Did PR Kill the American Press?

You are what you eat…

Recently I noticed an article in "The Columbia Journalism Review” expounding on the theory that newspapers can only blame themselves for their imminent demise…and that blame lies with their preoccupation of “chasing the false idols of fame and fortune.” The article goes on to define this “chase” as public relations…and furthermore it states that even while chasing good PR, newspapers have fallen victim to becoming nothing more than shills (my word, not theirs) for PR professionals. That’s it, my fellow PR pros, we’re to blame. We’re killing the American Press.


Well, well, well…so many things wrong with this thesis from this prestigious publication that it’s difficult to summarize them all. Let me try just a couple…

First and foremost to define “chasing false idols of fame and fortune” as public relations is so odd as to be laughable. Newspapers in this country may well have decided that winning awards was important both for its readership as well as its business side, but only a first year journalism student not listening in class would refer to that as “public relations.” As far as “reporters making television appearances”…huh? The few reporters I see on the air tend to be connected to and reporting on a big story (that’s called journalism.) Does the author actually believe that with TV air time so precious even for their very own TV reporters, that broadcasters would relinquish it to a newspaper to promote it’s own? Not.

And the idea that public relations is creating the news everyday for America’s newspapers…and not the editorial staffs, who are preoccupied with advancement up the ranks rather than news gathering…well, we in the PR ranks should be so lucky. Blaming PR however ill defined, for newspapers’ diminishing size, circulation, and influence, is simplistic, and frankly beneath such a prestigious publication. An added insult is the article’s contention that are not enough good reporters with “expertise’ at the bottom rung and therefore newspapers are easy prey for the evil PR types waiting to infiltrate with “worst of all, snappy comments by spokesmen or experts.” Oh God, not that!

If ever an article deserved to be given a toss to the proverbial ‘round file’ or at minimum, a hearty, “Give me a break!” it’s this one. The real reasons for the American newspaper’s demise is both economic and technological and to a great degree, demographic. The Columbia Journalism Review may not be aware, but newspapers and all of journalism share a mutually beneficial and synergistic relationship with the PR profession. We need each other and depend on each other. We share our people and background, we share a desire to maintain journalistic integrity, i.e., news must be news worthy, and we share a distribution system for our product.

PR kill the press? Give me a break!