Mediaphyter – A Communications Cocktail

Dear Media,

While I spent the early part of my career writing for daily newspapers, it’s only been in my more recent ZDNet side gig in which I’ve begun receiving an overload of unsolicited email pitches. Some are very good and have led me to write some halfway decent stories. Others, however, epitomize the terrible errors made by poor PR people who don’t understand the craft.

It gave me flashbacks to my early years as a PR novice learning the ropes. I read through all of these pitches, feeling the heat of my nostalgic embarrassment wash over me as images of hitting the “send” or “call” button over and over again rapidly played in my mind. And while I quickly learned these lessons and also no longer do traditional PR, I am still ashamed.

Therefore, on behalf of myself and the seemingly unsavvy PR pros out there, dear media, I am sorry.

I apologize for every time I didn’t read your publication or regular articles and sent you a static pitch anyway. I am sorry for every time I followed up to follow up on a follow-up. I am sorry for every time you said you were busy and I begged for just 60 seconds. I am sorry for requesting a six-page dissertation explaining why you didn’t like my pitch. I’m sorry if I didn’t spend enough time preparing my spokespeople. I’m sorry if I inadvertently misled you and landed you in the middle of a sales pitch. I’m sorry if I sent the same pitch to you and eight other people on your team at the same time.

Don’t give up on PR, dear media. My youthful self and the fledgling PR pros didn’t and don’t yet know any better. My boss, who was a brilliant PR professional, quickly worked me into shape. With hope the bosses of these folks now sending us all terrible or inappropriate pitches will do the same.

I do understand, dear media, that there are many times in which PR people can be very helpful. I welcome emails from those people. They are kind and thoughtful and have read my blog and understand that I do not write about financial planning tools. They don’t hunt down my cell phone number and call me on a Saturday. They understand that sometimes I may not be able to write everything I want either due to breaking news or an overwhelming amount of other pressing stories. They talk to me even when they don’t want something.

So again, dear media, I apologize for ever having wasted your time.

Fondly,

Jennifer Leggio