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How Not To Get 'Whacked' By Journalists

By Paramjit Mahli
June 28, 2005

Journalists have an online game called “Whack a Flack”, where they get to pelt cartoon character public relations professionals with pointy paper airplanes made out of bad press releases. Having worked extensively on both sides of the communications “border” ' print and broadcast journalism and then making the transition into financial public relations ' I have experienced public relations professionals of all kinds, including the “whacked.”

Some have helped me enormously, particularly when I was crashing with deadlines due to breaking news; others have provided me, in a timely manner, with much needed background information for interviews. Seasoned professionals have made themselves immediately available by acknowledging they were unable to help with a current story.

Then there are those in PR who are just plain annoying. I used to think ' during my live TV days at CNN ' What is their objective? Getting to speak to me, or pitching a story? I think for many, it was the former. If they didn't have their pitch down in 20 seconds, they lost me and got “whacked!” For many, I never returned calls. Nothing personal, I just didn't have time to return all of them; if I had, I would have missed my deadlines and been out of a job!

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