From Scoop to Flack
June 7, 2010 - by
A veteran PR pro here says that when she used to get a call from a reporter, she wondered what story they were working on. Now, she wonders who’s looking for a job.
Mark Johnson of The Charlotte Observer/News & Observer is the latest to leave. I haven’t talked to Mark about his decision, but I assume it has something to do with the uncertain future of newspapers.
I’m reminded of what Ernest Hemingway once said: Journalism is a great profession for a young person, so long as they get out in time.
Mark is becoming Governor Perdue’s deputy communications director. It’s a coup for her – and a challenge for him.
Not every reporter makes the switch smoothly. Scoops (reporters) and flacks (communications directors) have an inherently conflicting relationship. Scoops are always looking for a new story. Flacks are always pushing the same story.
I know, because I made the switch many years ago when I left the N&O to work for Jim Hunt.
The assumption is that former reporters know how to deal with reporters. But some former reporters become the harshest and most bitter battlers with reporters and editors.
That’s generally their personality, though. Mark is a very different character, and he should make a smooth transition.
The real challenge for flacks today is learning how to deal with a world of fewer reporters, but more sources of news and commentary. Like blogs.
So far, I’ve only seen one or two flacks do a good job of it. It’s simple folks: You work bloggers just like you work reporters and editors – or, for that matter, just like a good reporter works sources. You talk to them, trade tips and information, ask questions and listen – to what’s said and not said.
From Scoop to Flack
June 7, 2010/
A veteran PR pro here says that when she used to get a call from a reporter, she wondered what story they were working on. Now, she wonders who’s looking for a job.
Mark Johnson of The Charlotte Observer/News & Observer is the latest to leave. I haven’t talked to Mark about his decision, but I assume it has something to do with the uncertain future of newspapers.
I’m reminded of what Ernest Hemingway once said: Journalism is a great profession for a young person, so long as they get out in time.
Mark is becoming Governor Perdue’s deputy communications director. It’s a coup for her – and a challenge for him.
Not every reporter makes the switch smoothly. Scoops (reporters) and flacks (communications directors) have an inherently conflicting relationship. Scoops are always looking for a new story. Flacks are always pushing the same story.
I know, because I made the switch many years ago when I left the N&O to work for Jim Hunt.
The assumption is that former reporters know how to deal with reporters. But some former reporters become the harshest and most bitter battlers with reporters and editors.
That’s generally their personality, though. Mark is a very different character, and he should make a smooth transition.
The real challenge for flacks today is learning how to deal with a world of fewer reporters, but more sources of news and commentary. Like blogs.
So far, I’ve only seen one or two flacks do a good job of it. It’s simple folks: You work bloggers just like you work reporters and editors – or, for that matter, just like a good reporter works sources. You talk to them, trade tips and information, ask questions and listen – to what’s said and not said.