Image credit: Designed by macrovector / Freepik
<a href="http://www.freepik.com">Designed by macrovector / Freepik</a>
Are #journalists different
from #PRprofessionals? I
really do not think so. Both jobs call for a lot of hard work, patience and
self-respect. I have often referred to these professions as two sides of a
coin. Throughout my career, PR professionals have been nice to me, and in turn,
I have been nice to them. In my area of work, i.e. #autojournalism, I can
say in all fairness, that there are so-called journalists who are absolute
duds. In PR too I find a large number of duds. Here I do not blame the duds for
their dud outlooks. In many cases, the duds are duds because they do not have
seniors above them who can guide them properly. Youngsters require a lot of
hand-holding and guidance. I missed out on that guidance when I used to work in
the #newspapers.
It was
much later when I had @NareshMinocha as my senior colleague in #indianexpress newspaper
and Business Bureau Chief in the #Pioneer #newspaper, that I
actually learnt a lot. Good seniors and good bosses are a must for growth. I
know of a lady PR professional working with a leading #PRagency in Mumbai. She
is a very good friend of mine. She once told me in an agitated tone that her
lady boss threatened her to get some fuddy-duddy news published in a newspaper
and her piece of advice to her young team was, "I don't care how you get
that news published.
Even if you have to sleep with the person concerned, just
do it. I want the news in." Her young team was not prepared for this. Many
of her team members decided to quit their jobs. Now if you have a boss like
that for guidance, then you are doomed. Sometime back when I went for a press
meet, I exchanged my visiting card with a young auto journalist (he was more of
an influencer). He was barely in his early twenties. I noticed he was an "Editor"
too. Now, what can you expect from this gentleman in terms of advice or
guidance when he himself has not grown out of his nickers!
Like real #journalists,
real #prpersons too
have to slog like crazy. I once got a call from a young PR professional,
"Am I speaking to Mr #Tharyan?" I said yes.
The next question was a shocker, "Do you cover auto?" Now for someone
like me who has covered auto-related news for more than three decades, I was a
bit startled. But I was patient with her and told her, yes I do cover auto. My
advice to such callers is to please prepare yourself thoroughly before you talk
to someone!
Like auto journalism, the PR profession too has
been hit badly. You have bad apples on both sides. So for a PR professional to
deal with a bad apple journalist can be quite disturbing! There are far too
many greedy auto journalists out there and some of them are at #Editor levels too!
And over the years, this greed has grown exponentially!
TO BE
CONTINUED...