PR practitioners and journalists: Two sides to the same coin?

By Denise Tan At a glance, it would seem like PR practitioners and journalists are polar opposites. However, upon closer examination of the IPRS Code of Ethics and the Singapore National Union of Journalists Code of Professional Conduct, both parties could in fact be viewed as interdependent entities. Firstly, both parties have similar motives: To disseminate news to their target audience. However, their corporate agendas differ. Different papers have varying agendas, clearly seen in the reporting styles and news coverage of tabloids, broadsheets and financial newspapers. In contrast, the agenda of PR practitioners is primarily to build up or protect the reputation of a corporation. Therefore, while PR practitioners seek to protect the reputation of their organisation, journalists maintain it by covering news topics congruent to their companys agenda. In this respect, PR practitioners are conditioned to view the media as gatekeepers to their target audience. It would thus be of the essence for them to position their news in a way that journalists would regard as newsworthy. Next, both parties are expected to maintain an air of professionalism. Journalists are hard pressed to make deadlines while producing accurate articles while PR practitioners endeavour to have accurate representations of their media releases covered. It is therefore in the interest of PR practitioners to help the media and build up a positive relationship with them so that news can be transmitted accurately and clearly. Lastly, PR practitioners and journalists are required to be honest in their dealings. This is where the idea of subjectivity comes into play and both parties have to be aware of how the opposing party will act while in this grey area. The journalists Code of Ethics states that journalists should take responsibility for their work and this guideline prevents misrepresentation of information. However, while PR practitioners can be assured that the media will not distort any information provided, they have to realise that journalists are capable of framing the story from different angles. Also, while PR practitioners have to abide by the truth, some may choose to hide some of the truth. Journalists thus have to be aware of this loophole and find different sources of information rather than being reliant on just one. Consequently, both parties require an understanding of the fact that the opposing party may capitalise on this grey area, and thus caution should be taken.

Word Count: 390 words