You may have read our “Journalists’ Pet Peeves” posts. (Mass emails! Irrelevant pitches! Subject lines that make your eyes twitch!) And fair enough, they deal with a lot. But in the spirit of balanced reporting (😉), it’s time to flip the mic.
Because guess what? PR pros have pet peeves, too. A whole list, in fact. And while we don’t have a void to shout into, we do have this blog!
So here it is: a lovingly curated (and slightly exasperated) list of things that make life harder for PR professionals everywhere.
PR ≠ Press Release
We’re going to need a giant neon sign for this one. A press release is a tool – PR is the strategy. One of the biggest pet peeves for a real PR (person) is asking about the latest PR. PR is not short for press release! If you wan’t to shorten it, use “the release”.
No, You Can’t Proofread That
You can offer context. You can clarify quotes. You can correct factual errors after the piece runs. But you don’t get to rewrite a journalist’s work because the “tone feels a bit off.”
If you want total message control, might we suggest… advertising?
“Exclusive” Means One. Singular. Uno.
If you’re emailing five journalists with the same “exclusive,” you’re not offering an exclusive. You’re hosting a potluck.
True exclusivity is about trust, timing, and giving one outlet the first bite, the original, rather than sprinkling it like confetti for the whole town.
Embargo ≠ Last-Minute Panic
Embargoes are agreements; they require planning. You don’t send an embargoed release at 11 pm the night before a launch and hope for the best. And you certainly don’t send different embargo times to different journalists. That’s how trust gets torched, and relationships with journalists go up in smoke.
PR KPIs ≠ Performance Marketing Metrics
“Why can’t we measure PR the same way we measure clicks on a paid ad?”
Because credibility isn’t a click-through rate, reputation isn’t a conversion metric, and trust doesn’t live in a dashboard.
PR operates in the realm of perception, positioning, and influence, yielding slower burns, longer plays, and a more profound impact.
Nike gave it a go prioritising performance over branding and it backfired, now it’s investing in the ‘intangible’ branding again. You won’t find all the PR answers in metrics, but you will definitely run into them over time.
You Want Guarantees? Buy an Ad
We love earned media. However, “earned” is the key term here. It’s not pay-to-play.
If you need absolute certainty over where something appears and how it’s worded, media buying might be your jam. PR can’t promise that, but what it can deliver is third-party credibility that money can’t buy!
Getting asked what publications one can guarantee based off on nothing is one of the worse PR pet peeves. Having said that, you can definitely seek to measure what real life impact you are making in the real world, and based on that your newsworthiness, and what you could expect to get in terms of earned media.
PR Is More Than Media Coverage
Good PR isn’t a tally of articles. It’s about crafting the right message, preparing for the worst, shaping your leadership voice, and navigating the public’s ever-shifting perception of your brand.
An article in Forbes won’t fix a reputational crisis. But having your messaging airtight before the fire starts? That just might.
Journalists Are Not Your Hype Squad
They are not obligated to fall in love with your startup. Their job isn’t to help you hit your growth KPIS; their job is to report news and facts.
And, because their allegiance is to the truth, and not your Series B announcement, they don’t owe you coverage…no matter how many double-shot oat milk lattes you’ve shared 😉
“Who Do You Know?”
Yes, relationships matter. But a contact is not a magic wand. Knowing a journalist might get your email opened, but it’s the story that gets you in the piece.
PR isn’t about collecting contacts. It’s about creating value. Build a story worth telling, and the right people will listen. As we said before, nothing can be fully guaranteed, not even if the journalist in question is your best friend!
Final Thoughts: Unrealistic Expectations = Universal Heartache
A good PR pro will always help you assess your story’s value, shape it, and guide you through the chaotic world of comms.
But if you walk in expecting instant TechCrunch headlines, viral sharing, and a TED Talk by Friday, well, we’ve got some chamomile tea to recommend.
Let’s align on what PR is, what it isn’t, and why it’s still one of the most powerful forces in your brand-building arsenal.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to explain… again… why your new branding probably doesn’t warrant a press conference.
Ta-ta for now! ☕😉
More from our blog
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How to Ace Your Next Media Interview
Making the Most of PR (in Other Areas of Your Marketing)
How to Write a Tech PR Agency Brief That Actually Works
DIY, Freelancer, In-House, or Agency? Figuring Out Your Next PR Move
How to get the most value out of your tech PR agency
You don’t say? Rethinking the role of quotes in press releases
