…and happy birthday, Barbadora Ink. (Cue the party balloons!)
We are both patriots and PR professionals so we believe in the First Amendment with a bit more vigor than some Americans. Back in 1787, this inalienable right reigned supreme due to the magnitude of the consequences if it was not upheld. After all, a hodge-podge military of brave farmers had just lost their lives to protect such freedoms and nurture a new world unencumbered by a far-away royalty.
So it seems fitting that a public relations firm launch its new website on this day, especially as we are based in Philadelphia, on the cobble stone streets where the U.S. Constitution was signed and Freedom of the Press became law.
Today, though, “press” conjures a wide range of feelings – many of which are negative. I am a hold-out. I think the press – and its protection – is just as critical to America as ever…maybe even more so. Not naive, I certainly recognize the 20% rule but a few bad seeds don’t ruin the whole crop.
At Barbadora Ink, we spend a lot of time communicating with industry trade media editors – a different brand of ‘press’ and just as important to the many businesses trying to connect with their targeted audiences in vertical industries like pharmaceuticals, software, data, and financial services.
These trade editors work really hard, and deal with a lot of crap. And, by ‘crap,’ I mean “no-news” news. They are bombarded with emails and phone calls from PR people selling their clients’ products and services rather than delivering actual news or stories of relevance to their readers.
One editor recently told me it’s like searching for a grain of sand on the beach. Ugh.
It’s no wonder that editors can get a little cranky or don’t reply to every single email. I wouldn’t either. Typically, these hard-working reporters – limited by shoestring budgets and constantly pressured by the publication’s advertising reps to show some ‘extra love’ to advertisers – are not getting respect from anyone, even PR pros who should know better and who should – more than most – honor them.
Admittedly, this is the real reason we are launching our new website today – in honor of the press, and for which it stands. We get it. We get your frustration. And we get that you don’t want fake news or thinly veiled article pitches that are more like a commercial than a news story. We get that you don’t want to ever read a press release about “a leading supplier of chemicals” if you are a pharmaceutical publication! Most of all, we get that this rubbish will never, ever be published.
We respect the press. We won’t waste your time (or our clients’ time) on anything but smart, newsworthy story ideas and valuable information. That’s a promise. Amen. God bless America.
Cue the fireworks,
Lisa