An article I recently posted produced some fascinating and yet equally depressing responses from people in the PR and communications industries.
The post was a link to one of our blogs, called ‘why bad press releases make terrible spokespeople’ and focused on how people with little or no comms experience, media training or even understanding of how the media works, often have a say in the work of the comms and PR teams.
The frustration expressed in the blog certainly seemed to strike a chord with readers.
One commentator said that comms are often not seen as ‘equal professional partners in organisations’ and asked whether anyone questions the role of the accountant or finance person releasing figures for annual reports.
Another said that PR employees are not given the same amount of recognition as colleagues in other departments and added ‘sometimes it is because the rest do not understand what PR is all about and how the function is able to contribute to the organisation’s development’.
Another comment said the article rang true ‘for so many daily battles for the PR and comms teams’.
All this got me thinking about why comms teams do not get more credit and why so many other people think they should, and are well placed to, question their decisions.
Perhaps it’s because many people are under the misapprehension that media coverage is free? This is something that really gets my back up. It is a naïve view that makes it sound as though it’s easy to generate positive coverage for an organisation and that anyone can ‘do PR’. It gives the completely wrong impression about the PR, media and comms industries.
As someone that runs one of the largest and longest running media training companies in the UK and that has worked with over 40% of the FTSE100 I can tell you that there is no such thing as free media.
The recipe for gaining media coverage includes skilled PR professionals, a well thought out media and comms plan, superbly trained, briefed and committed spokespeople and excellent messages that engage a specific audience. Not to mention a lot of hard graft, commitment and entrepreneurialism.
In short, media publicity is not free - it's earned.
'Media publicity is not free - it's earned' via@mediafirstltd
Perhaps also too many people are drawn to give their views because they believe media and PR is exciting and glamorous and they simply want to be involved? The reality of course is there is little glamorous or sexy about trying to find a news hook in a turgid annual report. While being inundated with calls from journalists during a crisis communications incident is, to many, more stressful than exciting.
Maybe media and PR are tainted with this naïve view as they are similar to other creative industries such as photography and design? Seemingly because everyone has a camera and an Apple Mac with Photoshop installed it empowers them to have an opinion or be able to comment on a piece of design? Perhaps it’s the same with media and PR? After all, we can all write and speak so our opinions must be aired! Forget the fact that the PR and media team have been working in that industry for years, potentially have some related qualifications or degrees, and have clocked up millions of hours obsessing over your corporate messages, the media and talking to journalists to understand what makes them tick.
Of course, I appreciate this somewhat ranty blog is unlikely to change things for comms and PR teams. Perhaps that can only be done through education and more education about what the media and PRs actually do and what they achieve? I also acknowledge that there are some great businesses, managers, directors and leaders out there that understand the true value of their media and comms teams.
Perhaps a simple starting point would be to agree a much streamlined sign-off process for comms work? My suggestion would be to have a message development sheet approved internally and that the actual PR work is left to the comms team and signed off only by the comms lead (director /manager) who should have the authority and respect within the organisation not to be questioned on their core area of expertise.
I’d love to hear your views and experiences about how comms and PR teams are viewed and your thoughts on how relationships can be improved. Comment below or email me at james@medifirst.co.uk
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