Project Censored Blog

Out of Control?

Spin doctors, publicists, press officers or communication professionals - whatever you choose to call them, they are a profession loathed by many, yet one which play a substantial role in the lives of journalists. As the interdependence between journalists and public relations professional's grows, Jessika Lofstedt from Reportage looks at how PR tactics are used by journalists when creating the news.

"When I first started working as a journalist all I did was copy, paste and grammatically correct press releases that had been sent in to the editorial room," said Lawrence Conway. He is a 28-year-old journalist currently writing for the Torch , a local newspaper covering the Bankstown-Canterbury area in western Sydney. It has a weekly circulation of 90,000 people and belongs to Fairfax Community Newspapers.

He refers to the press release editing as part of "routine work that simply has to be done" and said many of the articles printed in the Torch are dictated by the press offices they originate from. "I really can't do much more than what the editor tells me to do; if he says edit press releases, I edit press releases."

Conway is far from alone in having to do a journalistic job that may not appear to be 'real' journalist's work. Public relations people are becoming increasingly influential in today's media climate and their No1 tactical tool is the press release. Due to time and practical constraints to newsrooms, it is common to see press releases appearing, as Conway said: "Simply cut and pasted into articles."

Anthony Lowe, a PR consultant with 11 years experience in the field, recalls his first years in PR when he used to find it satisfying to see one of his press releases appearing word by word in a newspaper. "Back then it didn't happen all that often, but today it happens all the time," he said. "It makes me a bit scared to be perfectly honest, where did investigative journalism go?"

Lowe understands how practicalities can limit journalists, but does not think PR practitioners should be faulted, just because they provide journalists with information. "I am always prepared, and I want them to further investigate an issue in relation to any press releases I send," he said. "It's disappointing, but not my problem if journalists choose not to get back and ask me questions."

Conway has risen up the career ladder within the year he has been at the Torch . Today he does more then edit press releases, even though the task still takes up a part of his day. "I'm now doing my own reporting," he said. "I'd say I write about 30-40 stories a week but I still don't have the time to dig as deep as I'd like to. You get your quote from an expert, action group or opposition, then you're forced to write and hand in the story".

Lowe knows some PR tactics mislead journalists. "PR is big business nowadays and a lot of money goes in to corporate and government reputation management," he said. Sponsoring special groups to endorse a corporation is nothing new in the world of PR. It is further not uncommon to see "expertise group set up to bring credibility to an issue in times when no one wants to support it", Lowe said. He adds with sarcasm: "The press can then consult these groups and it works wonders for your credibility."

Lowe thinks this consequently means journalists sometimes have to dig deep in order to get through the first layers of vested interests and semi-truths when pursuing a story. "Let's face it, most journalists just don't have the time to go through it all," he said.

Conway said he knows of the existence of PR tricks, yet he is confident that he can call their bluff. "As a journalist you always have to be objective and question everything. Maybe my employment with the Torch hasn't been thought provoking in that sense, but I still think I have what it takes if I was put up to the task."

Rosa de Carvalho is 25 years old and is currently working on a PhD in corporate reputation management, at the University of Technology, Sydney. "Press releases, backgrounders, gift samples, celebrities spokespeople, experts; they are all tactical tools in the overall strategy to put your client in the press, and sometimes the tactics use are not completely ethical," she said. What Carvalho refers to is common practice in the field of PR, and small gifts are just the top of the iceberg. It is not uncommon that journalists are offered whole holidays and computers when unethical PR people are trying to persuade them to cover something.

She believes that most journalists know exactly what's going on but that they have neither the power nor the will to break the code of conduct. "It is important to understand that no one can force journalists to print anything...journalists always have the freedom to choose what they write and publish," she said. Conway tries to stay realistic about his work and the practical pressures surrounding it. He thinks it would be stupid to look at PR people as the journalist's enemy. "PR people have the potential to make a reporter's life so much easier by providing photos, interviews and background material, so why shouldn't I use them?" he asked. "I'm planning to stay a journalist, and I know press offices and PR consultancies play a huge role in my work. I'm starting to get used to the whole thing, and I guess I have to learn how to play them in the same way as they are trying to play me."

Conway further has no intention to stay long term at the Torch . He sees his employment there as a steppingstone in his career as a journalist. "My predecessor worked here for two years, then she was recruited by the Daily Telegraph," he said. "I hope the experience I have gained here will steer me in the direction of one of the metropolitan newspapers as well."

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Posted by ACIJ at 10:21 AM February 18, 2005