With Valentine’s Day approaching, it leads me to consider relationships; in particular, the connection between PRs and journalists.

The overlap between the role of a PR and that of a journalist is increasingly blurred. In fact, the term ‘”churnalism” has been coined to describe the frequent regurgitation of PR-created content by journalists.

With journalists becoming more reliant on PRs for up-to-date and expert information for articles, why is that some journalists regard PRs with disdain?

A good PR should be concise, efficient and think like a journalist. Not simply be driven by providing sales and marketing bumpf. The problem is that there are some PRs who don’t understand this, and who ultimately, create a negative association to the profession.

As with any relationship, it’s important that both parties understand and empathise with the other’s view points, respect the boundaries and approach the other with caution in times of stress (i.e. deadlines!).

If the relationship between journalists and PRs becomes one based on trust and consideration, it has the potential to become a harmonious match made in heaven.