Journalist traits
By Editor on May 17, 2006 in industry, mediarelations
Dealing with the Indian media is a funny business. And when you do with for some years, you notice certain traits of journalists that you can use it to your advantage. Many of us know about this, especially those of us in the media team in PR agencies.
Nevertheless, some funny workarounds/ insights into journalist behavior cannot be missed:
- Don’t give more than two sentences about the story peg you are pitching. If the journalist asks for more information, provide a lot of company and spokesperson information instead
- Sometimes playing a publication against its rival works. For e.g. If ET did a story on an industry development, go to BS with a different view on that same industry, and most likely BS will bite. However, this is to be treaded with care. You don’t want the ET journo to think that your client is anti-ET.
- In a one-on-one interaction with your client, a journalist is interested and getting story material in what your spokesperson is speaking if he is noting them down; if he’s not, he’s just listening for his information
- After the interaction is over, we have been taught that we should only ask if they need more information. The new workaround is asking them in private – So, Sir, aaayega? dum hein?
- After the interaction, if the journalist doesn’t accept any gift from the client, you keep it with you for him. Later on, give it to him on the way back, or some other time. He will take it.
- A journalist will always turn up late for press conferences- the later they come, the more important they feel of themselves.
- In a press conference, they won’t ask any question during the Q&A session, but wait for the spokesperson to get alone
- Mobile phones will always ring in between interviews, press conferences, and nothing can stop it.
- Some even spit inside the client’s office, right in his room
- Many journalists do a lot of copy and paste, only that they don’t want anybody to notice it. The trick is to have your client email some bullets to the journalist after the interaction. That looks like confidential information that only he/ she is getting accessed to.
- If a press release doesn’t stand a chance to get carried, it is always better to work out a story putting in some more information through a one-on-one interaction, before issuing it.Once a story comes, we can issue the release to be picked up by whoever wants.
- If you can’t get your release picked up, fax it everyday to the news desk of all major publications for a week, you will get your chaapa if you get lucky and they have free space one fine day.
- Emotional dramas sometimes work in getting coverage or organising a media one-on-one
- In Delhi’s famous INS press building, there are three main groups- if you can catch the leaders of these groups, you get the whole INS junta at your press conference. (Of course I know them all 
- Daru pilana works with many journalists till today.
Read all of Hobbit’s posts – 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,
Technorati tags: PR, Public Relations, India, India Public Relations, India PR,Marketing, Client Servicing,Media Relations,
India Resource, Open Source PR
Popularity: 4% [?]
On May 18, 2006, sj said:
Absolutely Hilarious!!! and you’ve got it spot on!!! If anyone needs to know how crazy the PR industry this blog gives a pretty good description of it. Nice one hobbit!
On May 18, 2006, SJ said:
Ha!!!!!!! Hilarious!!! What more can one say??
On May 19, 2006, mediaedge said:
daringly honest, and adhere-to guidelines for the freshers
On May 19, 2006, hobbit said:
Or should freshers skip nursery and go to Class 1 straight
On Oct 16, 2006, Anonymous said:
Gud un.. but lemme correct you on a few points..
1. There ARE people like me who don’t write even if they are interested in a particular issue. At times I do it to keep the mystery …:-)
2. There ARE few people who don’t take gifts even out of view of the company guys…
3. Not every reporter’s phone rings in the middle of an interview and even if it does(mostly they are switched on to mute mode) they ignore it.. But I have experienced that what you mentioned stands 100% true for your clients.
4….The daru ploy doesn’t work with GOOD journos these days..most of them are like the oldies who anyway are rotten enough who can give some small time coverage which no one(including your PR newspaper scanners) will notice
On Oct 16, 2006, hobbit said:
There we have some more journalist feedback.
Hi anonymous, thanks for sharing your inputs. Of course, we all know the above points do not stand true with all everytime. There are different types of journalits just as there are different types of PR professionals. The pointers are just supposed to a light read. Nothing more. No offence meant. Believe me, we have been writing all the unspeakables about the PR people in this blog also
On Nov 1, 2006, bella said:
i know every one in media is not bad… but wat about those people who work with some top news paper and call u at mid night to give lesson on birds and bees.
or the people who are at very sr. post, phone u to say dat they’ve knocked a regular column to keep ur story…and sart talking bullshit, even though dey r old enough to be our grand’pa.
wat about dose people who use ur story word by word and give credit to some other brand??
wat do u say about people who sms u all of a sudden after 2 months and tell u dat he has fallen in love wid ur eyes.
some time i even wonder is it sin for a pr proffessional to be a girl?
or are we nothing more den piece of meat?
and if media people behave with a girl dis way wat shall v expect from other people??
On Jan 1, 2007, Anonymous said:
Dear Mr Hobbit
There’s a lot of truth in what u’ve said….but it’s no ‘FINAL WORD’ on a journalist’s antics!!!
U have the good, bad and the nastry ones. In my opinion, today’s young breed of journos, when they’re old enough to be called SENIORS, would be a highly refined lot.
Daru Pilana etc won’t work in the future Hob…
On Jan 2, 2007, Anon said:
They say power corrupts and whether we like it or not, journos are vested with power. While the ones who take this seriously maybe few and far between, the PR industry has to put up with the rotten apples.My advice to people like Bella wud be to be professional with em all…in the long run it works and bad apples get the message.
On Jan 29, 2007, Anonymous said:
These are some serious allegations against my lot and couldn’t digest well. I am rather old in the profession and do not have any of those traits mentioned.
Though I sympathize with the likes of Bella, I do not believe that PR girls have to take shit from journalists. If you complain about such behavior to their editors, I am sure of an ass-kicking they will receive.
Sujay Nair
On Jan 31, 2007, bella said:
Mr. Nair, you are right. But as I have said not every one is like those “unprofessional” Journalists, I know a lot of journalist who are highly professional and I respect them immensely. Its not that I took any sort of “shit” from them, though of course I have not reported the matter to respective editor, but I have given them exactly what they deserved. And how I pity them every time I bump in to them while I’m on media round. They don’t have the courage to look me in to eyesJ.
Bella
On Feb 26, 2007, Anonymous said:
Hi PR world,
Of my several years of expereince int he PR industry, journalists look forward to- GOOD STORY IDEAS and more good story ideas. and to respect their deadlines.
Journalists like nay other professionals have their own merits and demerits so lets not debate it. The only thing important in journalism is ‘Credibility and true to pen’. and rest dosen’t matter.
Cheers
Madhu
On Jun 14, 2007, Sujay said:
Good that there are people like you in the industry, Bella.
Otherwise the “goonda raj” will be sled by journos. I am sure lots of journo friends aren’t gonna like this though.
Sujay