Warning: Spinmeisters are Trying to Control Your News!

Stuff like this irks me.

According to a study of Australian newspapers, more than 50 percent of the content was “driven by some sort of public relations.” This isn’t the first time I’ve heard stats like this, and it’s not even the largest percent I’ve seen.

What irks me is the tone. Oh dear God… PR might have an influence on media coverage? Oh the humanity! Those PR people are evil! I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you!

Let’s be real. Without public relations people most organizations, nonprofits, government agencies (even little ones like parks and recreation, human right commissions or your public library), entrepreneurs, start-up companies, etc. would not have a voice in the marketplace of ideas. They wouldn’t be able to tell their stories. If it weren’t for PR people, how would that work?

So, yeah, sometimes that takes a press release or a pitch. And sometimes those releases and pitches pique the interest of the editor, reporter or producer on the other end. Sure, there’s plenty of fluff, plenty of overworked media folks with too much news hole to fill and plenty of PR people who will pitch crap and hope it sticks.

But if you wade through all that, the relationship can be a win-win. We (PR people) understand the media’s job and if we’re good at OUR job, then we make it easier and more efficient and ultimately allow the reporters, editors and producers to tell a better story.

No, I don’t want my paper full of stories driven by PR. But I do expect for organizations to be able to have a presence and a voice…and it takes PR to do that.