Only one life after journalism???

Life, Journalism and then PR?

Maybe a few of my ex-journalist colleagues may wince at that comment, but this sequence is a fact of life - even moreso today.

For a hack, the most obvious career after journalism is to get into PR. Fact. But do ex-journalists make the best PR professionals? Yes and no but there is a learning curve.

When I trod the path of hack to PR I must admit I entered with a little naivety and arrogance. I remember sitting in the newsroom reading awful press release after press release while being bombarded with irrelevant calls by PR bods and thinking
“I can knock out better releases than this and I can create better angles. Journalism doesn't pay me what I'm worth, I'm doing ridiculous hours and I'm forever slagging everyone off. I’m going to move into PR, show them how to write a press release, earn millions before driving into the sunset in a sports car.” Easy.

Not quite. And the above comment illustrates a common ignorance among journalists about PR.

Sure, many PRs have never stepped inside a newsroom or even know what "nib" means, but to dismiss them on that basis is slightly disrespectful.

PR isn’t just about good writing and getting as much exposure for your client as possible. It helps, but there is so much more involved.

Having spent over two years working for one of the biggest PR agencies in the UK I now know different. PR is all about managing the reputation of your client, brand recognition and ultimately creating demand. Punchy news headlines and well-written releases are just a start. Being an ex-journalist I instantly gained respect for my writing skills, I knew what made a story, I had the contacts, I knew how a newspaper works, how a journalist thinks and how to write press releases etc but there was so much more I needed to learn. My arrogance quickly disappeared when I realised that to be a good PR person you need to embrace the profession and learn new skills.

One of the biggest role of a PR professional is understanding the client’s needs, making them understand how the media works, what angles and stories will work and why what you are doing is for the good of their business.

One of the biggest tasks in PR is keeping the client happy, as they are the ones who pay the bills. Journalists are naturally autonomous and independent. They don't care who you are, if there is a story to be had, no matter how controversial, it will be written. So, to go from this to bowing to the whim of your client is no easy task. It requires skill and art. You could say that it is similar to how journalists handle good contacts.

I now have my own business (http://www.79pr.co.uk/) fusing everything I've learnt as a journalist and in PR to help my clients. What I've learnt is that journalists can become the best PR people in the world. But that can only happen when they learn the skills needed in PR. Journalism skills combined with PR skills makes a very powerful combination.

There are other careers outside of PR for the hack looking to lock away his shorthand notepad for good. But PR is the closest thing you will ever get to being a hack.

Sure, it will never beat the buzz of a newsroom on a good day, or unearthing a gem of a story or getting a front page lead. But, the reality is that nothing ever will. But, creating a good campaign or securing column inches for your client on a national or a regional publication comes close.


So, a hack and a PR person. Much closer than you think.

http://seventyninepr.blogspot.com/