Three years ago I got involved in my first and only PR job. A friend’s diving company needed news exposure, and since I had been writing for quite a while at that point, I felt I had a good handle on how to get it for them. I also wanted to try it out, and besides I needed the money.
So we looked into their schedule of events, one of which just jumped out at me. Apparently, every so often they sink a car into the ocean to repopulate coral depleted areas. What’s more, an avid diver who happened to own an airplane repair shop decided to donate, of all things, the metal carcass of a long – dead helicopter.
To me, it was a PR dream come true, and I was jumping up and down from excitement from the possible media mileage. My client’s eyebrows had that blank curious look though, wondering what the fuss was all about – later on I would see that same reaction in a lot of people that don’t comprehend how it works.
At any rate, I called the editors of the national dailies, which is stricly not the way to go. But we had a tight sked and I was confident in the merits of the event. I knew it was going to be difficult, and boy did they give me attitude.
But I knew the important thing was to be honest. They knew this was PR, and I told them so upfront. However, it was still quite newsworthy, and terrific for visuals too. I forged on, and as I tried to keep my voice from shaking as I got my five second pitch with some of the top editors of the top publishers in the country, my gamble paid off. One sent a photographer, and another sent both a photographer and a top reporter (who became a friend and we still keep tabs to this day), and even brought their own car, meaning we didn’t even have to spend for travel expenses.
The event landed on the front page of both dailies, ON A SUNDAY, plus the front page of the environmental section of the other daily when it came out that week. I knew it was important, but I had to way of knowing it would merit the frontpage. It was terrific, unfortunately though, a fact completely lost on my client (apparently I couldn’t PR myself).
But the deed got done. I tried it, it worked out, and I got for my lowly client what international PR companies charge zillions for = a headline on a weekend on a national daily. On my first try. Take that.
And now, let me take your attention to a new topic: the Philippine Linux Users Group (PLUG).
Dominique Cimafranca recently started a new Linux Press Corps of which I am fortunate enough to become a member of. My goal in joining is fairly clear to me. I would like to impart whatever knowledge I can in helping PLUG reach the press, and in so doing, promote Linux and FOSS technologies.
So far it’s been promising. Dominique is terribly motivated, and has been churning out copy after copy. I’ve started putting in my two cents – something I’ve never been comfortable doing whenever discussing other’s work, but the terrific part is, it’s been well received by him (so far), and that motivates me as well.
My biggest challenge however, is to try and impart how exactly it is done to Dom and to any other writer who wants to join in. It isn’t that there isn’t enough press interested, or there aren’t enough Linux writers, and God knows there are enough Linux users and material out there. It’s how to translate these to something the press can use.
One thing I’d like to eradicate, for example, is MS bashing, which any PR or even ordinary press person knows is just about the worst thing you can do if you want to promote something. Everytime some fired up FOSS advocate starts hurling salvoes at MS in mailing lists or articles, I can imagine the MS PR person smiling because this is exactly what they want – the enemy shooting itself in the foot.
Bashing paints a picture of fanatical amateurs reduced to hurling insults, alienating users and achieving the exact opposite. Also, inordinately giving credence to MS, whose PR people makes sure it always looks professional even when it screws up.
Mind you, this has nothing to do with which is actually superior, and has everything to do with perception. The best thing to do is do as a professional press person does, which is to present facts without bias or emotion, so as for it to speak for itself. The reader, being intelligent and capable of it (always assume that), will decide for himself. Feeding it to him will only make him feel stupid and being ‘sold’ to.
An uphill climb? I suppose that’s so, but a worthwhile battle nonetheless imo. At this stage in my life, I’ve learned to choose my battles based on how worthy they are, and what I can do to contribute to it. Winnability is not an issue, actually. Free, open source software, to my mind, offers everyone a crack at using technology that will improve lives better and faster than the alternative.
And just like getting news about that helicopter, I assume now covered with coral, into the news, this deserves a good try.