What journalists really want from PR folks

In the B2B world, the relationship between media folks and PR professionals is vital yet frequently hampered by clumsy communication strategies. It’s mostly due to a fundamental misunderstanding of how the media industry actually operates. 

In my two and a half years at exchange4media, I’ve met countless PR professionals. Yet, only a few managed to make a lasting impression with their initial outreach—those are the ones who are on my speed dial. The rest? They’re still in the “maybe” queue. 

My article is for those who are open to feedback, keen to understand how the media industry works, and eager to boost the chances of their pitches/press releases getting noticed by scribes. 

First and foremost, understand that a journalist’s job is a whirlwind of tracking breaking news, writing reports, digging through data, chatting with sources and officials, attending events, and rubbing elbows with top leaders. In the digital age, it’s a relentless race against time—sometimes stretching well into the night. It’s not just a job; it’s a marathon with no finish line.

This job demands Herculean concentration, non-stop communication, and constant collaboration both within the team and with a slew of external contacts. Our output, speed, and accuracy are under relentless scrutiny—one slip-up can lead to legal headaches. So, forgive us if press releases sometimes take a backseat to these high-stakes responsibilities.

The problem isn’t press releases per se; it’s the bad ones and the atrocious targeting. 

I still receive calls requesting press coverage for newspapers I left a decade ago or for ones that shut down in 2018. Some PR professionals reach out merely to update their media lists, others seek email addresses, or request the publication of articles by unknown authors. 

According to a Cision survey, three-quarters of journalists say only one in four pitches actually hit the mark. 

The flood of calls and texts keeps coming, whether it’s election day, a holiday, floods, or even some grand industry event day that’s already plastered all over social media. 

Is it sheer ignorance of the outside world,  laziness or inadequate training? Or is it something else entirely?

I get that PR professionals are under pressure from their clients, but that’s no excuse for skipping basic research before bombarding people already juggling their own chaos. 

How much is too much?

Most business journalists spend up to 20% of their time managing PR communications. On average, I receive 50 press releases per day. 

Sometimes, a single PR campaign leads to 3-5 emails, 5-8 WhatsApp messages, and a dozen calls all in one day. Often multiple representatives from the same company reach out across various channels—email, text, WhatsApp, LinkedIn—resulting in an overwhelming influx of information. It's humanly impossible to respond to all these touchpoints. 

Effective PR is not about overwhelming journalists but providing relevant, manageable information. 

It’s also essential to recognize that the PR-to-journalist ratio is wildly skewed—about 10 PR pros for every journalist, according to estimates.  

10 points to help each other

1. KYC: Both sides need to do research. For journalists, it means researching for their interview or story. For PR professionals, it’s about understanding the journalists they approach—what beats they cover, the best time to reach them, and how they prefer to be contacted.

2. Relevant pitches: Don’t share pitches outside the journalist's coverage area. A glance at the scribe’s LinkedIn profile and the media website, which hardly takes 15 minutes, can go a long way. 

3. Targeted pitching: Avoid sending the same pitches to everyone on the team unless you want to become a laughing stock. Reach out to the person who deals with the topic. If confused, write to the editor. 

4. Allow time: Give us some time to get back to you. As mentioned above, we have other stuff to finish and bosses to seek approval from.

5. Limit follow-ups: A gentle reminder is fine but avoid multiple follow-ups on calls and texts. If your pitch is relevant, it will be taken care of. 

6. Usable multimedia: Ensure the multimedia assets you share are usable. 

7. Build relationships: Don’t rely solely on press releases and authored articles. Help journalists with stories, even if they’re not for a client, just to foster relationships.

8. Avoid gaffes: We receive several requests to delete stories because they were shared without client approval. Such demands are not only unethical but also permanently erode trust. 

9. Editorial priorities: Media priorities shift with the news cycle. If an authored article, interview, or quoted story is stalled, understand that journalists often have limited control over publication delays. Exercise patience and clearly explain the situation to your clients, avoiding overpromises.

10. No ghosting: If an interview you’ve pitched isn’t proceeding because the client has pulled out or your firm has lost the account, please let us know explicitly. Similarly, if you leave the agency after making a pitch, inform us. Ghosting raises concerns about your professionalism and credibility.

Last but not least, I’ve previously raised similar concerns on social media, prompting some PR professionals to highlight that certain journalists make inappropriate demands from women PR professionals.

Such behaviour is totally unacceptable and deeply troubling. Perverts should be called out and prosecuted through proper channels, including legal routes. 

 The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com