Last but not least: Dangerous Liaisons
The PR industry is increasingly encroaching on the editorial side of the media. Until now, it was primarily the media that saw this as a problem. Now, however, an opinion leader in the PR industry is also warning against this trend.
The PR industry is increasingly pushing into the editorial section of the media. Until now, it was mainly the media that saw this as a problem. But now an opinion leader in the PR industry is also warning against this development. PR guru and founder of the Burson-Marsteller agency Harold Burson finds it alarming that the media are becoming more careless and increasingly adopting PR texts uncritically. The serious work of journalists is essential for our democratic societies and even vital for the survival of the PR industry, the 85-year-old told the NZZ am Sonntag. He calls on journalists to distinguish themselves more strongly from their peers. And he names the difference between PR and journalism - two disciplines that he sees in a dangerous liaison. PR is the art of telling a story from a certain point of view. It is just one side of the truth. Journalism, on the other hand, has the task of distinguishing between what is the real news and what is merely the interpretation of a message.
But it is precisely this distinction that is taking place less and less. One problem with this is that the media responded with a disarmament spiral in corporate communications, founded on structural change and the associated cost pressure. And the ever-increasing time pressure on editorial teams is not making things any better. And there is something else that promotes the penetration of journalism and PR: The striking wage differences between the two industries. For example, there are already seminars on the market that help journalists get PR assignments. As a good way of securing a livelihood, especially for freelance journalists.
But it is precisely this distinction that is taking place less and less. One problem with this is that the media responded with a disarmament spiral in corporate communications, founded on structural change and the associated cost pressure. And the ever-increasing time pressure on editorial teams is not making things any better. And there is something else that promotes the penetration of journalism and PR: The striking wage differences between the two industries. For example, there are already seminars on the market that help journalists get PR assignments. As a good way of securing a livelihood, especially for freelance journalists.
