Linda Jones continues our regular Women who blog feature with a look at a poacher giving the gamekeepers an insight into her world...
We all know about the on-going debate about the opposing interests of PR and journalism, now don’t we? PR and journalism can only ever rub along in a rather strained atmosphere of mutual mistrust, we are told.Rod Liddle once told the Independent that it was a journalist’s job to expose the truth, and a PR’s job to hide it.
Phew. Say what you mean Rod. Get down off that fence.
Journalist Sally Whittle is another straight-talker. Her blog, along with media trainer colleagues, at Getting Ink is a fantastic read – for the insights it gives to PRs on how a journalist’s mind works – and the debates this can provoke.
What’s your blog about and what inspired you to write it?
It's about being a journalist and all the stuff it involves - so we talk about working with PRs, marketing people, editors, and issues like independence, bias etc.
What’s the biggest thrill of blogging?
When someone comments to say something has been useful to them
How did you build your audience?
Mostly, we emailed PR contacts and asked them what they'd like us to talk about, or what questions they had - then we answered them. That and a dash of cynical controversy did the trick.
How often do you blog?
Usually three or four times a week, but can be less if I am on a deadline or something.
What effect has the blog had on your life?
I had one friend who no longer speaks to me because she didn't think I could be mean about PRs online. However, she is a PR, so maybe that explains it. I have plenty of other friends in PR who don't have a problem with it, they just contact me and feed me stories, ideas and gossip. I'm much better informed about industry gossip than I used to be.
Who reads it and why do they follow it do you think?
It seems to be a mix of PRs and journos, I think to get some tips on pitching and largely to see if there's any scurrilous gossip about colleagues they need to know about.
What’s your best and worst blogging experience so far?
Best was blogging about a company and having the chief executive turn up on my doorstep asking me not to be mean about his company because it was negative. Not because it wasn't true, but because it wasn't complimentary. How I laughed. The worst was getting anonymous hate postings after I separated from my husband.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned about blogging?
Only blog about stuff you care about, or you'll never find the time to update the blog regularly.
What’s your top tip for women who blog already or may want to take it up?
Read lots of blogs, and figure out what you want to achieve before making anything live. Do you want to be anonymous? will you have personal information? If you don't make those decisions upfront, it's too late to change your mind later.
Can your blog change the world?
Can mine? No, shouldn't think so. But someone's could. I'd like to think it would be pigdogfucker, a must-read, in my opinion.
Who are your blogging heroes (or should that be heroines?)
Pigdogfucker, for saying what everyone should be thinking. Charles Arthur, for being an unashamed nerd. And The World's Leading, for being an obnoxious git and not giving a stuff.
Linda Jones is a freelance journalist. She set up Passionate Media, which (whispers) does some PR work and she flails herself regularly for sinking to such depths.
