Communicating change
The mainstream media might have taken a battering of late with the inexorable rise of digital media. But PR still has the power – and influence - to put those upstart communication channels back in their place. That’s only possible, however, when a trusted adviser truly understands the press with which they’re engaging. And that might mean going back to basics. Myddleton Communications’ MD Paul Jaffa, and Laurence Fletcher of the FT, discuss.
PJ: I’ve heard contemporaries saying that – and without wishing to generalise – some younger PR people can seem reluctant to pick-up the phone to journalists. Is “hiding” behind email something you’ve seen increase? And does it matter?
LF: I think that’s possibly been the case - the volume of emails has gone up over time while pitches via phone have probably got fewer. For me, personally, that’s actually no bad thing. Emailed pitches are an efficient way to go through a lot of different ideas quickly, and then I can always respond by email or phone to an interesting idea. Calling up with an idea that isn’t directly related to my area of coverage and isn’t really that interesting is probably going to be a waste of everyone’s time. PJ: I’ve always worked with colleagues, especially younger ones, to help them understand how journalists work and the pressure they’re under. The media landscape has, of course, changed, but presumably the way in which someone like yourself works has broadly remained the same?
LF: Yes, I think so. I’ve been a journalist for 22 years now and the newsgathering process has in many ways not changed much at all over that time. Meeting contacts, talking on the phone, analysing data, and discussing with colleagues are still crucial parts of the job. My beat has very little in the way of news flow coming at me, so it’s very much down to what I can go and find out, and that’s been the case for a long time.
While social media has obviously grown massively over this period, it’s not a big source of story generation for me, although it can add useful detail in certain stories.
Deadlines are obviously still there, although the rise of online means that they’re spread throughout the day rather than just trying to meet an evening print deadline. Having good, eye-catching stories that can hold until the following morning, where they can sometimes have a bigger impact and readership, is also important. PJ: Do you still like it when a PR calls to discuss a potential idea or do you like everything by email these days?
LF: Receiving a call can be useful although I think it has to be from a PR I know well - and it would have to be about a story that I would genuinely find interesting, not just a company trying to push its latest product or idea. As I say, in most cases email is a more efficient way of pitching ideas. I tend to look more at emails from PRs I know as they are more likely to have a good idea of the sort of areas in which I’d be interested.
PJ: Has how you work changed during the tumultuous years of, firstly, Brexit and then a global pandemic?
LF: I think both have made work more intense and often more fast-paced. I’d say the past two years during the pandemic have been a particularly intense period. Early 2020, when it really started to hit markets, was one of the busiest times of my career, with all sorts of rumours flying around about who was losing money or in trouble in various parts of the market. Since then, there have been a stream of big news events and major market moves, which have made it a challenge to juggle the necessities of short-term news with longer-term projects.
“There’s often a tendency among PRs and some commentators to want to include a lot of jargon and technical language when their client - or they - give a quote. In fact, what normally works best is quoting them how a normal person would speak. Short and to the point is normally best.”
PJ: What one thing can PRs do to make your life easier?
LF: I think get to know me and the sort of areas I’m really interested in, to make whatever you send me as relevant as possible. PJ: And what’s the thing that’s most irritating?
LF: I’d say - and I’m almost certain I’m not the only journalist who thinks this - that a PR sending an email and then ringing up to check I’ve got it would be the most annoying thing! Following up with another email is far more preferable. PJ: PR and getting column inches (as oldies like me call it!) for a client can still be immensely prestigious, even against the backdrop of all-things digital. What feedback do you get on this and how can that help PRs to (a) do an even better job for their clients, and (b) come to you with better, more creative ideas?
LF: Yes, appearing in the print edition is prestigious, even in this digital age, and I’m personally a big fan of print. However, some PRs I speak to see it as more important than online, but I think that’s the wrong way of looking at it. Both are really important and, often stories that appear online, will also be in the print edition.
I would also raise a point about quotes. There’s often a tendency among PRs and some commentators to want to include a lot of jargon and technical language when their client - or they -give a quote. In fact, what normally works best is quoting them how a normal person would speak. Short and to the point is normally best. PJ: The demise of the press is often mooted in much the same way the Kindle was supposed to kill off book sales (that didn’t happen). Assuming there are to be fewer key players as we have traditionally known them, what excites you and your FT colleagues about the opportunities ahead, especially for such a strong brand as the FT?
LF: I believe trust is essential in this regard. There’s no shortage of information around today. But there can be a shortage of information that you know you can trust; that you know has been factually and legally checked out, and that you know is impartial. The FT, which reports “without fear and without favour”, stands in a very strong position in this regard. PJ: Can you still get away from the desk for a coffee or lunch with a PR and their client?
LF: Yes indeed (coronavirus-permitting). It helps if you’re able to come to or near our office, and if you don’t mind a quick 30-minute coffee sometimes.
Laurence Fletcher – Financial Times Hedge Fund correspondent
Laurence covers hedge funds for the Financial Times, and writes news, features, investigations and opinion pieces. His work includes numerous exclusives and his 2012 investigations into hedge fund Dynamic Decisions were part of a series that won a Gerald Loeb award, a New York Press Club award and a U.S. National Press Club award. In 2021 he was part of an FT team that won a Loeb award in the Breaking News category for coverage of the collapse of Wirecard.
He joined the FT in 2018, and previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Citywire and Bloomberg.