Valley PR Blog

PR spam and one way to manage it

By Angelo Fernando on June 19th, 2008 In Best Practices

You may have heard the recent outcry about PR Spam that is not entirely a new issue.

So in the light of this, I see Shel Holtz has reviewed one application called NewsVetter –”media directed PR” — that helps the media filter spam pitches, and PR practitioners to build better relationships with the media. The interesting thing is that NewsVetter was created by PR consultant, Andrew Fowler.

Comments

When are we going to focus on training people to think strategically and write well? It’s not the press release, it’s the press releaser. Our industry should be ashamed that there’s even a market for these products.

@Angelo: Thanks for the post.

@Dan: I agree, quality is a major issue and more training is certainly one way to address it. Personally, all of my PR training happened on the job rather than in the classroom. I could have really benefited from an app like Newsvetter. PR people are often put in the position (by clients or their managers) of promoting news that really isn’t newsworthy or hasn’t really been fully fleshed out. Newsvetter is a training tool of sorts, because it makes those things really apparent to all parties involved. In addition, journalists and bloggers on Newsvetter have an opportunity to rate and comment on news they like and dislike. This hopefully will encourage good behavior from PR people.

I agree Andrew and I don’t mean to give the impression that Newsvetter isn’t useful. It is. Newsvetter helps create sorely needed focus, which is good.

I applaud those like yourself who are turning lemons into lemonade — or perhaps, bad apples into cider.

I just lament how we got to this point. (At the same time as Angelo’s post got a particularly bad pitch from an NYC firm for the blog). We’re getting away from simple blocking and tackling skills of PR.

PR pros have gotten lazy and now the lazy are training the newbies.

What happened to doing your homework? To going to the newsstand (now also the blogosphere) and flipping through publications to see which writers might be appropriate to pitch. What happened to tailoring a pitch to suit the client’s needs?

Instead, press release blasts have become default. Because of this, the media are revolting and I for one don’t blame them. It would be one thing if it was entirely small businesses or the unskilled taking advantage of free press release distribution sites, but it’s not — it’s people at PR firms.

It’s not the press release, it’s the press releaser.

Dan, that last line captures it all!

Agreed. One journalist forwarded press releases and pitches that arrived in his inbox over a week period. Of the 340 press releases/pitches I reviewed only 52 were relevant to this editor and his publication. That says a lot too.

How about it’s the people employers hire? There are 100s of trained, highly skilled communications professionals in Phoenix - unemployed. Who gets chosen? The 22-year old blond who a week ago was a waitress/secretary.

For 20 years employers have been “dumbing down” PR in Phoenix through their selection process. I know many, many consummate professionals who can’t get hired because of their age or sex.

How did we get to this point? Good question!

During the Internet bubble days a lot of companies made a LOT of money by hiring anyone with a pulse and turning them into “PR people” to spin stories. Even credible companies like e-Bay now proudly brag that their “history” was total spin produced by their PR staff. The practices have just carried over to the rest of the business world and will continue unless there are some clear ramifications for fabrications and hype. Meanwhile, employers who see this as the model for “free advertising” through PR will continue to expect these practices from their agencies and staff. I’m aware of major brands that base PR staff compensation on production quotas, including “number of releases sent” quotas, thus the incentive to spam as many reporters as possible with “press releases” that are nonsense. It’s appalling and past time for real PR practioners to take back the profession.

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