'Hey, Journalists Are Infuriating, Too,' Says PR Pro to The Careerist
Recently, I wrote "9 Ways You're Ticking Me Off" about how public relations and marketing people drive me crazy. Here's a response from one Big Law communications pro on how journalists get under his skin.
April 15, 2019 at 05:53 PM
4 minute read
I don't hold back, and I don't expect my readers to either. I like it when readers tell me what they think—especially if they vehemently disagree with me.
Recently, I wrote “9 Ways You're Ticking Me Off“ about how public relations and marketing people drive me crazy—like asking me to lay off the sarcasm when I write about their firm or telling me the partners would like to “pre-approve” my article.
I got a bunch of reactions to my post on the “9 Ways.” Most PR/marketing types thought my comments were helpful, though one took umbrage that I referred to PR professionals as “flacks” (he asked how I would feel if journalists were called “hacks”; for the record, I'm cool with that.)
But John Buchanan, senior communications manager at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, wrote an analog to my post: The ways journalists annoy his profession. Without further ado, here is Buchanan's piece:
Nine Things Journalists Do That Drive PR People Crazy: A Primer for Journalists
By John Buchanan
Did you get my email??? If you've read my pitch—and it wasn't a blanket/broadcast pitch—but one specifically for you, can you at least acknowledge receipt? I'm a big boy and I can take a “No thanks. Not interested.” But not hearing back at all? Not cool.
Just checking. I would rarely ask to see what you're going to publish before it comes out—but if your questions were complicated (or the answers were) why isn't it OK to ask to see quotes for accuracy or context? It's a reporter's (or editor's) prerogative to say “yes” or “no,” but can you at least consider it on a case-by-case basis?
Be careful with “comments.” When comments are “off the record,” don't then use those comments and then identify who said them. And please don't write, “The firm did not respond to requests for comment,” when you didn't even reach out in the first place (even if you didn't have time).
Bad news, baby! If the piece you are writing is going to be unflattering to my firm, please give me ample opportunity to get firm leadership's OK to respond and their OK on how to respond. I'm not scared to tackle tough questions or sticky stories, but please understand, depending on the issue at hand, it may take several hours to get internal approvals from an attorney, a client or firm leadership.
Just for YOU. If I'm offering you an exclusive you can guarantee that's exactly what it is. I understand how many emails you get every day, but if I've chosen you for this insight, do me the courtesy of responding, so I can move on to another reporter if I need to.
Say “no” to “no comment.” Totally agree it's always better to comment than to say, “No comment.” There are two sides (sometimes more) to every story. We always try to say something. But law firms, especially in Big Law, are conflicted out of commenting a lot of the time. Please understand that some clients specifically tell us that we cannot comment—in any way—on the work we do for them. It's not that we don't want to help you, it's that we can't help you.
Correction! After your story runs, and I notice a factual error and contact you about running a correction, please don't: 1) ignore me; 2) act like you are infallible; or 3) take days to make the correction. The beauty of online journalism is that you can make corrections and updates almost instantaneously.
CC me, please. I'm all for you having direct relationships with the attorneys I work for, and I know you'd much rather talk to them than talk to me, but can you keep me in the loop? Even just a cc on an email is helpful. My lawyers generally think I know about all of our contacts with the media, and when I don't, I look like a dunce.
On the cutting room floor. I know there's never a guarantee that everyone you interview for a story ends up being quoted, but can you at least give me a heads-up if you know we're going to make it into your story or not? It's always better if I can tell an attorney that we didn't end up being mentioned before the story runs.
Contact Vivia Chen at [email protected]. On Twitter: @lawcareerist.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllHSF's American Dream: What Will a U.S. Merger Mean For its Asia Practice?
Trending Stories
- 1Gibson Dunn Sued By Crypto Client After Lateral Hire Causes Conflict of Interest
- 2Trump's Solicitor General Expected to 'Flip' Prelogar's Positions at Supreme Court
- 3Pharmacy Lawyers See Promise in NY Regulator's Curbs on PBM Industry
- 4Outgoing USPTO Director Kathi Vidal: ‘We All Want the Country to Be in a Better Place’
- 5Supreme Court Will Review Constitutionality Of FCC's Universal Service Fund
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250