To thank or not to thank?

Posted on: 12th June 2011 in Public relations

Mike Hughes, the Evening Gazette's Business and Features Editor, blogs over on their website about feeling (if I might paraphrase) a little perturbed when PRs thank him when he runs a story from them.

I suppose that I should add my voice to the debate on this, primarily because I sent Mike just such an email this morning to thank him for coming out and meeting with one of my clients.

As a Director of a PR agency I deal with a lot of journalists on a day to day basis. Some of them I get on well with and some of them could be referred to as difficult customers.

When I've worked with one of those journalists that I enjoying dealing with, and in some cases had a pat on the back from a client for the result, I think it could be classed as common courtesy to pass that thanks on - especially where the original intention wasn't even to get any physical coverage in the paper.

That said, I totally agree with Mike that the coverage you get (or don't get) in a paper should always be based on the quality of a story and not on the relationship you have with a particular journalist and having to thank them every time they use your material!

Pete Whelan Jnr