1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

A tale of woe - PR chickies gone wild

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by JayFarrar, Apr 18, 2007.

  1. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    So I sent out a freelance photog on a portrait assignment for a profile and he came back with some fine pictures.
    Being a freelancer and trying to make an extra buck, he offered to sell the unused session photos to the subject's company.
    And while some may argue, that's cool. Not like we are paying him a f***ing fortune anyway.
    But this made an appearance in my in-box.
    My head spins. I don't know how to respond. Thoughts?
     
  2. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    Wait ... the PR firm is telling you which photos they want run? And that they want you to run a doctored one?

    Or they're telling you which photos THEY'LL be using for their own purposes.

    If it's the former, it's simple: Just politely tell them that A) you need to be the one to choose which photos run editorially and B) you don't run digitally altered photos. But thanks for playing.

    If it's the latter, it's PR, and they can do whatever they want, I guess.
     
  3. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    The former. They are telling me what editorial photo to run and a doctored one at that.
    The possibly ironic thing is that this PR girl had been completely sane up until now.
     
  4. novelist_wannabe

    novelist_wannabe Well-Known Member

    Dear PR lunatic:

    We appreciate your input, but we sent the photographer over there so we would have our own photos, and we'll choose from those.

    Sincerely,
    JF

    --

    Then, make sure you use the photos that cast them in the worst possible light.
     
  5. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Send them a bill.

    Printing your favorite undoctored photo in the paper: $100

    Printing your favorite doctored photo in the paper: $500
     
  6. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    This is a case where I would probably ignore the e-mail and move forward.
     
  7. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    I dunno. Polite response is probably merited.
     
  8. frozen tundra

    frozen tundra Member

    As someone now in PR who once sat on the other side of the fence, let me just say I am vomiting on my shoes that someone would do that. Makes us all look like complete tools, whereas most of us are just mostly tools.
     
  9. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    I would email back and say thank you but that the layout editors or photo editors or whomever choose which photos they will use.

    And that the paper's policy prohibits using altered photos.

    Best wishes, etc.
     
  10. MonitorLizard

    MonitorLizard Member

    It's great that she thinks the "crazy" part about doctoring the photo is that it might not work, not that it's off-the-wall insane and no paper worth anything would ever run it.
     
  11. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    Yes, but I was just suggesting what i would do, and I'd be incapable of a polite response.

    Ace's suggestion is pretty good.
     
  12. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    PS: If you'd like to buy an ad using your altered photo, that extension is...
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page