By Patrick Coffee (@PatrickCoffee)
AdWeek PR Newser (@PRNewser)
May 7, 2015

http://www.adweek.com/prnewser/breaking-journalist-has-opinions-on-pr/113809

AdWeek’s Patrick Coffee examines the relationship between PR professionals and journalists in his latest PR Newser article. Specifically, he discusses the Editor & Publisher piece by Nu Yang calling PR professionals “PRedators” and examines the negativity surrounding the relationship between journalists and PR professionals. He then talks about the inundating PR press releases that journalists receive, but counters with the fact that that’s just a part of the business, and the nature of the relationship.

Coffee then delves into the relatively new issue of brand journalism, and the rise of social media in this very digital age, and how this phenomenon affects the PR/journalist relationship, as well. While Yang’s piece seems to chastise PR pros for creating their own content and going direct to the client (pushing the journalist and news outlet completely out of the picture), Coffee counters with the argument that “brand newsroom” content from a PR perspective is much different than that released by a traditional news source, and there is room for both types of messaging. Coffee does not believe (as Yang states) that PR pros are trying to steal the journalists’ job, and that, if labeled properly, savvy consumers should be able to see the branded content as just that – a sponsored advertisement.

Coffee concludes by reiterating the symbiotic relationship between PR and journalism, and how we must continue to stay positive and work together to achieve our business goals.