comment that made it into the story fit into the context of a 90-minute conversation with the reporter (we’ve all been there, Brian). To Michael Arrington, the influential founder of TechCrunch, who was dissed by the client in the story as “cynical” and therefore worthy of avoidance, ginning up his already outsized, um, cynicism about PR people (thanks, Brooke, that was really helpful). And eponymous agency head Richard Edelman, who used his blog to debunk the hackneyed PR myths propagated by the article. The hue and cry is ringing across the PR world with everyone – from an understandable if largely self interested perspective – taking issue with this or that or every part of the story.
Truth be told, the article was infuriating. Ostensibly about the new way of doing PR for technology startups, it was really just another damning profile of insincere publicist as latter day Sidney Falco conducting business by vapid social engagement rather than research, strategy, intellect and hard work. It was, quite simply, the inexplicably enduring caricature of the smarmy PR person, which drives so many smart people in this business to fits of self-loathing defensiveness. Like the notion that every politician is corrupt or every lawyer wants to bleed you dry, the portrayal of the PR person as the obsequious, sell-your-soul deal-maker hurts as much as it is ridiculously inaccurate. There are publicists – and politicians and lawyers – who give the rest of us a bad name, but they do not define the industry.
So permit me a moment to address a few of these inaccuracies (from a self interested perspective, of course)…
The customer is not always right. The story’s publicist-protagonist (or at least the reporter’s version of her) gets off on the wrong foot by caving instantly and completely to the client’s concerns about tech bloggers. We are hired as communications counselors, not just implementers, and we owe it to our clients (and their clients) to provide strategic advice based on research, instinct and experience. That’s exactly what most of us do – the successful ones at least.
Social media is a critical component of today’s PR toolbox, but not the only one. PR campaigns that ignore the transformative effect new media tools have had on communications do so at their own peril. But those who completely abandon the power of the media – print, electronic and online – to help tell a story are just as lost.
All pitches are not created equal. The claim that reporters have no use for publicists is a tired old canard. I have no doubt that some reporters believe that all publicists are unimaginative nuisances, but this reminds me of polls that show Americans have low opinions of Congress, but a high opinion of their own congressman: the PR person who got me the answer I was looking for on deadline, connected me to the source I needed for my story, and alerted me to the trend in the first place is a good guy…unlike those other PR people. The truth is a thoughtful, creative PR person is a valuable resource to reporters, and those reporters know it – though they may only cop to it in the deep, dark recesses of their brains.
This last point gets right to the fundamental question raised by the Times article: why does just about every profile of a PR person in the mainstream media seem to begin with the premise that publicists are parasitic bottom-feeders? Maybe people in the news business are loathe to give PR folks their due because it disturbs the myth of the newsman who fights for every break in the story. Or maybe it’s not the reporters at all, but the PR subjects who are chosen (or self-select). After all, the results of a good PR job will be far more engaging than the process behind it, which makes for happy clients but bad copy.
But it may not matter all that much in the end since one fairly obvious take-away from the Times story is the principle that PR – whatever our disagreements about how it’s defined and who’s providing it – is a vital part of a product launch. I suppose a rising tide lifts all boats, even if some of them may not be especially sea-worthy.
Matthew Traub is managing director and chief of staff at DKC
Sign up for Mediaite's daily newsletter.
-
http://sanapan.com/page458.htm sana pan
-
http://www.weihnachten-forum.de/reden/ Weihnachtschat
-
http://fringesalonla.com bumble and bumble santa monica
-
http://www.unrarx.com/vanilla/comments.php?DiscussionID=15692 similar preventing ingrown
-
https://twitter.com/#!/piles_cure piles cure
-
http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/rpmranger/comments/40 supplements
-
http://beantum.posterous.com/hemorrhoids-suck-especially-when-you-have-the hemorrhoids cure
-
http://tribaltattoosdesigns.tumblr.com/ north port tattoos
-
http://grammar-rules.webs.com/ Using correct grammar
-
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?=en&cid=16871615413732591635 murder attorney
-
http://www.sociopatas.com/ Humor Grafico
-
http://www.chescadirect.co.uk mother of the bride
-
http://docencia.etsit.urjc.es/moodle/user/view.php?id=7934&course=1 mujer busca hombre mexico
-
http://kimkardashiansextape.co kim kardashian
-
http://www.onlinebankinglogon.com/ logon
-
http://searscardcom.com searscard
-
http://www.beaware2010.org/ Chasidy Verplanck
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lhOX11fG1w&context=C4935650ADvjVQa1PpcFN71uFfx458nPzGbfIqnoK_ULMnsH4klaw= Great Info
-
http://twittsev.com/content/primer-twittsev-de-2011-en-casacarmelo-0 discount code true nutrition
-
http://www.laurel-acker.com/ nopalea psoriasis
-
http://www.foreverhack.net/ how to hack a facebook account
-
http://www.uppermarlborobailbonds24-7.com Bail
-
http://wordpressthemegenerator.javagroovecoffee.com free online wordpress theme creator
-
http://www.orderhemocyl.co.uk buy hemocyl
-
http://www.buha.info/board/member.php?u=81104 Scrapebox
-
http://facerejewelryart.com engagement ring
-
http://www.facerejewelryart.com/artist.php?id=116 lego bracelet
-
http://cardland.com.ua/includes/guest/index.php?showuser=2047 Scrapebox Server
-
http://www.wholesale.com.au/gloves Buy Gloves.
-
http://breastexercisestips.page.tl/ breast actives
-
http://www.onlineinvestmentfund.com/page_support.php http://www.onlineinvestmentfund.com/page_terms.php
-
http://www.google.com/SearchTestq Google
-
http://www.casquesansfil.org/ http://www.casquesansfil.org/
-
http://www.flytte.dk flyttefirma
-
http://empuuelbro.posterous.com/phallosan-uk-are-you-looking-at-getting-cosme Phallosan UK
-
http://www.goedkoopstefoto.be smartphoto
-
http://MOBILE-CELL-TOWERS.INFO mobile cellular phone site
-
http://www.machineabiere.net/ machine a biere
-
http://danceprinceton.com/ Wedding Dance Lessons
-
http://www.glaciereelectrique.fr/ glaciere electrique voiture
-
http://MOBILECELLTOWERS.NET cell phone mobile tower
-
http://radiojuventusdonbosco.com/2012/04/12/your-money-in-a-crisis-2/ Gold Coin Buyers
-
http://andreball821.bravejournal.com/entry/88677 above ground swimming pools
-
http://www.vetcoalition.org handbags
-
http://toiletpaperholder.tumblr.com/ Toilet Paper Holder
-
http://zeeluv.wordpress.com/ hpv
-
http://www.camescopehd.net/ http://www.camescopehd.net/
-
http://www.jukeboxalive.com/blog.php?blog_id=4985409 Old Silver Coins Worth
-
http://www.epilateurelectrique.net/ ici
-
http://www.whiteceramicwatches.net/ http://www.whiteceramicwatches.net/
-
http://www.blindshout.com/story.php?title=no-no-hair-reviews no no
-
http://tangoclubsocial.com/story.php?title=no-no-hair-reviews no no hair removal
-
http://www.friteusesanshuile.net/ http://www.friteusesanshuile.net/
-
http://www.montregps.org/ http://www.montregps.org/
-
http://www.delicious.com/albincharles38 http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2HBDPb/www.panamacitybeachrentals.net/
-
http://www.rasoirelectrique.org/ http://rasoirelectrique.org/
-
http://grantmuller.com/the-evernote-workout-log My Blog
-
http://www.minilavevaisselle.fr/ http://www.minilavevaisselle.fr/
-
http://www.disquedurinterne.net/ disque dur interne
-
http://www.weblando.com/services/orlando-seo/ check this out
-
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9496611.htm buy pirelli tires online
-
http://www.breastenhancementproduct.org/ http://www.breastenhancementproduct.org/
-
http://www.piscineautoportante.net/ http://www.piscineautoportante.net/
-
http://www.flukiest.com/media?f_blog_id=109651 My Blog
-
http://weblando.com/services/orlando-web-hosting/ SEO Howey In The Hills Florida
-
http://bcphones.co.uk bad credit mobile phones
-
http://www.lettelevne.cz letenky lufthansa
-
http://www.sacochehomme.org/ http://www.sacochehomme.org/
-
http://ifusiondesignstudio.com san diego web design
-
http://www.scrapeboxlist.com/vip/signup.php scrapebox list
-
http://www.ecologicalsurfactants.com/soap-berries/ “soapberries
-
http://www.freshrankings.com/cut-fat-from-your-business-before-your-waist/ google app engine optimization secrets
-
http://www.funtasticdental.com “www.funtasticdental.com
-
http://www.ranker.com/list/books-destined-to-be-new-york-times-bestsellers/catherinehodges New York Times Bestsellers
-
http://www.casquebluetooth.org/ casque bluetooth
-
http://banternet.com/banterpedia/index.php?title=HuangFlores390 see more
-
http://ankerplan.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:HinsonDufour61 building insurance
-
http://bruxismtreatmentinfo.blogspot.com/2012/04/bruxism-treatment-for-teeth-grinding.html Bruxism Treatment
-
http://cheapairsoftgunsforsale.org More Bonuses
-
http://en.wiki.gg.st/w/index.php?title=KoontzCastleman343 Here Is A Magic Formula To Achieve Investment Know-how
-
http://www.assembly-jobs.com home assembly df
-
http://jokerslot.com/index.php?title=AnabelGeraci128 Very Reliable
-
http://www.androidhints.net/ Android Questions,Hints
-
http://minecraftflashgame.com/profile/11/dromen1980.html 2 player games for kids
-
http://www.tube4.me/categories/bdsm_porn-flv.php porn
-
https://www.facebook.com/naturalremediesforanxietyattacks how to cure anxiety
-
http://www.friteuseelectrique.net/ http://www.friteuseelectrique.net/
-
http://www.healthyvending.com/food-vending “food vending
-
http://airsoftsniperriflescheap.org Bonuses
-
http://www.wordswithv.com/ weight loss
-
http://www.montreautomatique.fr/montre-automatique-homme/ http://www.montreautomatique.fr/montre-automatique-homme/
-
http://www.porpix.com/ Dedicated Image Hosting
-
http://www.scrapeboxlist.com/ buy list
-
http://www.whereskindle.com kindle fire
-
http://www.montregps.org/montre-gps-garmin/ montre gps garmin
-
http://faceiwan.co.de/index.php?p=blogs/viewstory/31340 breast enhancement product
-
http://aanchal.com.pk/blog/lawn-prints-by-gul-ahmed “Home Care
-
http://eldercareabcblog.com/medical-files-at-your-fingertips innovative senior care home health
-
http://www.planchaelectrique.net/ http://www.planchaelectrique.net/
-
http://www.realself.com/Smart-Lipo/ smartlipo doctors
-
http://geldlenenbuitenland.nl/geld-lenen-rente/ geldlenenbuitenland.nl
-
http://www.cardiofrequencemetre.org/ cardiofrequencemetre gps
-
http://inteligentny-bank-ktory-uczy-sie-twoich-zachowan.pl Blog
-
http://dadnabbit.com kids culture
-
http://www.thestonesuperstore.com/shop/wall-cladding-stone-c-237 Wall Cladding
-
http://www.thisviewoflife.com/index.php/religion/index.php Science of Evolution
-
http://rogenstudio.com/labelfactory/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=103 sew in labels for clothing
-
http://www.cichacz.pierdnij.info/serwis-280/Namioty_handlowe.html Tents
-
Explicit Image Of S.E. Cupp (It’s A Fake) In Hustler Magazine Sparks Outrage
-
The Uncanniest Cable News Doppelgangers
-
Who Should Be On Next Season’s Celebrity Apprentice? A Mediaite Wish List
-
Letterman Confronts O’Reilly: ‘Why Doesn’t The Current President Get More Credit?’
-
Obama Campaign Spokesman Woefully Unprepared For Anderson Cooper
-
Explicit Image Of S.E. Cupp (It’s A Fake) In Hustler Magazine Sparks Outrage »550
-
MSNBC Primetime Makes Zero Mentions Of Trayvon Martin Case After Pro-Zimmerman Evidence Surfaces »349
-
Conservative Teen Opens Up About ‘Vile, Vulgar’ Reaction To Her Video On Gay Marriage »253
-
MSNBC’s Ed Schultz: Is Birtherism ‘Just Another Form Of Racism?’ »247
-
Yet Another Survey: Fox News Viewers Worst-Informed, NPR Listeners Best-Informed »246
Check out stories and listings from TVGuide.com
-
•
Top Moments: House's Last Ride and Glee's Sad Goodbye
-
•
JoAnna Garcia Joins Justin Kirk Comedy Animal Practice
-
•
HLN Picks Up 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
-
•
Grant Bowler to Play Richard Burton Opposite Lindsay Lohan’s Elizabeth Taylor in TV Movie
-
•
Idol Winner Phillip Phillips Underwent Eight Surgeries During Show Run, Dad Says
Job hunting?
Use our proprietary jobs tool to access the largest pool of jobs aggregated from around the country.
RSS