Getting lit up: How PR people become the story

Every now and then my email will suddenly become inundated with emails from friends and colleagues in the PR industry all emailing me one story.  Before evening opening any one of these notes I know exactly what the content of the story will be — a story featuring some PR person doing something stupid.

Sometimes it’s just poor a quote or subtle reference to tension between PR and reporter but most likely it’s a full story focused squarely on something a PR person did to irk a reporter.  For an industry dedicated to speaking with reporters on a daily basis, it’s a little ironic how paranoid we can be about ending up in a media story.  I wonder if the people who juggle flaming sticks are equally amazed when someone in their field inadvertently sets themselves on fire.

The best story I’ve seen lately where a PR “pro” metaphorically set themselves ablaze was when Beyonce’s PR rep emailed the infamously snarky BuzzFeed to request they take down less-than-flattering photos of the superstar.  (Note: I have no way of knowing exactly how the Beyonce issue was handled.  All commentary below is not specific to any particular situation).

It’s a situation in which almost every PR pro has found themselves dealing with at one time or another.  An important client calls up incredulous at what a media outlet has decided to publish and demands a change.  Instead of taking a few minutes to think through how best to handle the request, the PR person does exactly what they were told and fires off an email to the outlet.

No one likes corrections.  PR people don’t like asking for them, and reporters almost never like changing their story (unless it’s a simple mistake like misspelling a name).  Because both sides aren’t going to enjoy the conversation, it’s human nature to avoid conflict and opt for email.  This is a fundamental mistake on the PR person, especially when dealing with a publication that publishes stories incessantly and on almost any topic.

While uncomfortable, a simple phone call is critical.  It will give the PR person a sense of how the reporter reacts to the request and, most of all it will not give the reporter a chance to turn the request into a standalone story.

Not every reporter is looking to turn a PR person’s email into a story.  We’re just not that interesting.  However, there is a certain line where a reporter is almost required to put pen to paper and let the world know what we are up to behind the scenes.  In my opinion this almost always happens when a PR person mixes pushiness with a genuinely bad idea.

As PR people we need to defend our clients and push back against reporters from time to time.  But we also need to consider the reporter, understand the media outlet and most of all, evaluate the clients demand.

Now that BuzzFeed is launching a business vertical, I would caution my colleagues in the field to think twice before asking them to take down embarrassing photos of their hedge fund clients.