I constantly run into aruguments about how wrong or correct it is to give journalists a transport facilitation when they come to an event, Which practice(Journalism or pr)is dependent more on the other, which one is more respectable etc.
Having practiced as a journalist and PR practitioner. This is my humble contribution to answer our divergences in values.
UNPACKING IT
- Both journalists and pr practitioners want to earn from each other, but no one wants to pay... When they pay it is painfully.
- In this argument we are not reinventing the wheel!! It's the argument that PR personnels hold every after a function and journalists too...
- Both professionals have a tendency to think they know the others' profession and it's Dynamics better ( this is wrong)
- Organizations are cutting the PR budget thinner and thinner every day and therefore tasking their PRs(many times by blackmail) that if they are good at what they do they should get the organisation into the media for the least money possible!! There jobs are even put on the line. On the other side... Because companies don't wanna pay anymore media houses have cut salaries and even stopped recruitment to make some profit at least.
WHO LOSES
Both the PR and the journalist are compromised!! The journalist continues to work with expectation that the PR will "APPRECIATE"...
The PR hides from both invited and uninvited journalist to prove an economic point to his/her boss
STALEMATE...
Both pr and journalism practitioners will spend hours discussing such stuff because they are working in a professions borne of the same classes/Lessons. The difference just goes into what practice a person went for.
SOLUTIONS
- Both PR and Journalist must understand that they are losing to the insensitive company they are trying to please.
- Each should understand the others situation and not continue agitating and mounting frustration.
- Actually, Both should meet phiscally and plan how to strategize and get money out of the company before any event..
OTHERWISE...