I probably know at least 27 people named Sam in the media world. Not sure what percentage of the Sams are journalists and what percentage are comms, but #Journalist Sam and #PR Sam both have delivered soliloquies at parties complaining about each other. I like the Sams Collective too much to take sides (and I’ve been on both sides myself). Here’s to some diplomacy instead, in the service of a good story for all!
First comes acceptance: journalists and comms people start in entirely different places. #Journalists are trained to discover a story. Comms people are trained to serve up a story in the interest of their client. Journalist Sam is like a farm-to-table restaurant, sussing out what’s in season and assembling interesting organic flavors as they arise. PR people rule the theme restaurant: it’s mashed potatoes, or fries, or au gratin potatoes; but potatoes all the same.
It’s essential to realize that Journalist Sams are responsible first and foremost to their audience and their storytelling, not you. PR Sams can go over to the dark side when they get super selfish advocating for their client and don’t consider that there are other ways to be a resource to a journalist — a fellow human — when your particular pitch isn’t landing. Where Journalist Sams can go wrong is in making PR Sams an automatic inbox delete, thus missing sources and narratives that might align with their beat in a fantastic way.
So, let’s not! Instead, if you’re a PR Sam and uncover interesting stats or sources in your work with clients that you know a Journalist Sam might appreciate for something they are covering regularly, share it. HARO isn’t just for your own clients if you know the perfect source; I mean, Help a Reporter Out and all that. This isn’t an excuse for even more emails — it’s a shift in perspective toward cultivating genuine relationships with other humans in a challenging industry for us all.
Sams, let’s build a bridge across the journalism-sized hole between each other and make nice. There’s a story in that, too.
I can’t remember the first time I read Goodnight Moon — probably because my parents started reading it to me before my infant brain could really catalog memory. Chances are, you had a similar experience. The book turns 75 this year, and over that time, it’s sold over 48 million copies, touching at least that many lives, time and time over.
Hello, friends, and happy scam season. To usher in the spirit, let me tell you a story.