By Caroline West, Senior Producer, Production Services
Journalism and public relations… Two different industries, but surprisingly, they are much more alike than they seem. As a former-journalist-turned-PR-professional, I’m here to share how former news staffers are the perfect complement to your PR and marketing teams.
I spent years working in newsrooms at both the local and network levels. It wasn’t until recently that I decided it was time to pivot my skills to the world of PR. The transition, as I have found, has been one that’s truly been seamless. With a background molded in deadlines, teamwork and creativity, there’s an abundance of skills that journalists hold that are easily transferrable to PR. If you’re considering working with someone – or even a team – with varying backgrounds, here are some plusses to working with former newsroom pros:
Journalists thrive on working at a fast pace. With deadlines approaching at various points in the day, journalists are used to quickly gathering material, conducting interviews, scripting it all together and then making the final edits. (That’s not even considering a breaking news story barreling in and completely changing the direction of the day!) Having that background has really set me up for success in PR, because surprisingly, things here move at an extremely rapid pace. There are numerous projects coming in at once, scripts to be written, edits to be done and tours to produce. I have found it best to get things done ahead of time while I have time – which is something we used to say in news, too. Former journalists will be able to hop in on projects as they come in, likely staying ahead of deadlines, which will keep the rest of your team – and even clients – happy.
Journalists have high standards. When I worked in news, we had high standards to report stories accurately. I had a little AP Stylebook by my side most days that I often referred to because attention to detail was essential for anything I was preparing to get on the air. Being detail-oriented is essential in PR as well when reviewing media alerts, pitches, b-roll packages and scripted videos: Did I spell anything wrong in my alert? Does the provided video line up with the messaging? Are there any flash frames in the video edit? Is this even something that a newsroom would use? Is it something that I would have used in my show? These are all questions I still ask myself before hitting ‘send.’
Journalists know the importance of teamwork. It’s no secret that times are changing in newsrooms, and it’s becoming more common to find people that do multiple jobs. Traditionally, newsrooms have various people getting one show on the air. From the assignment desk, reporters, producers, editors, and directors ─ among others ─ there are several people working together from pitch meetings to the final show. Public relations is about teamwork as well. Between sales, client relations, media relations, and production, each campaign is built around several people working together. Having someone who understands the power of teamwork will make your campaign even better.
Working a news desk cultivates natural curiosity and a knack for researching. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re navigating a new job and the lingo that comes with it. I thought the acronyms were bad in news, but PR might top it! The SMTs, RMTs, VNRs, VMATs, and many more deliverables all have their own vernacular, and I felt like I was learning a new language. The first couple of weeks in my new job, I did what any former journalist would do, and I started researching. It was only a few weeks before I could finally stop Googling keywords during conference calls. I also have a can-do attitude and can thank my former roles for that. After being asked to juggle a variety of roles in a newsroom, I’m confident that I can figure anything out that my team needs.
Above all, journalists just get it. I was pitched by public relations professionals for years. I completely understand the end goal and the importance of getting a client’s pitch on TV and radio. Former journalists will help find the right peg and attention-grabbing headline to get journalists to take a look. Not to mention, former journalists likely have friends or former acquaintances that still work in the industry as well. Talk about being pros at booking − a former journalist is someone you need on your team!
Overall, I am so proud to be where I am in PR, and at 4media group, I’m not alone. We have so many former journalists who are now PR pros. It truly is a wonderful transition, and you can feel confident having a former journalist join your team! They might just be the missing piece you’ve always needed.