Overbearing PR?

[Golazo21]

I apologize profusely if this or a similar topic has been covered in another thread.

Anyway, I recently did a standard offseason analysis piece on the pro team I regularly cover wherein some questions were raised about who's coming back and who's not. Nothing groundbreaking. I referenced a couple players who's contracts were up at the end of the month, and noted that they may not be coming back based upon their minimal roles in 2011.

So, about a day or two after it was published, the team's PR person contacts me and says, "The team re-signed Player X and Y earlier this month." Mind you, the team did not issue a release on these re-signings. In fact, they still haven't. But, OK, whatever. Somebody obviously forgot to send a release on the signings.

Then...this:

"As you move forward in writing, I really suggest double-checking some facts or rules that you may think you know at times. Relying on message boards and off-hand conversation doesn’t help with accurate info all the time, nor does it help your reputation of having full information and being a reliable source of info for fans alike."

Now, this is not the first time that this kind of "advice" from the PR person in question. Nor am I the only writer covering this team that has received similar e-mails containing these nuggets of journalism wisdom. As a part-timer (I cover the team for a national media entity) who's only beat has been this team, is this the norm for team PR to reach out writers in such fashion, or is this really out of the ordinary?

 

[lone star scribe]

Sounds like the guy is being a dickhead. However, I would say, "Gee, I must have missed the release on the re-signing of the players? I didn't see it in the archives on your web site. What was the date of the release?"

When he says there wasn't one, then you can tell him, "Oh, that's why I didn't see it when I was fact-checking their status."

 

[lcjjdnh]

Hate to agree with the PR person, but don't really see how he is wrong here. Maybe a bit over-the-top in his tone--not sure he needed to throw in the gibe about relying on message board rumors--but right, for the most part, in substance. Taking the absence of a press release to mean these events didn't occur seems like faulty logic. Easily could have avoided the mistakes by calling or e-mailing the PR person first.

 

[Moderator1]

This is NOT all on the team - does it always issue a release when it re-signs a player? Did you ask if the players had been re-signed? If you did not ask, then it is on you.

Don't rely on them to tell you stuff. Ask.Ask. Ask some more.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Thanks for the note. Much appreciated. You make a good point. I have no doubt you would have confirmed the information for me had I asked you. I have your office phone and email listings. I'd like your cell number, please. In the Internet age there is a lot of fact-checking necessary after regular office hours. I don't want to use bad timing as an excuse. How late is too late to call?

Thanks for offering to help.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Yeah, you were in the wrong, but he was a condescending **** about it.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

A lot of teams don't announce signings at all.

 

[Golazo21]

This is NOT all on the team - does it always issue a release when it re-signs a player?

Yes, it does. Except this time. My luck, right?

I appreciate everyone's replies. It appears I have leaned on the team too heavily on the team to provide info, especially in this instance. In the future, I'll certainly ask, ask, and then ask some more (as Moderator1 suggested), even if it seems that the information is already obvious.

Rookie mistake.

I just wish he hadn't made the assertion that I fact check through message boards and such. To me, there's no need. A simple "BTW, you missed it, but we re-signed these players. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch, yada yada yada" would've sufficed. It seems his MO is to belittle a writer when he/she makes a mistake.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Here is an enjoyable PR story:

More than a month before the annual football game between two state rivals (let's call one Fill Night U, the other Beaver Cleaver State), we sent a letter of inquiry about credentials for our little twice-weekly. Last year, when the game was played at Beaver Cleaver State, we did the same and received two credentials and a parking pass in the mail within a few days of asking.

This year the game was at Fill Night U. By Nov. 2, we had not heard anything, so we wrote again. Nothing. Meanwhile, the local Division III team qualified for the playoffs, as usual, and one of our high school teams made it to the state semifinals. Both played on the same day as the big rivalry down the road. Having not heard anything, we figured we'd been shut out. No biggie. We made plans to cover what we could that day.

Then, at 1:13 p.m. the day before the game (which kicked off less than 24 hours later), we got an e-mail saying our credentials would be waiting at will call.

Our plans were in place at that point, and we didn't change them. The following Monday, we wrote to explain why we didn't attend. Some places will refuse to credential you if you get credentials for a game and don't use them, so we wanted to explain that after not hearing anything from the school for almost a month, and not until 23 hours before kickoff, we made plans to cover the other games and not that one. This is the reply we received from the nice PR lady:

"Thanks for the explanation. We don’t ever make credential decisions for media until the week of the game. This has always been our policy. In the future, I would suggest you plan accordingly."

 

[micropolitan guy]

JD that's why they're the dark side and Land Grant State Univeersity is the U of the people ... ;D

As to the original post, yes, the PR guy was a **** and could have been far more diplomatic but it never hurts to double-check. Of course, I fail to understand why the team wouldn't publicize its signings, on some platform on its website and in the daily newspaper, but ...

Freakin' PR flaks, I tell ya ...

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

JD that's why they're the dark side and Land Grant State Univeersity is the U of the people ... ;D

As to the original post, yes, the PR guy was a **** and could have been far more diplomatic but it never hurts to double-check. Of course, I fail to understand why the team wouldn't publicize its signings, on some platform on its website and in the daily newspaper, but ...

Freakin' PR flaks, I tell ya ...

Watch it, now. Some of my best friends are ...

 

[Golazo21]

A story similar to JD's happened with the same PR person a couple of years back. The team was conducting preseason practices, so I e-mailed him a couple of days in advance saying I'd be going to Tuesday's practice. I didn't get a response, even after a follow-up e-mail. So, I assumed that it was either closed to the media or it was cancelled. Later on Tuesday I got an e-mail asking why I didn't show up. I explained there was no response to my e-mail requesting the OK, to which he said "if you don't get a response, it means you're OK."

OK..?

I guess I should chalk these episodes up to one of the most accurate pieces of advice I ever received from one of my favorite journalism professors: "PR people are bad. Baaaaaaad!"

***Present company excluded, of course***

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

I should point out I don't transact all business by email, nor do I endorse doing so. It's good to have an email trail, but there is no substitute for a conversation with someone. If the game had been our highest priority, we'd have made a phone call or two. As time went on, it was obvious two games would be higher on our pecking order, and we put our energy into those. It's also obvious we weren't a speck of dust on the radar when the team was in the hunt for the national championship, but a key loss and a tumble in the polls later, with far less interest in the rivalry game than in many years, they found an empty chair.

Thing is, as she stated, they wouldn't have been able to give us an answer until the week of the game even if we had called. And as it turned out, we got our answer 23 hours before kickoff. So "plan accordingly" means wait until the day before the game, and maybe we'll squeeze you in. For the record, our reporter covered their games for a few years and said he knew of no such policy. We also looked and couldn't find it in writing anywhere.

My point is how she worded her email is further evidence that just because you have a job in PR, it doesn't mean you understand PR.

 

[Golazo21]

I should point out I don't transact all business by email, nor do I endorse doing so. It's good to have an email trail, but there is no substitute for a conversation with someone.

That's a great point, Mr. Dangerously. Something for me to keep in mind when dealing with this particular PR person - once the emotional scars have healed, of course.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Golazo,

We all make mistakes. Every single one of us. But I HATE people who use others to be a condescending prick about it.

I'll second JD's initial response. Call the guy back. Ask for a cell number. And then start checking everything. Every little thing. If they get upset, tell them you're determined never to make the same mistake twice.

 

[JimmyHoward33]

Doesnt a re-signing have to be filed on the respective league's transaction list? Depends on the league, maybe it happens when the league year ends or begins....but it seems to me that if no outlet reported the re-signing and its not on a transaction list, you're not at fault. Assuming its a player.

Turn it into a scoop. Reply, so you can confirm players X and Z resigned? And terms? Then tweet according to team PR players X and Z have resigned

 

[derwood]

Doesnt a re-signing have to be filed on the respective league's transaction list? Depends on the league, maybe it happens when the league year ends or begins....but it seems to me that if no outlet reported the re-signing and its not on a transaction list, you're not at fault. Assuming its a player.

Turn it into a scoop. Reply, so you can confirm players X and Z resigned? And terms? Then tweet according to team PR players X and Z have resigned

Leagues usually don't and they won't disclose the terms. Player's union will disclose both.

 

[joe king]

Isn't that redundant?

 

[Stitch]

The moral of the story is not to assume something because a release wasn't issued. Seems like a Mickey Mouse organization anyway.

 

[Birdscribe]

I should point out I don't transact all business by email, nor do I endorse doing so. It's good to have an email trail, but there is no substitute for a conversation with someone. If the game had been our highest priority, we'd have made a phone call or two. As time went on, it was obvious two games would be higher on our pecking order, and we put our energy into those. It's also obvious we weren't a speck of dust on the radar when the team was in the hunt for the national championship, but a key loss and a tumble in the polls later, with far less interest in the rivalry game than in many years, they found an empty chair.

Thing is, as she stated, they wouldn't have been able to give us an answer until the week of the game even if we had called. And as it turned out, we got our answer 23 hours before kickoff. So "plan accordingly" means wait until the day before the game, and maybe we'll squeeze you in. For the record, our reporter covered their games for a few years and said he knew of no such policy. We also looked and couldn't find it in writing anywhere.

My point is how she worded her email is further evidence that just because you have a job in PR, it doesn't mean you understand PR.

Cue the theme to the "$10,000 Pyramid," since there's your winning graf right there.

You would be amazed at the level of ignorance we deal with from other PR people. Not all, of course, but of what I call -- at the risk of starting a major threadjack here with an SportsJournalists.com buzzword -- "Heathers."

You've all seen them: the blond, 20somethings who got into PR because "they like dealing with people." They have no idea what the media needs, just that they have a message they are going to cram down your throats come hell or high water. Your needs and purpose are secondary to theirs.

It's a bull**** way to handle media relations. Yes, you have a different agenda; that's a given. But you also have a need for content and it's our job to facilitate your job as best we can -- given your parameters and needs.

Even within the PR community, I see the right way and the wrong way of handling matters. Much of the "wrong way" comes from folks who never worked in journalism and have no idea what reporters need or find newsworthy, for that matter.

When we work an event, our priority is to our client AND the media. If you're taken care of, my client will most likely be taken care of -- not only at that event, but later down the line. It need not be an either/or thing and any good PR person understands that.

It's a tactic my bosses have employed for years and it's one major reason why both of them are highly respected: by both clients and reporters.