The pet peeves make their return! Truth be told, they never really left, just took a brief hiatus. As we all settled back in after the holiday break, our team dove straight into ramping up our usual PR endeavours. Additionally, we’re in the midst of developing a new website set to launch in the upcoming months, with the blog set to remain a key component. Indeed, we’re brimming with ambitious plans for the blog and our content strategy at large. So, keep an eye out for exciting developments in 2024!
Without further delay, here are the final journalist pet peeves tweeted in the year 2023, delivered directly to you:
Only Santa’s team should be allowed to send press releases on Christmas Day…
Tempting to call the PR who has sent us a Christmas Day press release, signing off with "shout if you have any questions", with some very detailed urgent queries…
— Matt Field (@matthfield) December 25, 2023
PR pros are revolutionising the art of the press release… not
I can predict that journalists won’t care about your predictions…
people: stop pitching me "predictions" from your clients…
— Kia K. (@imkialikethecar) December 1, 2023
Interesting journalist pet peeve: keep an eye for acronyms that might not be commonly used!
#PR people: Be judicious in using acronyms without explanation. Journalists may not recognize your use. We don't have the time to guess. Someone just sent me something about 'FM'. What, frequency modulation? Financial market? Field maintenance?
— Erik Sherman (https://mastodon.world/@eriksherman) (@ErikSherman) November 30, 2023
Assigned stories today: shorter than they used to be!
I truly wish more PR/comm's people cld get past a client's fervent desire for press coverage w the reality that so many of our assigned stories are now short (1,000 words or less) I normally quote 5-7 sources in a story of 1200 words. That's it. That's why you need multiple hits.
— Caitlin Kelly: career journalist, writing coach (@CaitlinKellyNYC) November 27, 2023
PR pros that spam may even start to be perceived as enablers of global warming! Simon Hunt of Evening Standard even wrote a whole article about ‘email pollution’
PRs: I hope my email finds you well.
— Simon Hunt (@SimonPeterHunt) November 20, 2023
Me: https://t.co/PulUA3nEsq
A classic pet peeve we never get tired of, hyperlink requests. Because, who cares about relationships with real human beings when you can slightly improve your SEO?
I'm so tired of PR folks emailing me to ask if I'll add a random link to their company in some years-old article I didn't even write. I don't have time for that, and it will likely not happen. Thanks for listening to my TED Talk
— Brit Morse (@britnmorse) November 15, 2023
Despite the PR fail “hashtag” that kind of generalises this for everyone, we’d like to highlight that most real PR pros wouldn’t do this.
I just had to send "I already declined this pitch on Nov 8, no need to follow up again." for the umpteenth time this week.
— Haje (@Haje) November 15, 2023
Come on folks. #PRfail
Ugh. #PRFail – this is def a way to get yourself on my block list altogether. pic.twitter.com/vxxT1cr4tz
— Haje (@Haje) November 2, 2023
Guys, come onnnnnn! You want a favour from journalists and then you act all cold and like you don’t have time to waste? Be kind!
This reminds us of Harold…
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Unacceptable
I'm getting some fantastically tone-deaf and tasteless pitches trying to tie startup news to the Israel situation. Come on, folks, have some heart. #PRFail
— Haje (@Haje) October 10, 2023
PR and media play imperfect games in which each side has little information about the other
I don't know why I'm always a bit amused when PR professionals give me a deadline (sometimes of just a few hours) to respond to their pitch.
— Mary Ann Azevedo (@bayareawriter) October 27, 2023
One of the seven deadly sins of PR
Advice to PR people: It is bad form to pitch news under general embargo, then revoke that offer in order to give one outlet an "exclusive".
— Allison DeAngelis (@ADeAngelis_bio) October 5, 2023
No, no, nooooo
The opener of a real pitch I just received. No notes, no words. pic.twitter.com/tdWwVhLnXd
— Katie Deighton (@DollyDeighton) October 18, 2023