<blockquote>"I agree with you whole-heartedly...I work very hard not to be one of 'those PR people,' and fakery in news is one of the main reasons I left the business...."</blockquote>
So...you dealt with your concerns by leaving the ranks of the spun to join the ranks of the spinners? Yet more proof that PR bears the same relationship to journalism as lobbying does to having served in Congress.
<blockquote>"...if he wanted to get Ryan Seacrest on a combine, we could make it happen. He bit on that idea too."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"Only with your permission, of course, I would love to contact you with examples I run across that may be of interest to you and your colleagues."</blockquote>
How CMD responds to that offer is of course their choice, but as a longtime fan of theirs I hope they won't bite. I believe the journalism/PR dynamic is one that could do with more polarization, not less.
Judith, thank you for your reply. An honest and humble response from me....I failed to mention in my previous response one of the most important points I wanted to emphasize. The email I sent to you was truly sent in error. I am aware of PR Watch and its mission. A case in point, I have never sent you an email before and, as stated earlier, will not contact you in the future. As a former reporter turned PR person, I agree with you whole-heartedly on the points you make regarding sloppiness on the part of PR professionals in pitching story ideas to the appropriate outlets, as well as fakery in the news. I work very hard not to be one of "those PR people," and fakery in news is one of the main reasons I left the business, so we really have more in common than you may think. In all honesty, I was stunned to see your post along with the picture of the circle I have spent months trying to keep under wraps for the show to reveal on the 29th. My first reaction was to think how my error may cause great and undesirable consequences for our story, but that's my problem and this dialogue about the state of affairs between the media and PR professionals is an important one. In fact,I share a lot of the same concerns PR Watch reports. Only with your permission, of course, I would love to contact you with examples I run across that may be of interest to you and your colleagues. If not, no problem. Respectfully, Jennifer Windrum
Dear Ms. Windrum,
Your response brings up several points, but doesn't actually disprove my point that I am barraged by unsolicited media releases.
Just because someone else put my name and email on a list or in a database doesn't mean I am soliciting your press releases, or anyone else's. Since these are not lists and databases that I actually asked to be in, or even know that names of, it isn't "very easy" to get removed from them. Plus, even if I <i>am</i> listed in these directories, a small amount of research would show who we are, and that we are not an appropriate recipient of this "news."
What I was pointing to was sloppiness in sending out embargoed information, not necessarily unethical practices. I would add though, that an embargo relies on an agreement between two parties, which was certainly not the case in this instance. You say that you "sent with explicit instructions to honor the embargo." I don't understand how you are in a position to "instruct" me what to do with information that ends up in my in box.
However, since you brought up the issue of ethics, readers might be interested to know that the [[Public Relations Society of America]]'s "new" code of ethics [http://www.prsa.org/aboutUs/ethics/preamble_en.html is quite telling]. For example: "Emphasis on enforcement of the Code has been eliminated. But, the PRSA Board of Directors retains the right to bar from membership or expel from the Society any individual who has been or is sanctioned by a government agency or convicted in a court of law of an action that is in violation of this Code." So basically, the PRSA probably won't bother holding its members accountable for anything unless they are actually caught breaking the law.
It's also interesting that you are a former journalist. CMD has often reported on the unhealthy relationship between [[PR and Journalism]], and how it often does a disservice to media consumers. One large area is that of fake news and [[video news releases]], which the PR industry has defended even in the face of [[Federal Communications Commission]] fines, which were inspired by [https://www.prwatch.org/fakenews/execsummary CMD research] and joint complaints with Free Press.
Finally, I am happy to hear that you won't send me anymore unsolicited media releases. And as you can see, your comment is available to all our readers.
This is awesome. So funny.
Kind of like if President Woodrow Wilson sent the Taxpayers for Common Sense a "heads up" email that he was signing the estate tax into law in three days...
Oops.
Rich
As a former reporter, I take my job as a PR professional very seriously. This includes honoring an embargo for the people I work with, whether it be a client or American Idol. Just to inform you, people aren't just "discovering" your email. You are listed as a media contact in professional media databases that nearly all PR agencies subscribe to that compiles media contact information so PR people DO NOT send unsolicited information. So if you want removed from the lists, it's probably a very easy to do so. This would prevent people from sending information to you altogether. I do NOT intentionally send emails to recipients who do not want to be contacted. If I did, not only would this be very bad PR practice, but it can have very negative consequences for my agency regarding becoming blacklisted by someone who does NOT want to be contacted. Again, an issue taken very seriously. While the email I sent regarding the EMBARGOED information may not be of interest to you, it is a legitmate news story that I sent with explicit instructions to honor the embargo. If anything, it shows that I truly do follow the rules. I don't think the Nebraska Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America would name me "Professional of the Year" if I didn't follow PR ethics and protocol. (Not boasting, merely making a point). My advice to you - get off those media lists so you can't be bothered by PR people's "drivel" any longer. I hope you share this email with your readers with the enthusiasm you posted my EMBARGOED email. And, rest assured, you will NOT be contacted by me in the future. Respectfully, Jennifer Windrum
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