Comments on: Let’s Talk About Ethics, Baby

By: kakeane

kakeane — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:57:26 +0000

In general, I do not think journalists giving tips to PR professionals is unethical. It just seems like related industries giving each other tips on how to work together best. I do, however, agree that this should not be something to pay for. The information is not even worth that much money, as PR professionals should know how to get stories into publication.

By: ksorensen19

ksorensen19 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:57:01 +0000

I think that even though some people may think it is unethical, there definitely has to be a very personal relationship between journalists and PR professionals. I don’t think that journalists giving tips to PR people on how to get their company is unethical. As journalism students we are constantly told how journalists prefer to be approached and pitched by PR people, so it’s really just a part of the business.

By: agilliam

agilliam — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:55:56 +0000

So it seems like there are two issues here. One being that if you previously worked for a media outlet and then decide to go in to PR and the other, in my opinion more serious, issue of someone being being paid by a news outlet for some type of journalistic work, and at the same time also getting paid by a client for giving PR advice. Am I right?

By: amyfoley1975

amyfoley1975 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:39:05 +0000

I think this practice is unethical, but I am sad to say that that is the society we live in today. It is a you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours world. I understand the basis for the issue of letting PR professionals in on how to get their story covered, more money for the journalist. I think it should be the content of the story that gets it published not what the PR professional did for the journalist. PR professionals should just look at what is newsworthy at the time they submit their story to ensure it gets published, not rely on a journalist to tell them what will be printed after they pay him/her.

By: ccharvey

ccharvey — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:03:38 +0000

This post is really interesting. I can agree with both sides of the situation. But really I see it as no different than a former TV producer or magazine editor deciding to work in PR. What about print or broadcast interns who decide it isn’t for them and decide to go into PR. Don’t they know some of the “secrets” or ins-and-outs of getting a story covered? Also, what may work to get a story covered in the Arizona Republic may not be the same thing that works for the Tribune. As far as ethics, I think it is really important to act ethically no matter what position you are. Newsworthiness should be the most important aspect.

By: knish21087

knish21087 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:44:07 +0000

Often times I feel like there is a lot of favoritism involved in PR and journalism. It’s basically like you have to suck up to people to get exposure! It makes me kind mad to think that just because someone has a better relationship with a newspaper and does things their way than they will gain more exposure than something that is more relevant or newsworthy. I may sound like I am rambling, but this topic makes me kind of heated.

By: brittz87

brittz87 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:29:37 +0000

Yikes! I’m not sure how I feel about this post. This is definitely creeping towards the unethical side of the line. I do agree that whatever benefits our client should be the only thing that matters, but operating in an ethical manner will always be something that is a personal goal of mine. There was also a huge conflict of interest that existed in this issue. I agree with the comment above that said that we as the hired PR professionals are supposed to be unbiased. Though we have all of these good intentions, it is very hard to main neutral and ethical.

By: agilliam

agilliam — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:27:21 +0000

It’s not just PR people that these journalists are selling information to, it is specific clients as well. I think that is a very interesting aspect of it. It is further blurring the line between journalism and PR, which is already pretty foggy.

By: mekelly1

mekelly1 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:43:57 +0000

I think the fact that this service costs money is what is unethical. It is one thing to send out a tip sheet for everyone to see, but once you start giving insider information it becomes a conflict of interest. Journalists are supposed to be neutral, unbiased observers for their readers sake and once they cross into the territory of telling PR professionals what to say to get into the paper for a price it devalues the news. It also makes PR professionals who utilize this look pretty lazy to pay for a service that they should know how to do themselves.

By: marialinda17

marialinda17 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:26:25 +0000

I agree that this practice is walking into dangerous territory. Although I get daily e-mails from the Valley PR blog and it often includes tips from journalists on how to pitch stories for clients, this is certainly different from paying someone to give insider information on how to get a business’s story covered. It feels like fabrication. Although the information may be factual, the story itself was created to appeal to a newspaper or TV station in an artificial manner. I suppose it just makes me a little uneasy. Do newspaper journalists really want to write about businesses this way?