In the process of putting together a post on why ex-journalists should not be ‘parachuted’ into the head of the organisational public relations function, I started a discussion in a few LinkedIn groups. The responses were mainly defensive in character and most could not tear themselves away from a seeming obsession with media relations.

I posted an initial collection of comments on this discussion on why ex-journos should not head the PR function last week. Here is part two. I hope you enjoy them. I did!

PR is full of those who can’t strategise

“As an “ex-journo” who has successfully headed a number of large corporate PR functions and has interviewed a lot of weak PR job candidates over the years, I could easily write a piece on why some PR people should not head the PR function. Our profession is still full of folks who can’t strategize, can’t write and don’t know how to find and formulate a story, much less pitch one. A lot of those abilities are developed through journalism experience at a high quality news organization with high standards.”

David Fluhrer

Public and Investor Relations Advisor, various organisations

Unlike old dogs, journalists can learn new tricks

“I think journalists who make a career switch mid way are, more often than not open to the idea of learning something new. Of course, there are exceptional cases of journalistic ego getting bigger than the boot, but most of the time I have found them adapting to the new realities very fast.

“The experience of working on various beats also gives them a cutting edge. And it is not just with the Corp Comm, they have excelled in various other management jobs as well, at least in this part of the world there are various case studies.

“I am yet to meet a client whose PR basket is not 70 per cent Media Relations centric. As far as debate is concerned, it is like a chicken and egg syndrome. What is the point of strategy if it can not be implemented, and what will you implement if there is no strategy as to why and what do you want to communicate? And yes, those without a media background would love to believe that journos are alien to strategy. IT IS NOT.”

Ravi Sinha

CEO, TRACK2MEDIA

Don’t mention the war…

“I think that PR people that have been journalists in the past are like retired soldiers. They will never forget about the war they had to have with the public relations specialists they interfered in their careers.”

Paul Dumitru

Journalist, MONEY Express

Journalists really, truly do ‘get’ strategy

“I believe an ex-journo, with proper, comprehensive PR training is in invaluable asset for an organization. He or she will ensure that detailed communication plans are in place for each activity of an organization and know what to watch out for to avoid turning a problem into a crisis. My 15 years of experience and training as a journalist has led me to pay attention to details; my PR training has allowed me to focus on the right ones.”

Gyula Kovacs

Coordinator, Communications, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada

It’s a big PR world out there

“…media relations is an important subset of public relations, but it’s not the entire operation. A PR pro needs to understand marketing, sales and customer relations, as well as writing. I know some outstanding writers who could never be PR people — it’s just not in their makeup. Others excel.”

Stephen Lawton

Owner / Consultant, AFAB Media Services

Journos’ skills sharpened by the ‘wars’

“… as a former Newsie, I have found that my News room acumen has been the reason for the best success in my PR years. No one can know the mind of a journalist unless one was/is one. It is a private world best cracked by one of their own. No better way to create or nose out or pitch a story than to have had to have reported on stories for REAL….if it paid better, I’d go back to TV or radio news for good! THAT was a blast of a job, I have always loved it.”

Sonya Snyder

CEO & President, Quill Communications, Inc

PR is more than pitching to media

“As a former journalist who moved into PR, I’d like to add that, IMO, most reporters do not have the skills to instantly move into being an account executive at a PR agency.

“Being an A/E is about more than simply knowing how to write well and how to pitch. You need to know how PR plans are structured and created, how to devise strategies and tactics, do competitive analyses, and measure PR. You need to learn the subtleties of public speaking so you can advise clients in the public spotlight on their communication styles. If you have to write speeches, you will find that the rhythms of the spoken word are more complex than the written, and require mastering different skills. (Not the least of them being actual rhetoric.)

“You also have to be able to manage clients, junior account staffers, contractors and subcontractors. At some smaller agencies, A/Es are expected to be headhunters that pitch and secure new clients, so a fair amount of hard selling can be involved.

“However, if two candidates have otherwise equal qualifications except for their major-journalism experience (or lack of it), I’ll be more interested in the former journalist–assuming she really can communicate well.

“But I’ve known some big-city journalists whose writing skills are so shockingly poor that the only reason their stories appear coherent at all is due to diligent copy editors.”

Steven Spenser

Principal, Praxis Communication/Seattle

“Our responsibility to our clients and our companies (if internal) is to COUNSEL clients on the ways of the world. The best PR practitioners I know don’t make it in the world as ‘yes people’.

“Media relations is but one avenue to pursue, but we all know there are scores of other things we can do.

I am still amazed to this day how many prospective clients think PR is media relations. So rather than fight it, I embrace it by counseling clients to first review the infrastructure of their PR plan. That one little nugget has made clients recognize they’re not ready for even media relations activity.

“ In fact, we take the infrastructure’ debate one step further by asking them to see how tight their entire communications suite is, and how ‘ready’  they are for going to market. Bottom line–let’s reinforce what we do as counselors; do that, and you win the battle in addition to the war.”

Michael Shmarak

President/Principal, Sidney Maxwell Public Relations

Your comments on these perspectives are most welcome, but you might like to move over to the actual posts they informed, the first arguing why ex-journalists should not be ‘parachuted’ into the head of the organisational public relations function, whilst the second takes a slightly different view, focusing on why, indeed, ex-journos have the potential to make great PR bosses (soon to be published).

PS. I’d welcome you joining networks with me through my LinkedIn profile. Send me an invite!

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Ex-journalists are not qualified and do not have the relevant experience to be ‘parachuted’ into the head of the organisational public relations function.  When this occurs, “it is a disaster waiting to happen,” according to one of my peers. And not least because public relations is a two-way process and journalism is a one-way process.

Public relations professionals are trained to create mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and its stakeholders. This necessitates an understanding of, and capability in, communicating in a meaningful, valuable manner with all relevant parties. Journalists communicate to, not with. Hence, their strategic communication and relationship management experience and capabilities are limited.

Strategic communication is about so much more than opinions or news being broadcast (journalists’ specialty) with little concern for the response they will provoke amongst stakeholders/audiences.

Public relations is not about the ‘control’ of relationships. Rather, it is about facilitating a best-possible outcome between an organisation and its stakeholders. Principles of public relations that need to be considered for this to occur include:

• Dialogue – at the very heart of effective public relations (i.e. not simply ‘broadcast’. Inherent in the notion of dialogue is that an organisation is actually hearing and responding to what its stakeholders are saying and, hence, respecting them)
• Negotiation (i.e. to bring about a win-win scenario)
• Collaboration (working together with stakeholders to generate fresh perspectives, new ideas and resolutions to issues)
• ‘Accommodation’ (i.e. modifying or evolving processes and behaviour).

These principles are not what journalists are trained in. This is not to say that they are not capable of applying such notions, but without requisite training (e.g. university study) and experience they will obviously be way behind the 8-ball compared to those who have done the training and have the experience.

Journalists’ attitudes are too negative to build relationships

“I have never seen a journalist succeed on the corporate side,” said Paul Cargill, Global Communications Team Lead at Cargill. “A PR professional is, at the core, an advocate. They find a way to tell their company or client’s story when there really isn’t one. They always look for ways to promote their client in ways that will be accepted as news.

“A journalist is the opposite, said Paul. “He/she is a trained sceptic. Their skill is to poke holes. When one does that inside a corporation, it is not welcome. Yes, you need to bullet-proof messages or pitches with tough thinking. But if you are not perceived as trying to make the story work instead of pointing out how it won’t, you won’t be around long.”

They are also typically negative, prioritising discussions on bad news. PR pros do flag the negative with our organisations, but our focus is on building mutually positive relationships and that will not occur by being ‘down’ on everything.

Stakeholder advocates

One particular dimension that academic study emphasises that I believe ex-journalists struggle with is the notion that strategic public relations professionals need to act as ‘in-house activists’. At its most elemental, this means the PR pro will often represent the views of external organisational stakeholders and prompt an organisation to evolve based on these views.

This may be in the context of changing the nature of a development of pristine bushland, what constituents are included in a product, how a product is manufactured (e.g. no sweat shops please) or simply the way in which information is communicated to stakeholders or how the organisation-stakeholder dialogue should take place.

Public relations requires leadership

To quote my modest peer of mine again, “PR is a management function; journalists (even senior ones on $$$) are typically ‘worker bees’. It’s quite a head shift to move from one to the other. I know that even at 21, fresh out of uni I saw my job as helping management succeed – whereas journalists moving into PR tend to have quite a different mindset about their function in an organisation.”

Communication strategy

Ex-journalists have no background in the design or analysis of market research, a critically important element of public relations. Market research provides us with the data we need to put together holistic, evidence-based communication strategies and to create benchmarks against which the success of our work can be measured.

Nor is a journalist is not trained in employee communication or community liaison. They have no experience in the sensitivities involved or the most effective means through which to communicate to these stakeholders.

Which leads me to the fact that, OH YES, journalists have no training in putting together these holistic communication strategies, the absolute screaming Jane bedrock of what we do.

As my mysterious peer said to me, “PR is a strategic discipline – journalism is not. (Just eight words, yet so much in that!)”

We don’t shoot from the hip in one-off communication salvos (a la an article in a newspaper or a segment on a white trash current affairs show), we develop strategic themes and drivers to underpin coordinated and multi-faceted activity that uses a range of communication tactics. The communication strategies are often relevant for years. They are not stories that are produced then quickly fade out of focus.

Public relations’ tactical breadth

PR is not a synonym for media relations. Nor is crisis communication the only function a senior PR operative undertakes. And whilst media relations is a major component of crisis communication, it is only one element.

Public relations – as we surely all know!!! – is comprised of a diversity of these tactical communication elements. Journalists are frequently not familiar with the nuances, challenges and opportunities of these elements:

• Publication production (e.g. annual reports, brochures etc)
• Event management
• Social media
• Website/online communication
• Database management
• Round tables and white paper production
• Community consultation
• School and community education
• Sponsorship.

Without having worked in some of these areas in a hands-on capacity, a person’s ability will be limited when:

• considering whether they are an appropriate tactic to include in a communication strategy
• empathising with the person implementing their tactical implementation
• providing counsel, direction and leadership to those implementing the tactic
• knowing what elements of the tactic to prioritise, partly because they will not be aware how long each element takes to complete.

Journalists often take a biff and barge approach to their content. Sometimes it’s hit and miss. Strategic communicators cannot afford to take this approach. It can take years to establish (and win back, where it’s lost) good will and a positive reputation.

One of our roles is to find areas where organisations and their stakeholders can ‘accommodate’ each other, as well as identifying commonalities then building upon them, rather than deepen divisiveness.

Public relations build. Journalists – after you strip away the spin of being society’s conscience – are too focused on destruction. They, unlike public relations professionals, are problem not solution-oriented.

There is a world of difference between the two professions.

In a following post I will posit a range of reasons why ex-journos can be excellent PR practitioners? Would you like to pre-empt my thoughts? Did you agree with those notions I captured here? What do you think, and what is your experience of, journalists who have been parachuted into head of PR functions?

There has been a lot of comment on this through a range of LinkedIn discussion groups already, including Public Relations Professionals, Corporate Communication, PR Professionals and the Public Relations Institute of Australia. A number of these comments on ex-journalists being the boss of PR have been summarised in a post on this blog.

PS. I’d welcome you joining networks with me through my LinkedIn profile. Send me an invite!

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In the process of putting together a post on why ex-journalists should not be ‘parachuted’ into the head of the organisational public relations function, I started a discussion in a few LinkedIn groups. The responses were mainly defensive in character and most could not tear themselves away from a seeming obsession with media relations.

In the main, the two-way symmetrical, relationship building and accommodation aspect of public relations was ignored. The broader strategic capability and multi-tactical design, management and implementation issues also took a very low profile.

But there were lots of smart, wise and insightful comments left as well, including those that didn’t address the core issue, for whatever reason, and took the discussions in a lateral direction. All good.

The main groups that hosted the discussions were Public Relations Professionals, Corporate Communication, PR Professionals and the Public Relations Institute of Australia. Below I have included a number of the more interesting (and/or humourous)  quotes. I’ll post another collection next week.

Enjoy!

Journalists don’t do dialogic

“While a journalistic background can definitely be advantageous to the PR function (particularly for media relations), it does have it’s limitations.

“PR is a broad field that involves everything from issues management, crisis communication, media relations to community consultation. Each of these areas requires specific skills and knowledge, which ex-journalists may not have or even be aware of.

The other thing is that PR is intended to be a dialogue between an organisation & its publics/audiences. Having a strong news background may cause an ex-journo to focus too much on providing an information stream or selling in stories about an organisation, rather than actually communicating.

“Importantly part of the PR function should be about obtaining feedback from the public/stakeholders and using this information to make positive changes within an organisations – it’s not just about pushing a news agenda.

“This is not to say an ex-journo can’t be a great PR director, however they may have a limited idea about the potential of PR.”

Catherine Guyder

PR Account Manager, Wordstorm

Research, behaviour changing and communication strategy

“Most journalists coming straight from the press are focused on one-way information transmission–that’s what they’ve done all their careers. They are all about the message for the message’s sake.

“Corporate communication requires at least three additional ways of looking at the job:

1. Actively researching and seeking out feedback from your stakeholder groups

2. Focusing on using communication to help facilitate the right behaviors from your stakeholder groups. Sometimes that means communicating less information, but the right information to get the job done.

3. Having a long-term, strategic perspective.”

Angela told an anecdote of an ex-journo who was promoted several times because of his ability to handle crises. “Now that he’s in the top role, he has restructured the communication function and eliminated all planning and research. As he said, ‘I’m good at handling crises. Why would I want to do anything to prevent crises?’ I think that captures it well!”

Angela Sinickas

Owner, Sinickas Communications

Poor journos discriminated against – hold the headline!

“…any type of sweeping statement like this is doomed to failure and is a discrimination our profession can do without.

“Like anybody coming into our world from any profession, there are always going to be weaknesses that need to be addressed. In my view, it comes down to the values people bring to the work that they do. What are the values of people who are attracted to journalism? And how do they compare to the values of an organisation?

“In my experience, many ex-journalists initially have difficulty with concepts of supporting the corporate vision, reputation building and relationship management in a corporate sense. They can be focused on the now, as they were (often forced) as journalists. And many over-estimate the impact of a single media story and the media generally. But some I have worked with have been excellent at these skills.”

Geoff Barbaro

Leadership communications professional

Journalists defend themselves

“Well, I’ve always been amused to hear the pro-journalist argument emanating from…surprise, surprise!…ex-journalists. As someone who has straddled the fence at times (as both a writer and media relations guy), I must say that its a toss-up.

“I’ve seen former reporters and editors who’ve been sharp when it comes to story development but surprisingly lame when it comes to pitching those stories. I’ve also seen non-media folks with well-honed instincts for developing and placing stories but lacking in more general management and communication skills.”

Michael McWilliams

Public interest communicator, advocate, and social entrepreneur

Journalists never succeed

“As a journalist by training and a PR guy by profession, I have never seen a journalist succeed on the corporate side. A PR professional is, at the core, an advocate. They find a way to tell their company or client’s story when there really isn’t one. They always look for ways to promote their client in a ways that will be accepted as news.

“A journalist is the opposite. He/she is a trained sceptic. Their skill is to poke holes. When one does that inside a corporation, it is not welcome. Yes, you need to bullet-proof messages or pitches with tough thinking. But if you are not perceived as trying to make the story work instead of pointing out how it won’t, you won’t be around long.”

Roger Bentley

Global Communication Lead, Cargill

Your comments on these perspectives are most welcome, but you might like to move over to the actual posts they informed (um, and posted…which is not yet), the first arguing why ex-journalists should not be ‘parachuted’ into the head of the organisational public relations function, whilst the second takes a slightly different view, focusing on why, indeed, ex-journos have the potential to make great PR bosses.

PS. I’d welcome you joining networks with me through my LinkedIn profile. Send me an invite!

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In the ever-clichéd – and oh-so-simplistic – battle between the good and evil of public relations and journalism, it is journalism that is more often the devil incarnate.

Mainstream media, when given a choice between a good-news and a feel-bad story, well, you know which way the editor/chief of staff/producer is going to go. There is no decision for most editors and journalists to make between running a story with a positive, hopeful perspective and that of a negative perspective.

A recent example of this is the particularly mean-spirited coverage across mainstream media of Socceroo Tim Cahill. Cahill had media finger pointing at him for being drunk and booted out of a nightclub. It ends up there was no case to answer.

Of course, we only have ourselves to blame. Presumably we buy/tune in/search for/respond to the media that features the negative vibes.

Building relationships

Public relations, in opposition to the majority of contemporary mainstream media, helps build and maintain relationships. Its intent is the opposite of media’s reality, which is seemingly to be divisive. When operating at its optimum, strategic potential, public relations is about helping organisations and their stakeholders (often large swathes of society) understand and empathise with each other.

At its absolute apogee, public relations can help both organisations and their stakeholders change their behaviours so all parties are more aligned with each other. It is not about pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes, it is not about propaganda. It is about all relevant parties helping to see each other more clearly and with greater equanimity.

If you use the metaphor of law, media takes a confrontational, litigious approach, whereas public relations is more negotiation and, to a lesser degree, conciliation-centred.

Why so negative?

One day I would like someone in the Fourth Estate to show me the research that proves we do predominantly want the negative stories/focus and it does help the media moguls make money.

If was proven scientifically the community did want all the bad news the media serves up to them, then social commentators and the government and, maybe, selective media would potentially give them a serve for catering to society’s lowest common denominator. By doing that, the logical conclusion is that the media is then actually encouraging a more negative societal mindset.

And if research pointed out that we didn’t want so much bad news or negative/non-hopeful perspectives on issues, then how does that position the media? As undermining people’s aspirations for hope and yearnings for more positive perspectives?

Media, clearly, has an inherent social responsibility. It serves an incredibly important purpose (I’m not going there, but let’s leave just use a few terms like freedom, education, knowledge, community, democracy), but it is a purpose that is often unfulfilled. It is a shame that it has become so debased by its insistence of focusing on the negative.

There are plenty who will argue that the purpose of the media has always been to cater to the community’s predilections, no matter how negative, solipsistic or inane. Equally, however, there are plenty of media apologists who will burn in hell before they budge from the belief that the role and responsibility of media is to get to the heart of, and make public, key issues that impact on society.

 The black and white, for and against, media raison d’être argument is:

• It exists purely to make money for its owners/shareholders
• It provides a social service for the good of all society.

 Media survives on public relations’ assistance

Of course, it’s a symbiotic relationship between public relations and the media and there are multiple examples of crossover between them. But the media – with the ever-increasing destruction of its resources by the moguls continuing apace – should realise what a good wicket/pitch/court/etc they are on when PR professionals do so much of their work for them:

• Research
• Creative (and often socially important) story ideas
• The lining up of 3^rd party interviewees
• Issues options
• Opinion piece drafting
• Helping interviewees speak coherently (oh the media will love this; and yes I despise media coaching when its gets to its governmental anti-apex of ultra-spin, but there really is a mutually agreeable middle ground!).

Without the provision of information from PR professionals to B2B media the existence of that sector would, in particular, be profoundly threatened. It simply would not have the resources to exist. And with some statistics saying that 80% of mainstream media stories are generated, or extensively assisted, by PR initiatives, then media as a whole might not be far from the scrapyard as well

At the end of the day, journalists should thank their stars for the PR industry. They would be lost without us.

[For those on LinkedIn and in the Corporate Communication group, a discussion on this post can also be found here. Another discussion can be found on Australian media and marketing website mUmBRELLA, where this post was syndicated.]

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