Bad PR Hurts Everyone – How “Not” To Conduct Media Relations

January 21, 2009 – update : the text of this entry has been modified to remove statements that could be misinterpreted as potentially damaging the hard earned reputation of the subject. The original intent of these statements has been taken out of context, but in an effort to be fair, we have changed them. We do not deny Mr. Mateas’ expertise, we merely signal some aspects of her online presence (website) that are easily misunderstood. The intent of this article, like others of its type, is to educate the general public and PR professionals as a whole about the fine-tune aspects of the modern public relations methodology: transparency, authenticity, credibility and fair play.

The need for proper communication between PR professionals and the media is crucial. Telling stories, or asking someone in media to tell them, about partners and clients is an invaluable aspect of what we do. However, there is a delicate balance to be struck between stark marketing and sales, and what we do as purveyors of the dreams, visions and news of the people who depend on us. We are not salesmen after all, and good relations with the media or anyone is about value.

I was scanning the globe today looking for the best candidate for the Goofy Award, when I ran across one from an interesting source, “The Media Relations Maven”. For those who do not know, a maven is supposed to be a trusted expert in a particular field. In reviewing Margo Mateas’ site, I was struck by the audacity with which a supposed expert “gasses” what has to be an unsuspecting clientele with. Here are a few examples from her site, with corresponding proper PR dogma.

• The Maven’s site says that her website draws 60,000 unique visitors a year.
• Fact – The Compete metrics for the site indicate less than 5,000 per year
• The Maven says that media relations training is for public relations professionals to improve their relationships with the media.
• Fact – On her training products page the Maven sells a training CD that essentially tears down media relations, the “pitch” for this product reads: Seven Ways To Generate Publicity When There’s No News. She goes on to suggest that a good PR can always get coverage, even if there is nothing going on! My question is; “How does getting a news person to do a story on nothing help promote a relationship with the media outlet?” News Flash! You can have this jewel for only $99 for a limited time I bet.
• The Maven suggests in several training CD descriptions that the client is some sort of villain to be somehow “coerced” or better yet “educated” to understand what YOU the PR is doing. The worst innuendo of these comes from the low low priced BIZSET (at just under $500), which suggests:
  Six ways to instantly increase billing without raising your rates.
• Fact – The client is not the enemy! Let me say that again, the client is not the enemy. This woman has at least 3 training CD’s that suggest ways in which a client might be manipulated in one way or another.

Conclusion

The Maven got under my skin, I admit it. We all make mistakes every day, some large and some small. Creating a website and claiming to be one thing, while actually working from another camp is simply a lie. The lie, is the single most detrimental act anyone can commit against any profession. Fully half of our initial talks with clients, and in particular new ones, deal with PR’s credibility brought about by these very kinds of tactics. Sales people claiming to be experts in other fields simply gripes me. Hell, any block headed salesman I have ever known thinks he or she knows more than anyone about anything. This is simply not what good public relations people are about!

So, today’s PR Goof Award goes directly to Margo Mateas – The Media Maven – Expert at summoning imaginary unique visitors and hammering those cheap clients into accepting over-billing. Lest we forget, she is also going to make you best buddies with the editor of the New York Times by telling you how to “pitch” him a spitball of a story about nothing for his millions of readers. Magic, the woman is magic.

A snapshot of my personal site (about 60,000 users), our corporate blog, and The Media Maven’s mystery guests