Media Relations: the breeding ground for ethical problems

Media Relations: the breeding ground for ethical problems

I have been in both positions as a Public Relations professional and as a journalist. As a journalist, it is easy for us to sweep press releases from pushy publicists under the table. It is easy to overlook potentially amazing stories because of the previous notion and attitude that I have about press releases and public relations professionals.

And as a Public Relations professional, I know how annoying it is when my press release can’t be pushed into media. It is frustrating to work with journalists who can’t seem to see a great story right in front of them via the press release.

But as interesting as it is, journalist and PR professionals need each other equally. According to Ethics in Public Relations by Patrici Parsons, “Journalism literature suggests that 40-50 percent or more of all news that’s reported on any given day has its origin in PR departments.”

I completely agree with this because when I work on my website: www.MuayThaimes.com, most of the content that comes through are press releases. This is the most effective way to report the news. Sometimes stories even come out of press releases. It’s a very efficient way for a journalist to produce accurate news stories. Press releases are appreciated and so too are the individuals behind them!