Full Frontal PR Report
Matthew Rizzetta

Rumblings on popular sites, blogs and in newsletters are raising alarm about “comfortable relationships” between media relations folks and the media. As the stories go, PR people and journalists cut deals for access to information and sources that compromise objectivity and cloud otherwise fine editorial judgment, resulting in shoddy—or at least suspect—reporting.

This would be amusing if it wasn’t so inaccurate. If the people who casually promote this view did some research beyond the simplistic and actually spoke with gen-u-ine PR professionals and journalists, they would get facts that paint an entirely different picture.

When I consider how PR pros and journalists relate, I do not think “snug” or “secure.” Adversarial? Often, unfortunately. Volatile? Sure, sometimes. We experience mutual admiration, mutual distrust, and all things in-between.

Think of that arrogant teammate on your high school football team or marching band. You hated his attitude; he always hogged the showers and his locker was surrounded by The Most Popular People. But you respected his talents and understood that to achieve the common goal, you needed to coexist and work productively together.

This is the essence of PR professional/journalist and “influencer” relationships: You’re a pain. I’m a pain. But we both have a job to do, so let’s overlook our differences and make this the best darn story it can be!

To the extent that we PR people can help with information that contributes to a good article—that is, we don’t waste journalists’ time, and they don’t waste ours—the relationships work well.

PR folks do not expect special treatment for information and access to sources. We know all too well that even implying that the reporter’s viewpoint is for sale would surely spell the end of that relationship.

So, no, slaying the PR professional/journalist relationship is not the path to pristine news coverage. Understanding that professional relationships are just that—and drama is best reserved for daytime television—surely is.

Matthew (“Matt”) Rizzetta is an Account Manager at RLM who cultivates productive relationships with media of all types every gosh darn day.