


Pet Press Peeves
"One of my pet peeves," stated David Guenette, Editor-In-Chief, CD-ROM Professional, "is receiving a press release that does not have a clear message." In the "Getting Ink-Editors Roundtable," session at Multimedia LIVE! (Oct. 11-13, 1995) in San Francisco moderated by Pat Meier, President of Pat Meier & Associates, three editors from new media publications discussed in an open forum the "do's and don't" of approaching the media.

Phil Hood, Editor-in-Chief, NewMedia Magazine used the metaphor of sperm swimming up stream seeking internal life with small CD-ROM developers looking for media attention. "You just shoot a million of them out there in hopes that one will hit," he explained, producing a wave of chuckles in the audience.

Dominic Milano, Editor, InterActivity, does not like being contacted by people who don't understand their product or the market place (i.e. public relation firms employing people to call editors to ask, "Did you get our demo or press release?). He is peeved when individuals contact him with story ideas that know nothing of his publication.

"M.Cahlin"

Pet peeves? Let me count the ways! Calling me at 6 - 7 am, not realizing (or caring) that 213 is a WEST COAST area code. Having no idea what publication I write for or my needs. Trying to pitch me on Intranets or servers or some other large company/business need when I write for PC Novice is a waste of everyone's time. Wasting too much time on the phone. Get to the $%^! point. By the time I'm on the phone with you, I've taken a dozen (or more) pitches. I don't care that you're Joe Shmoe of Shmoe PR. The company -- unless it's a major player -- doesn't mean anything to me either. The name of the product means even less (and 9 times out of 10 the product name doesn't tell you anything anyway ... in most cases it confuses the issue). Tell me what it does and WHY my readers should be interested. DON'T SEND ME PRODUCT DEMOS BY EMAIL. How dare you! If I want it, tell me where your web site is. Don't waste my download time. If you send me e-mail and I don't respond TAKE A HINT. Don't bombard me with calls, faxes and more email. If you work for a large PR agency with several clients and products, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME. One call. PLEASE. If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
Calling me at 6 - 7 am, not realizing (or caring) that 213 is a WEST COAST area code. Having no idea what publication I write for or my needs. Trying to pitch me on Intranets or servers or some other large company/business need when I write for PC Novice is a waste of everyone's time. Wasting too much time on the phone. Get to the $%^! point. By the time I'm on the phone with you, I've taken a dozen (or more) pitches. I don't care that you're Joe Shmoe of Shmoe PR. The company -- unless it's a major player -- doesn't mean anything to me either. The name of the product means even less (and 9 times out of 10 the product name doesn't tell you anything anyway ... in most cases it confuses the issue). Tell me what it does and WHY my readers should be interested. DON'T SEND ME PRODUCT DEMOS BY EMAIL. How dare you! If I want it, tell me where your web site is. Don't waste my download time. If you send me e-mail and I don't respond TAKE A HINT. Don't bombard me with calls, faxes and more email. If you work for a large PR agency with several clients and products, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME. One call. PLEASE. If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
Having no idea what publication I write for or my needs. Trying to pitch me on Intranets or servers or some other large company/business need when I write for PC Novice is a waste of everyone's time. Wasting too much time on the phone. Get to the $%^! point. By the time I'm on the phone with you, I've taken a dozen (or more) pitches. I don't care that you're Joe Shmoe of Shmoe PR. The company -- unless it's a major player -- doesn't mean anything to me either. The name of the product means even less (and 9 times out of 10 the product name doesn't tell you anything anyway ... in most cases it confuses the issue). Tell me what it does and WHY my readers should be interested. DON'T SEND ME PRODUCT DEMOS BY EMAIL. How dare you! If I want it, tell me where your web site is. Don't waste my download time. If you send me e-mail and I don't respond TAKE A HINT. Don't bombard me with calls, faxes and more email. If you work for a large PR agency with several clients and products, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME. One call. PLEASE. If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
Wasting too much time on the phone. Get to the $%^! point. By the time I'm on the phone with you, I've taken a dozen (or more) pitches. I don't care that you're Joe Shmoe of Shmoe PR. The company -- unless it's a major player -- doesn't mean anything to me either. The name of the product means even less (and 9 times out of 10 the product name doesn't tell you anything anyway ... in most cases it confuses the issue). Tell me what it does and WHY my readers should be interested. DON'T SEND ME PRODUCT DEMOS BY EMAIL. How dare you! If I want it, tell me where your web site is. Don't waste my download time. If you send me e-mail and I don't respond TAKE A HINT. Don't bombard me with calls, faxes and more email. If you work for a large PR agency with several clients and products, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME. One call. PLEASE. If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
DON'T SEND ME PRODUCT DEMOS BY EMAIL. How dare you! If I want it, tell me where your web site is. Don't waste my download time. If you send me e-mail and I don't respond TAKE A HINT. Don't bombard me with calls, faxes and more email. If you work for a large PR agency with several clients and products, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME. One call. PLEASE. If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
If you send me e-mail and I don't respond TAKE A HINT. Don't bombard me with calls, faxes and more email. If you work for a large PR agency with several clients and products, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME. One call. PLEASE. If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
If you work for a large PR agency with several clients and products, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME. One call. PLEASE. If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
If you work for a small PR agency with only a couple of clients and product, DON'T HAVE EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE CALL ME and pitch me the same %$^& thing. Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
Put your name, phone number, email address and BOOTH number in all press releases and correspondence. Also, product name, company name, ordering info. CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
CHECK YOUR SPELLING. Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
Given a choice, PLEASE SEND E-MAIL, that's why I gave it. DON'T CALL, FAX, etc. Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
Don't read your pitch. Know enough of about your product to talk on the fly. If I break your concentration, don't go back to your script. If you can't wing it, you can't play with the big boys.
Hope that helps. Next time, I will NEVER include my phone or fax number!

W. Thomas

Good move, Jack. Much needed. PR people in general are clueless on using the Internet. Here are some more pet peeves:

Releases with attachments. Like I have time to go find them and keep the attachment correlated with the message. Learn how to copy/paste!

Long releases. One paragraph, please. If I want more, I'll tell you.

Releases from mailing services that don't allow replies. Microsoft is guilty of that.

PR people who don't check their mail after they leave for the show. (Most of them.) Someone needs to show them how to telnet in.

Releases with blank or meaningless subjects.

Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo.

Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.

W. Thomas, Web Addict <http://webreview.com/addict>

Add:

PR people who call California at 5 a.m. Lucent Technologies, for example.

Wake up: don't call.
Send a short email first to see if I'm remotely interested.

PR people who call a freelancer in California and ask for a long distance callback with no product mentioned or any other reason given. AT&T for
example.

*California PR reps who can't be bothered to notice that I'm in the Eastern time zone, and tell me they've scheduled a conference call for me with their clients at 2:00 their time.

California PR reps who don't come to the office at 6 AM to take the calls I send them first thing in the morning. :-) Well, I mean the first one.

B. Proffit
I hate getting e-mail press releases in word processor formats. They assume that I have their word processor so I can read it, that I have the time to unload it off of CompuServe, decompress it, re-format it to my wordprocessor, read it, possibly respond and that I love this so much I did nto mind that I paid for five times the connect time of an ASCII file transmission.

J. Celko
PR reps calling to find out if I got their press release. Pahleez. Like I have time to bother with this.
Or a PR rep calls with a product or story idea that is totally inappropriate for my magazine. Trying reading the magazine first, guys.

P. Lasky
My pet peeve is when a publicist threatens to call my editor if I don't give her lame title good press! There a persuasive argument for ya!

M. Lasser
Maybe I'm just tired and cranky on Monday mornings, but one of my many pet peeves is getting e-mail that confuses the crap out of me by juxtaposing one type of message with another.
Maybe I should go back to drinking coffee.

D. Clevinger
My pet peeve is people who call me on the phone and tell me how to run my publication. Telling me what I should or must do is not a good way to get me to do anything. And if you can't tell me what the product is and who it's for in two sentences, don't call -- unless you want some positioning consulting, which you obviously need. Hmmm . . . positioning consulting for Adult Multi Media products might be really fun.

A. Wohl
"One of my pet peeves is receiving a press release that does not have a clear message.

D. Guenette
Being contacted by people who do not know their product indepth or the marketability of their product or having story ideas pitched by people who do not know the publication.

D. Milano
Favorite PR Peeve--gotta love the "Have you gotten our press release?" phone call. Don't make a habit of logging in every release we get; many get filed
to the circular file, and the keepers, hey, we'll call you.

M. Goldstein
Having people tell me that a story just appeared in another publication like the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. I get 25 calls a day from people seeking attention. There are two huge boxes filled to the top with multimedia products right next to my desk that I have not looked at. My fax machine goes through a roll of paper every other day. My e-mail box currently has over 100 messages in it. I just don't have the time to listen to these guys tell me about all the media coverage they are getting.

L. Kidd
Peeves: Being pitched by someone who hasn't looked at the newspaper and doesn't have an idea of what we cover and how we do it.
Getting calls after faxes and shipments of products arrive where someone goes: "Did you get the fax/shipment?'' If someone is interested enough to ask for a fax or shipment, assume they're interested and will call when they're ready to write.

M.Snider One peeve is getting pitched a story by somebody who doesn't bother to read the magazine. They know what they want to fit....not what will fit. The value of New York down town real estate is high, but the real estate in our publication just might be a little bit higher. Publicists that have high expectations of getting 1, 2 or 3 photos in a story, who believe in their product deeply, I'm sure deal with large margins of disappointment. They just don't understand the competitive nature of the space race. I don't have a number two pet peeve.

E. Ochs
This is what a Publicist says about contacting the media:

Editors hate it when you call them to say "did you get my press release?"

A lot of editors want to have user names to call and get real feedback on a product rather than just relying on what the manufacturer has to say about it.
Email seems to be very effective in communicating to some editors if you can be interesting and concise, it doesn't interrupt them like a phone call does, and they can choose whether or not to respond, if they are interested, they will respond.
When writing press releases, put the most important message in the first paragraph as simply as possible, the "what is it and why should I care"...
Wow this is boring stuff.... I hope you haven't fallen asleep by now....

T.Bradford

E-mail dos: Send short reminders & notes.

E-mail don't: Some press don't like press releases via email, some do. You have to know who you are sending email to and keep notes on what they do and don't like.
Good move, Jack. Much needed. PR people in general are clueless on using the Internet. Here are some more pet peeves: Releases with attachments. Like I have time to go find them and keep the attachment correlated with the message. Learn how to copy/paste! Long releases. One paragraph, please. If I want more, I'll tell you. Releases from mailing services that don't allow replies. Microsoft is guilty of that. PR people who don't check their mail after they leave for the show. (Most of them.) Someone needs to show them how to telnet in. Releases with blank or meaningless subjects. Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo. Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.
Releases with attachments. Like I have time to go find them and keep the attachment correlated with the message. Learn how to copy/paste! Long releases. One paragraph, please. If I want more, I'll tell you. Releases from mailing services that don't allow replies. Microsoft is guilty of that. PR people who don't check their mail after they leave for the show. (Most of them.) Someone needs to show them how to telnet in. Releases with blank or meaningless subjects. Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo. Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.
Long releases. One paragraph, please. If I want more, I'll tell you. Releases from mailing services that don't allow replies. Microsoft is guilty of that. PR people who don't check their mail after they leave for the show. (Most of them.) Someone needs to show them how to telnet in. Releases with blank or meaningless subjects. Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo. Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.
Releases from mailing services that don't allow replies. Microsoft is guilty of that. PR people who don't check their mail after they leave for the show. (Most of them.) Someone needs to show them how to telnet in. Releases with blank or meaningless subjects. Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo. Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.
PR people who don't check their mail after they leave for the show. (Most of them.) Someone needs to show them how to telnet in. Releases with blank or meaningless subjects. Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo. Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.
Releases with blank or meaningless subjects. Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo. Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.
Vapor software announcements without a URL for downloading the app or at least a demo. Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.
Shows that don't provide online links to URLs for companies, email addresses for PR and marketing contacts, and short descriptions of new products being introduiced with links to press announcements. I haven't seen anybody do it right yet. Amazing. It's time to start boycotting these shows. I want to pull info from Web sites, not have it pushed to me in press releases, except for short media alerts with links.


Add: PR people who call California at 5 a.m. Lucent Technologies, for example. Wake up: don't call. Send a short email first to see if I'm remotely interested. PR people who call a freelancer in California and ask for a long distance callback with no product mentioned or any other reason given. AT&T for example. *California PR reps who can't be bothered to notice that I'm in the Eastern time zone, and tell me they've scheduled a conference call for me with their clients at 2:00 their time. California PR reps who don't come to the office at 6 AM to take the calls I send them first thing in the morning. :-) Well, I mean the first one.
PR people who call California at 5 a.m. Lucent Technologies, for example. Wake up: don't call. Send a short email first to see if I'm remotely interested. PR people who call a freelancer in California and ask for a long distance callback with no product mentioned or any other reason given. AT&T for example. *California PR reps who can't be bothered to notice that I'm in the Eastern time zone, and tell me they've scheduled a conference call for me with their clients at 2:00 their time. California PR reps who don't come to the office at 6 AM to take the calls I send them first thing in the morning. :-) Well, I mean the first one.
PR people who call a freelancer in California and ask for a long distance callback with no product mentioned or any other reason given. AT&T for example. *California PR reps who can't be bothered to notice that I'm in the Eastern time zone, and tell me they've scheduled a conference call for me with their clients at 2:00 their time. California PR reps who don't come to the office at 6 AM to take the calls I send them first thing in the morning. :-) Well, I mean the first one.
example. *California PR reps who can't be bothered to notice that I'm in the Eastern time zone, and tell me they've scheduled a conference call for me with their clients at 2:00 their time. California PR reps who don't come to the office at 6 AM to take the calls I send them first thing in the morning. :-) Well, I mean the first one.

*California PR reps who can't be bothered to notice that I'm in the Eastern time zone, and tell me they've scheduled a conference call for me with their clients at 2:00 their time. California PR reps who don't come to the office at 6 AM to take the calls I send them first thing in the morning. :-) Well, I mean the first one.