Separation of Church and State

"Separation of Church and State" by Thomas Nardacci

Quite often, I find myself explaining to my PR clients who already purchase advertising from media outlets that there is a "separation of church and state" when it comes to the newsroom and the advertising department. They are usually in disbelief to hear that the thousands of dollars in ad buys won't translate to news coverage.

It has been my experience in every media outlet I've worked in that the journalists in the newsroom draw a very clear line in the sand and it's important for people to know that when talking to the reporter, editor or producer. If you start a pitch by saying "we buy thousands in ads," you can pretty much consider your story DOA. There are journalistic ethics and a majority of reporters take them very seriously.

I am also frequently at the other end of sales calls too because sometimes communications campaigns simply call for paid advertising. I usually find that the ad sales departments try to draw the distinction too. But, in the end they are trying to make a sale and working on commissions, so they are less likely to tell someone point blank that there is a barrier between the departments. They usually say that they could "talk to someone" or "make a connection." They can and do give names and contact info, but don't rely on them to pitch your story.

This is not to say that paid ads have no influence whatsoever on all media outlets in every situation. There are certainly gray areas -- a smaller outlet where the ad guy and reporter may share a cubicle, or with individuals willing to bend the rules.

I would advise clients to avoid creating a conflict. Keep their advertising contacts and news contacts separate and concentrate on developing a news pitch that is worthy of coverage on its own merits.