So What Do YOU Think of Journalists?

An article by Dan Keeney, APR that was recently posted on DPK Public Relations Web site. It is entitled, So What Do YOU Think of Journalists? This is just a summary, so go to DPK's Web site for this and other high-value articles.

In a recent presentation, Keeney told the audience

"that strong negative feelings about journalists are typical, particularly among those who don't work with them often. Common views that I've heard include:
- Journalists tend to miss the point;
- They get the facts wrong;
- They have their own idea of what the story will be prior to an interview;
- They tend to force the comments of the interviewee into their story, regardless of whether the facts really fit;
- They focus on the negative; and
- They seem like they are out to "get" the person being interviewed."

After that laundry list, Keeney told the audience how to

"work within today's media paradigm to get our stories across." Here's is what he said:

1 - Journalists miss the point because they aren't experts but interviewees often try to impress them with fancy jargon and a great deal of detail. Instead, interviewees need to understand their role as educators for journalists.

2 - Journalists sometimes get the facts wrong because they are rushed, so we need to present them with the facts in a way that they can easily understand and use.

3 - Journalists tend to have a vision for a story prior to the interview because you aren't the ONLY interviewee. I'm a big believer that if the interviewee asks questions beforehand, you can easily figure out how the story will play out and determine if it makes sense to participate.

4 - Journalists focus on the negative because without conflict there is no news. Knowing this, it's in your interest to come prepared and present the journalist with others who can be interviewed to help round out the story and minimize the chances that your organization will be portrayed as the bad guy. If nothing else, at least the journalist will know you have others on your side.

5 - And knowing that journalists are looking for that opportunity to get an interviewee to slip up simply means that every spokesperson needs to be on his or her A-game whenever they are interacting with the press. They need to spend the time and energy planning and preparing and approach the interview as a priority in their day and not just something to survive.

So what do YOU think of journalists? It's a question Keeney posed on LinkedIN to some of his trusted associates and friends in the public relations community, including Naumann Blanchard, LLC. Here is the answer and some of respected colleagues:

Petri Darby, darbyDARNIT!:
Shrinking newsrooms are putting more pressure on journalists to cover more beats, learn about more industries, and write more articles than ever before. As the Internet continues to become the channel of choice for consumers to get their news and information, there is more of an emphasis on speed and being first to publish, resulting in heightened chance of inaccuracy and less comprehensive coverage.

In many news outlets, reporters come and go like the wind. This is making it increasingly difficult to build trusting and respectful relationships between PR professionals and reporters. While I still consider the media an important audience and channel, over time I've become more convinced that it is essential for companies and organizations to secure strong direct communication programs with their key constituencies.
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Karen Blanchard, Naumann Blanchard, LLC:
This may not represent the most objective response since I am a former journalist with an undergraduate degree in the field. I believe the free flow of information that journalists provide is vital to a well-informed citizenry, as is their vigilant protection of the First Amendment's guarantees of freedom of speech and press. In short, free press is the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty.

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Sally Evans, S. Evans Public Relations:
I have trouble thinking of journalists as a group. Like the rest of us, as individuals, some are good, some are mediocre, and some are bad (especially when it comes to grammar and punctuation). Also, with the prominence of the Internet, there are more "writers" than journalists.

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Javier Avellan, Schipul - The Web Marketing Company:
I guess my personal opinion of journalists varies by the company for which they work. That may not be fair... but organizations that have proven to be obviously slanted towards conservatives or liberals do not get my full trust. Even though it's practically impossible to be completely objective... at least TRY!

The last presidential elections I flipped between several channels to get different opinions... I laughed at how the same information was being spinned in two different directions. I believe most journalists are looking for the truth, but many factors (upbringing, school, social circle, etc) affect their view of the truth. As humans we all have a "slice of the truth"... so it's very important to have an open mind to view and listen to the slices others have to offer.

For additional information on this article, please contact:

Dan Keeney
(832) 467-2904

Source: Dan Keeney, APR

http://www.keeneypr.com/
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