PR People are... Annoying?!

Sad but true.

PR people are often desperate - desperate to get the media to attend our events, cover our press conferences, write about our products, etc. We bug (and beg!) them constantly to interview our clients, we call them to ask if they received our press kits, we call them again to ask when our stories are coming out. We're rather pushy, it seems!

As it is quite difficult to get the press to do all these things, we resort to sucking up. We ply them with gifts, give out goodie bags, provide free meals at our events; we throw parties for them, pamper them, fly them in business class, give them the VIP treatment - all in the hopes that they publish our stories.

While this may or may not be effective, our professionalism - both on our part and the part of the media - should not have to rely on a string of exclusive privileges. It has come to such a stage where the media EXPECTS these things from us, and sometimes even demand it. That should not be the way.

I may be idealistic, but there has to be a more dignified way to do PR. Surely begging, bugging and bribing are not the only means. As I wrote previously, mutual cooperation is the key to success in the relationship between the media and PR professionals. I do not think, however, that the Malaysian communications industry has reached that level of maturity.

Cheers,
John.