Some of you veteran tech media watchers know this already, but I had forgotten just how much chutzpah they have down at NewsFactor Network. Check out this page of advice for PR people -- and prepare to be shocked.
The funny thing is, as the traditional trade publishers struggle, more readers than ever are sampling NewsFactor sites. So its network is not to be dismissed, in spite of policies that range from peculiar to outright sleazy.
Click on the link below if you'd like to see our running commentary on NewsFactor's advice to PR; it appears in UNDERLINED ITALICIZED CAPS.
Information for Public Relations Professionals
*** Editorial calendars are not available.
We appreciate your efforts to advance your company's or client's public
relations positions. The following is intended to explain our policy with regard
to PR pitches, and the ways in which we would like to work with you. VERY NICE OF YOU.
CIO Today Network values your news, feature, and contributed article ideas.
However, our publication structure is rarely, if ever, able to take advantage of
PR pitches, as explained below. THE FAULT LIES WITH PR, MIND YOU, NOT WITH NEWSFACTOR.
The single, most important contact between our reporters and you is, in our
view, your ability to quickly connect them with a newsmaker or expert source to
provide comment on a breaking news story, or in the context of a feature report
that we initiate. SERIOUSLY THIS TIME, WE AGREE.... LITTLE IS MORE IMPORTANT TO A JOURNALIST.
Please do not contact us by phone or fax, unless you are responding to a
specific inquiry from one of our reporters or editors. Please allow us to
initiate the contact. DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU. ARROGANT, BUT WHATEV... How we select news for coverage
We publish news on the Web continuously. Our editors decide which news
stories we cover, based on their analysis of the overall quantity and
significance of the day's top stories. We also automatically analyze our
readers' choices of articles, and we gear our coverage to their choices. LIKE MANY SITES, YOU PANDER FOR CLICKS. AT LEAST YOU ADMIT IT. FEW OTHER SITES DO.
Over the past several years, our readers have demonstrated interest in news
from companies with whom they are familiar. The companies of greatest interest
to our readers include "household names," as well as other companies that
advertise on our publications, because our readers are most familiar with their
brand-names. IN OTHER WORDS, IN 1998 YOU'D PAY NO ATTENTION TO GOOGLE BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNEW THAT LYCOS, ALTA VISTA AND YAHOO WERE THE SEARCH LEADERS.
Our research has shown that our readers have very little interest in news
releases about minor software upgrades, personnel announcements, or customer
acquisitions. LOL -- SO ALL YE PROCLAIMING NEWS OF MINOR SOFTWARE UPGRADES, MAY A POX BE UPON YOU...
Please note that we incur costs with regard to each article we assign for
coverage and, for this reason, we focus on stories that most closely match our
readers' interests. YES, IT'S CERTAINLY VERY EXPENSIVE TO MOVE ALL THESE BITS OVER THE INTERNET, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S NO SHAKEDOWN MONEY TO BE MADE FROM COVERING SMALL COMPANIES.
How we develop feature topics
Our editors meet on a regular basis to discuss new technologies and emerging
trends in the context of brainstorming feature ideas. Some of those ideas are
then approved by management, and budgets are set for production. Some of those
features are also slotted for publication in print, in addition to -- or instead
of -- our Web-based publications. EVERY NEWS ORGANIZATION DOES THIS.
As a practical matter, we rarely, if ever, have incorporated PR pitches into
our feature budget. THAT'S BECAUSE PR PEOPLE RARELY, IF EVER, KNOW ANYTHING OF VALUE. IS THAT IT? The features we choose to develop contain a "hook" or a specific attraction
for our readers. A HOOK! I SENSE A J-SCHOOL GRADUATE OR TWO AT THE HELM... Their headlines must be able to attract readers when seen on a
magazine cover at a retail outlet.
We regularly interview industry sources for comment in our features. OUR HAT IS OFF...
Policy on contributed articles
We do not accept contributed articles because they tend to be explicitly or
implicitly self-promoting and, therefore, are met with skepticism by our
readers. IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, NEWSFACTOR IS ON TO SOMETHING HERE. There are also potential intellectual property complications to be
considered, and we have concluded that the gain rarely justifies the downside of
using contributed material. THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ANGLE IS A STRETCH. BUT I AGREE WITH THE GENERAL POINT.
However, we do consider publishing regular columns from upper-level
management of household-name companies, analyst firms, universities, or
government agencies, as well as other institutions. If you represent an
extremely well-known source who would like to be considered for writing a column
about general technology trends and how they affect society, we would be glad to
consider your suggestion. IN OTHER WORDS, ALL THESE PRINCIPLES ARE NEGOTIABLE IF YOUR WALLET IS FAT OR IF YOU'VE GOT SOME PRESTIGE. THE REST OF YOU BOTTOM-FEEDERS CAN FORGET IT.
Policy regarding embargoed news
We ask that you do not send us any announcements that would require an
embargo. SERIOUSLY, THIS IS NOT SUCH A BAD IDEA. IN PRINCIPLE, THIS KEEPS THINGS FAIR AND CLEAN. We are able to cover important news within hours of the time it breaks,
so we do not require advance notice. We will consider any announcements sent to
our newsroom as public knowledge at the time we receive such information. Please
do not expect us to withhold important news from our readers, nor to set up an
internal bureaucracy to track each company's specific embargo schedule. VERY OLD-SCHOOL, AND FRANKLY, I'M A FAN OF THE CONCEPT.
As for products that we may wish to review in advance for print publication,
we can accommodate specific arrangements on a case-by-case basis. BUT IN PRACTICE, REVIEWS, HOW AIRTIGHT ARE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN YOUR REVIEWS AND NEWS OPERATIONS? NEWSFACTOR SHOULD EXPLAIN.
Product reviews
Our readers strongly favor reviews of products from leading vendors and
typically shy away from reading reviews of products from vendors with whom they
are not familiar. REFER TO PREVIOUS POINT ABOUT GOOGLE. THIS IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SNOBBY AND IRRESPONSIBLE.
Best way to reach our audience
We ask that PR professionals connect our reporters to newsmakers or expert
sources for comment on breaking news or upcoming feature articles. Please allow
us to initiate the contact. IN OTHER WORDS, SIT THERE AND WAIT FOR OUR CALL... OTHERWISE, POUND SAND.
We have found that companies are most successful when they use a variety of
marketing approaches, including PR, advertising, direct mail, etc. Therefore, we
have found that a PR-only approach is not very effective, because there tends to
be little or no interest on behalf of our audience with regard to the marketing
announcements of companies with whom our readers are not familiar in the first
place. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT PR IS USELESS WITHOUT A BIG TRADE MEDIA AD CAMPAIGN BEHIND IT.
However, companies that combine traditional marketing approaches of both PR
and advertising are extremely effective in bringing their message to our
audience. WHERE DO WE SIGN? For information about advertising, please click here.
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