Six irritating journalist mistakes, from Hacked Off Flack

Hacked Off Flack

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Date: 16 February 2012 16:07

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We all make mistakes sometimes. Some of us more than others (you have to imagine me with a sheepish expression on my face right now). But what drives me really mad is when a journalist screws up and it makes me look like a cock.

So here are my top six journo balls -ups:

1. After I spent hours researching a story (okay my assistant did) and locating great spokespeople, the story ran with no mention of the client's company name. "Oh it must have got cut out" was the excuse.

2. In another story the journalist did remember to quote my client. But unfortunately spelt his name wrong.

3. My client rang me up in fits of rage because all her comments had been taken out of context. She had also been referred to as ‘he’ throughout the story.

4. Us flacks have to be careful what we say to journalists, but some journalists are not as discreet. I have a lot of dirt on one particular magazine editor that may come in handy one day.

5. There is one journalist I meet up with who has always made it quite clear what he thinks of the PR industry. So I almost fell off my chair when he asked me for a job last time we met. Not his finest hour.

6. I think the biggest mistake that journalists make though, is behaving immorally and telling lies. I am sure you can all think of a few examples, and The Leveson Inquiry has thrown up plenty more.

Comments

My personal favourite has always been: writing a whole article which is a tissue of lies (and which has been demonstrated to be so objectively) and then refusing to run the company's statement which says "this is absolutely untrue". Name: Bankflak Date: 21 Feb 2012 02:30 PM
Number 1 KILLS ME... They usually don't apologise either. They just kind of shrug and say "ah well, that's how it is." Then they take to Twitter to complain about our audacity in requesting coverage! LOL... I really don't think journalists understand how much work we put into our jobs, and how much it damages their credibility with us and our clients when this kind of thing happens. That or they just don't care! Name: libby Date: 22 Feb 2012 01:20 PM
Right then, as a hack, this is where I make myself unpopular... I agree with any complaints about inaccuracy. There's no excuse for it. But I think PR folk need to share the blame for not getting the client's name in print or on air. So many PR don't get the idea that journos aren't there to advertise their client. If you give me a story where you make your client incidental to the news then you have to expect they won't feature. It's up to you to make your client indispensable to the story. Journos by and large don't feel they owe you anything for giving them a story and more importantly anyone who's any good will want to feel the story they run is from their analysis of the story, not just a puff for a company fed to them as an advert. So it's up to you to make sure they have to put your client in as an integral part of the story. Name: Michael HowToPR.co.uk Date: 23 Feb 2012 08:49 AM
Sorry, I should add 'puff' is broadcast speak for a story with no real news value. Name: Michael Date: 23 Feb 2012 09:20 AM
if press relases from PR departments dissapear one day... poor lazy journalist, they would have to work for first time in their lives, trying to find news on the street intead of receivin them so easily in their computers. dont bite the hand that feeds you, journo! great to find finally an article about journalist mistakes, when internet if full of PR mistakes lists... journalists who arrive 30 minutes late to an interview journalists who lost your mail so you have to send them again and again the same info... they are lazy even to use the search tool on their outlook journalist just interested in the free food or drinks of the event .... Name: Loretta Date: 27 Apr 2012 11:22 AM

My personal favourite has always been: writing a whole article which is a tissue of lies (and which has been demonstrated to be so objectively) and then refusing to run the company's statement which says "this is absolutely untrue".

Name: Bankflak

Date: 21 Feb 2012 02:30 PM

Number 1 KILLS ME... They usually don't apologise either. They just kind of shrug and say "ah well, that's how it is." Then they take to Twitter to complain about our audacity in requesting coverage! LOL... I really don't think journalists understand how much work we put into our jobs, and how much it damages their credibility with us and our clients when this kind of thing happens. That or they just don't care!

Name: libby

Date: 22 Feb 2012 01:20 PM

Right then, as a hack, this is where I make myself unpopular... I agree with any complaints about inaccuracy. There's no excuse for it. But I think PR folk need to share the blame for not getting the client's name in print or on air. So many PR don't get the idea that journos aren't there to advertise their client. If you give me a story where you make your client incidental to the news then you have to expect they won't feature. It's up to you to make your client indispensable to the story. Journos by and large don't feel they owe you anything for giving them a story and more importantly anyone who's any good will want to feel the story they run is from their analysis of the story, not just a puff for a company fed to them as an advert. So it's up to you to make sure they have to put your client in as an integral part of the story.

Name: Michael
HowToPR.co.uk
Date: 23 Feb 2012 08:49 AM

Sorry, I should add 'puff' is broadcast speak for a story with no real news value.

Name: Michael

Date: 23 Feb 2012 09:20 AM

if press relases from PR departments dissapear one day... poor lazy journalist, they would have to work for first time in their lives, trying to find news on the street intead of receivin them so easily in their computers. dont bite the hand that feeds you, journo! great to find finally an article about journalist mistakes, when internet if full of PR mistakes lists... journalists who arrive 30 minutes late to an interview journalists who lost your mail so you have to send them again and again the same info... they are lazy even to use the search tool on their outlook journalist just interested in the free food or drinks of the event ....

Name: Loretta

Date: 27 Apr 2012 11:22 AM

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