Comments on: Dear PR People: All I want for Christmas is no lying http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/ Gadgets, gear and computer hardware. Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:45:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: John Biggs http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-540332 John Biggs Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:59:42 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-540332 Jim - I have formal training in journalism and your 20+ years of surveys should have taught you not to respond to fools like me. The flak doth protest too much, methinks. Jim - I have formal training in journalism and your 20+ years of surveys should have taught you not to respond to fools like me. The flak doth protest too much, methinks.

]]> By: Jim http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533893 Jim Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:25:27 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533893 John, and yet still another clever retort. I am guessing we will not be BFF anytime soon. I have likewise talked to my team and their advice is also almost universal. We've been doing media surveys for 20+ years and you would be amazed (well not you, you are too smart to be amazed) at the percentage of on and offline media contacts who spec email "news releases" and "case studies". As for bloggers, what they want generally depends on their formal training; journalist bloggers like traditional content and non-journalist bloggers want what you want. I have no idea what Andy Rooney wants, but last I heard, even Bill Keller still reads news releases. And by the way, I believe you are thinking of press agents and publicists when you say "PR"... you might want to get up to speed on that. John, and yet still another clever retort. I am guessing we will not be BFF anytime soon. I have likewise talked to my team and their advice is also almost universal. We’ve been doing media surveys for 20+ years and you would be amazed (well not you, you are too smart to be amazed) at the percentage of on and offline media contacts who spec email “news releases” and “case studies”. As for bloggers, what they want generally depends on their formal training; journalist bloggers like traditional content and non-journalist bloggers want what you want. I have no idea what Andy Rooney wants, but last I heard, even Bill Keller still reads news releases. And by the way, I believe you are thinking of press agents and publicists when you say “PR”… you might want to get up to speed on that.

]]> By: John Biggs http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533692 John Biggs Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:45:35 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533692 I've talked with my entire team and a number of bloggers and this advice is almost universal. How about this for a solution? Send out a quick survey to your entire list asking what format they prefer. Andy Rooney will reply that he wants press releases and the rest of the world will probably want what I'm suggesting. I’ve talked with my entire team and a number of bloggers and this advice is almost universal. How about this for a solution? Send out a quick survey to your entire list asking what format they prefer. Andy Rooney will reply that he wants press releases and the rest of the world will probably want what I’m suggesting.

]]> By: Jay Adair http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533606 Jay Adair Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:17:09 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533606 Very bold post. I hope you have the backing of your employer :-) Good to see the truth of the matter laid out simply. I hope it benefits you/someone. Very bold post. I hope you have the backing of your employer :-) Good to see the truth of the matter laid out simply. I hope it benefits you/someone.

]]> By: webonics http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533300 webonics Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:26:48 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533300 That was frickin' -- AWESOME! Merry Christmas, John!! That was frickin’ — AWESOME! Merry Christmas, John!!

]]> By: DJL http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533277 DJL Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:40:03 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533277 Unfortunately, I am not part of the "you." I'm not defending PR, nor am I PR practitioner, but merely a marketer (and trained journalist) that understands that some people suck at their craft more than others. That 20% isn't reading your site or your columns, so why bother? And regarding being the bearer of bad news, this column has been written multiple times in different forms, lengths and tones. Folks (i.e. writers) have been complaining that people send photos, don't send photos, cut and paste releases, attach documents, etc., etc., since the email age began. What flies at CrunchGear may not at Engadget or anywhere else. The lesson isn't that you gave a "a free $10,000 seminar on talking to bloggers," you just gave a free seminar on how to talk to you. Big difference. I guess I just don't see the point. Unfortunately, I am not part of the “you.” I’m not defending PR, nor am I PR practitioner, but merely a marketer (and trained journalist) that understands that some people suck at their craft more than others. That 20% isn’t reading your site or your columns, so why bother?

And regarding being the bearer of bad news, this column has been written multiple times in different forms, lengths and tones. Folks (i.e. writers) have been complaining that people send photos, don’t send photos, cut and paste releases, attach documents, etc., etc., since the email age began. What flies at CrunchGear may not at Engadget or anywhere else. The lesson isn’t that you gave a “a free $10,000 seminar on talking to bloggers,” you just gave a free seminar on how to talk to you. Big difference.

I guess I just don’t see the point.

]]> By: pji http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533258 pji Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:41:37 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533258 What's wrong with Puerto Ricans? What’s wrong with Puerto Ricans?

]]> By: John Biggs http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533244 John Biggs Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:01:51 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533244 @DJL - You pigeonhole us, we pigeonhole you. @MightyMech - His was an example of an email I wouldn't have read if it came from the Pope. I honestly try to be a nice guy and I try to work with PR folks as much as I can. For my trouble I've gotten 80% great people I can talk to on a regular basis and 20% of folks who just don't get it. Today was the day someone had to say what folks were thinking. If I'm the bearer of bad news, too bad for me. Maybe I won't get that red hot press release tomorrow. @DJL - You pigeonhole us, we pigeonhole you.
@MightyMech - His was an example of an email I wouldn’t have read if it came from the Pope. I honestly try to be a nice guy and I try to work with PR folks as much as I can. For my trouble I’ve gotten 80% great people I can talk to on a regular basis and 20% of folks who just don’t get it. Today was the day someone had to say what folks were thinking. If I’m the bearer of bad news, too bad for me. Maybe I won’t get that red hot press release tomorrow.

]]> By: DJL http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533229 DJL Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:30:23 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533229 John, Ironically, the same neat little box you'd like to place PR into begets your entire rant: namely that each writer is different. Similarly, while we'd like every writer to channel Keats in their prose, one cannot expect it. Accept that some people get it, some don't and move on. Pigeonholing the PR industry as incompetent or irrelevant serves no real purpose, just as those pigeonhole blogs as "hotbeds of virulent anti-company slander." John,

Ironically, the same neat little box you’d like to place PR into begets your entire rant: namely that each writer is different. Similarly, while we’d like every writer to channel Keats in their prose, one cannot expect it. Accept that some people get it, some don’t and move on.

Pigeonholing the PR industry as incompetent or irrelevant serves no real purpose, just as those pigeonhole blogs as “hotbeds of virulent anti-company slander.”

]]> By: MightyMech http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533216 MightyMech Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:44:55 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533216 Poor Lou Desidero from Synergy PR got called out for that Kingston release. Hopefully you contacted Lou and talked about the issue before publicly smacking him. You just became Chris Anderson. Poor Lou Desidero from Synergy PR got called out for that Kingston release. Hopefully you contacted Lou and talked about the issue before publicly smacking him. You just became Chris Anderson.

]]> By: Had NO Clue http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533215 Had NO Clue Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:33:41 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533215 Fantastic post. Thank you... and for your guide, all I want for Christmas is my 3yr old to stop kicking my subwoofer. Fantastic post. Thank you… and for your guide, all I want for Christmas is my 3yr old to stop kicking my subwoofer.

]]> By: JP http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533184 JP Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:03:49 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533184 JB, you da man. Second the Has-man: awesome post. JB, you da man. Second the Has-man: awesome post.

]]> By: John Biggs http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533172 John Biggs Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:45:19 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533172 @Jim - Just like it needs one more bad PR person. @Jim - Just like it needs one more bad PR person.

]]> By: Jim http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533161 Jim Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:07:45 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533161 Wow, what an incredibly small mind you have. But on the off chance that anything you say might actually be right (going with the whole "even blind squirrels find nuts" thing) I for one plan to resign from work today before I get the inevitable pink slip... or worse, you invite me to bite you too. PS - what the world really needs for Christmas is one more blog Wow, what an incredibly small mind you have. But on the off chance that anything you say might actually be right (going with the whole “even blind squirrels find nuts” thing) I for one plan to resign from work today before I get the inevitable pink slip… or worse, you invite me to bite you too.

PS - what the world really needs for Christmas is one more blog

]]> By: sdf http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533141 sdf Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:58:50 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533141 Wow...bitter. Wow…bitter.

]]> By: Brian http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533130 Brian Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:11:31 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533130 This is one of the best posts I have read in a long time. Keep up the good work. This is one of the best posts I have read in a long time. Keep up the good work.

]]> By: Doug Haslam http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533128 Doug Haslam Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:07:58 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/04/dear-pr-people-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-lying/#comment-533128 John-- Great post, and no I don't take ti as a rant. I'm working on training some fellow PR folks in blogger relations (hell-- media relations; this is a big trainload of common sense), and I will be using this as an example of free advice not to ignore. John– Great post, and no I don’t take ti as a rant. I’m working on training some fellow PR folks in blogger relations (hell– media relations; this is a big trainload of common sense), and I will be using this as an example of free advice not to ignore.

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