Maybe this is akin to a doctor saying that he hates looking in ears, but I gotta say, media relations is by far my least favourite part of my job. I’m not talking about the ongoing relationships you cultivate along the way – that kind of thing I actually enjoy. I’m not talking about source filing or lunchtime meetings with industry reporters, and I’m not talking about taking hard questions from reporters in times of crisis. I’m talking about the rough, dirty media relations that starts from researching a media list, and ends with clipping articles out of a newspaper.
Media relations is tedious. It takes hours upon hours. Sure, it’s all professional fees, which is great, but GOD is it boring.
Most of the people you’re pitching don’t want to talk to you. Some are great. Some are genuinely interested in the news you’re delivering. Some treat you like a telemarketer or spammer. Sometimes, the only difference is the per diem.
Media relations is unpredictable. You might have the best news story ever, but if the President gets shot that day, your client just wasted a whole lot of money. I never know when my best contacts are going to be on vacation for three months, and I never know when a publication is going to change its editorial policy and thwart my best-laid plans.
Clients don’t care about the rules of engagement. This isn’t always true, but more often than not, your client isn’t interested in the length of time it takes to establish rapport with an editor. Pitch, and if they don’t bite, pitch harder.
It’s my fault. There are a million reasons that a story won’t fly. The problem is, if it doesn’t, it’s my fault, no matter how good a job I do of setting expectations. Even if the client understands and wants to hire me again, *I* don’t like being a part of failure. I’ve never worked on a project that didn’t at least get SOME coverage, but it still sucks when your clipping book is paper thin.
It’s stressful. Every time I send out a press release, I hesitate. To me, it’s like jumping out of an airplane. I’m deathly afraid that I’ll call someone by the wrong name, send the wrong version of a release, or something that makes me look like an idiot. And, as much as I love the Bad Pitch Blog, it hasn’t done anything to help my pitch-o-phobia.
I say this publicly because I know I’m not alone. One of the most brilliant PR minds I ever worked with admitted to me the same thing years ago. I say this in the hopes that those like me, afraid to admit that their hatred for pitching the media. Rest assured… you’re not alone.
