Do they ask you too?

By Charlotte Shaff on November 30th, 2009 In Advice

I can’t be the only one. Are you getting requests for coffee meetings or emails from a personal email address of someone in the media asking about work in PR? As traditional media continues to downsize, some journalists are considering the “dark side”. Sometimes it is out of desperation when they hear their last day could be soon. Others just get frustrated with too much to do and less time to do it as staff are cut, but workloads increase.  Some see a decline in the passion of journalism, either within themselves or around them in the newsroom. This blog post by Jenn Burgess, a former Valley TV anchor/reporter seems to convey a lot of what I hear from my friends in TV, too. I also just saw this quote “Overheard in the Newsroom” on Facebook.

#2275: Reporter: “Last year on my self-evaluation I wrote a lot because I was frustrated. This year I will write little because I’m defeated.”

A sign of the times? I think so.

Is PR the right move for these frustrated and fearful journalists? I would say I get approached or contacted at least once every other month by a friend in the media looking for advice and wondering if PR may pay off as a new venture. I’m told it is because I seem to have successfully made the transition from TV. I’d like to say that is true. I am feel much more in control of my life and happiness now that I don’t work under the thumb of micromanagement and the negativity of news that I encountered. But, if news is what drives you, I don’t know if PR will be the right fit. Just because you get what is happening on the “other side” doesn’t always mean you will enjoy PR.

I try to offer as much insight as I can when approached about work in PR after news. Some days I feel like there is plenty of room and work for them to come to our side. Other times I wonder if I am shooting myself in the foot by encouraging someone else to be a competitor. In the end, though, when they ask if I think PR is the right move, I tell them to go with their gut. I am curious to know if you are approached about your work and the PR industry. What have you seen? And for those of you working alongside someone who just came over to the “dark side”, do you see them doing a good job and enjoying what they do now? Or is there a feeling of emptiness that only a crazed newsroom can fulfill?

Do they ask you too?

Comments

Becky Armendariz Says:
November 30th, 2009 at 11:22 pm

I’ve had several of these coffees recently. My advice to all of them has been that they need to have an understanding of all the components of PR before jumping on the horse. PR (at least in the hospital-setting I work in) is so much more than media. Yes, pitching media is a big chunk of my day, but our department is responsible for the internal communication, physician relations, strategic comm planning, marketing, social media, Web site…and much much more! Not saying they cannot do all that, but they should be prepared to walk into an interview with stock in more than just their media contacts. :)

Linda VandeVrede Says:
December 1st, 2009 at 9:06 am

One of the differences I’m guessing would be the management structure of a corporation, if they chose to pursue PR for a company, vs. whatever the stucture is like in a newspaper or TV station. Depending on how they would fare reporting to a marketing VP would shed light on how happy or unhappy they might be in PR.

Barb Harris Says:
December 1st, 2009 at 9:16 am

i just had this happen last week…after a live shot with a local TV station. The reporter stated that someday when she is “done with TV” she wants to “get into” PR. She asked a few questions about my “typical” day (don’t have one). I had to explain that as newsrooms shrink, media relations becomes a smaller part of my job. For my clients, I’m expected to know marketing, social media, promotions, event planning and strategy. She realized that what she was good at was putting together a story, so maybe PR wasn’t for her.

Linda Capcara Says:
December 1st, 2009 at 9:16 am

During my time at Motorola SPS, we had a print journalist join the corporate PR team. After about three months, he went fleeing back to the paper. At the time, print media wasn’t in such dire straits so he was lucky to get his old job back quickly. His news writing style was ingrained and he found it very difficult to write in press release format. He also couldn’t shake the feeling that he was on the “dark side”. He prefered being a part of the Fourth Estate. I think the transition is often more difficult that some journalists imagine.

Pat Elliott Says:
December 1st, 2009 at 9:31 am

I’ve counseled journalists, and others, who want to move into PR for six plus years through volunteer roles with local job support groups. I typically encounter a person who’s only seeing a small slice of what a PR pro does and may not have a realistic understanding of job requirements and salary levels. Those of us in the trenches every day who stay current on changes in PR are the best resource for anyone considering working in our field. Career changers also need to talk to several people. Just as journalists have varying standards of excellence and work for varied forms of media, public relations work also comes in many forms and flavors and it may take a while to figure out what suits one’s palate and talents.

Linnea Maxwell Says:
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:15 pm

It always happens during a recession – people get laid off and there’s an increase in independents and consultants at the luncheon tables. Everybody’s chasing the same clients. I don’t know why the journalists think coporate work is the “dark side.” That kind of thinking makes me want to suggest massage school, HVAC repair or dog grooming. Supposedly there’s a good demand in those fields.

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