Valley PR Blog

Moving to the “Dark Side”

By Charlotte Risch on June 13th, 2008 In Media

Who better to have on your PR team, than someone who has worked in the media. Chris Cassachia’s article in today’s Phoenix Business Journal focuses on some former news journalists who have crossed over to the “Dark Side” and into PR.

When I left TV, I saw numerous job possibilities that would pay better and offer less stress than the craziness of a newsroom. Future employers saw the advantage of a former media type in their company…we had connections, understood the newsroom, their needs and had great multi-tasking skills.

When you leave the media, many times PR is an option. So is going to the government route and becoming a PIO or other media-related job. Becoming a consultant or entering the non-profit world is also appealing. I could rattle off more than two dozen friends and co-workers who once worked beside me at 15 and other stations and now breathe easier in a kinder, gentler environment…many times as a business owner or freelancer, too.

Don’t get me wrong. Its not easy right off the bat, but luckily, Phoenix is a small town and somebody knows someone. My first two pitches were handed to me from my former TV boss. I landed my first PR client from a referral of a reporter I used to work with. My first big non-profit client was referred to me by the anchors who were asked to emcee the event.

Its fun to meet up and do lunch or happy hour with old co-workers who “got out”. We sit around and reminisce (bitch) about the old days and revel in the current good times and money we make now. Thing is, if you loved news…you rarely leave and go to a humdrum job. News is like a drug. You find a way to still get your highs from it…which is why working in PR or as a PIO is a popular option.

For my friends in TV who are considering a change and afraid to leave…believe me…its scary at first…but out of that darkness of uncertainty you will soon find light!

Comments

It seems like that would be true but it’s not always so.

There is definitely an adjustment period for journalists when they move into PR. Though related, they are two entirely different animals.

Some skills, like writing news releases or pitching former colleagues are natural. Others like client management or trying to strategize over a broad spectrum of audiences, tactics and media are learned over a period of time.

i agree dan.one good thing is they learn to search for facts from their new pr clients rather than some who are trained–or instructed by a CEO or legal counsel–to embellish or gloss over. I have had friends from CBS, WSJ and other places who crossed over and they bring not only a freshness but their CEO’s start to value pr more because these reporters turned pr people are immune(at first!!) to spin.

I’m not sure having worked in the media for a long time makes one a better PR practitioner, but I am sure that having a journalism background of some kind gives one an edge when relating to the media. I have to admit I’ve been biased my whole career in PR when it comes to hiring — I look for journalism degrees and/or a few years at least as a reporter. Not only does it help on the relationship front, but more importantly journalists and journalism majors tend to be better writers — and I’ve already expressed my opinion on how much I value writing in the PR field.

That being said, I have met some good writers who have communications, PR or even English degrees — hell I’ve even met a few business majors who can write circles around most people. Of course I’m generalizing about journalism majors, but there’s always some truth to stereotypes. Plus, wouldn;t you know it, I’m a journalism major and former reporter.:)

Just in case anyone wonders…I did news promotion writing. I teased and promoted the news and statin image..I wasn’t a journalist or reporter. My degree was Broadcasting and Cinematic Arts. I think my strength now that I am in PR is that I already understand what is teasable and interesting and unique, because thats what I searched for in each news rundown.

I look forward to seeing how my summer intern works out…her last intership was at a newspaper. Will be curious to see how she views pitching news ideas and if that gives her an edge having already been on the “other side”. None of my previous interns had worked in a newsroom before. I am very grateful ASU pushes Journalism classes for PR students.

Ms. Risch:

Thank you for posting this. I was going to say something, but Dan Wool covered it. “There is definitely an adjustment period for journalists when they move into PR. Though related, they are two entirely different animals.”

It was many, many years ago I joined AT&T from newspapers. I had quite a learning curve. I ran to all the PR experts I could find. Curt Linke, now VP at John Deere, Allen Center and Glen Broom - who wrote the book used for the APR exam.

I even got my company to pay for an MBA so I’d understand business.

This from headhunters Heyman & Associates:
Journalists bring unique talents and perspective to the table:
Content Knowledge: Depending on their beat, reporters have a broader view of an industry than is available from within one organization. They have probably spoken to all of the key players in the space, as well as some smaller ones. They’ve watched trends evolve over time impartially, and they know how each company or product in the field is perceived by the public.

What Makes a Good Story: Journalists have a well-honed sense of what is newsworthy and what is not. This will help any company or group determine the value of their news.

Investigative Skills: A fundamental part of their job as a reporter is to use all available resources to get the information they need in an accurate and timely way. This can help solve many issues and challenges in ways you’ve never considered.

How to Work with Journalists: Finally, having been a working journalist, a reporter will know intuitively how to present information to reporters and what approaches are more likely to be well received, as well as how to respect timelines and deadlines.

if it only it was that easy. today, you don’t need credentials to be an internet reporter or a blogger and many pr people don’t understand how to pitch a client without being self serving. There are lazy reporters out there who either because they are too new, think TMZ.com is journalism or they are asked by editors to do 4 stories a day instead of well thought out stories a week, don’t always research. I sometimes think the mantra is: we never let the facts get in the way of a good story.” I respect many journalists and agree when they cross over, they bring a certain amount of expertise, but if journalism was high paying and adhered to standards established a long time ago, we’d find more good reporters staying where they are and doing some stellar work.

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