Is Your Expert Being Paid to Hawk a Product?

I ran across a disturbing article in the Washington Post (came across it via ProPublica). Basically, the article says some of the experts you have coming on your shows... could have financial interests that compel them to push certain products. The Post highlights the case of one consumer "expert" who was pushing a security product for kids-- when she was being paid by the makers of the security product she pushed. The article is frightening, definitely worth a read-- looks like the practice is fairly widespread.

We know how it happens. You have a 2:00 hole to fill and company XYZ, whose rep is super savvy, offers up a timely, fun --good TV-- segment that's a no brainer to put in your show. But are you asking the right questions when you're setting up the segment? Namely, are you asking the guest: "Do you have a financial connection to any of the products or companies you're promoting in this segment?" Your viewers deserve better than watching essentially a 2:00 commercial. They deserve your extra effort to make sure the product or products being recommended are being done so gratis. Ditto so many of the satelitte interview oppotunities that come across your desk (also mentioned in the Post piece).

The line in TV is being blurred. Many stations have paid programming shows that look an awful lot like morning shows except the guests have paid to take part. At the end of the show, there's usually some disclosure. Disclosed or not, paid segments or products have no place in newscasts. I'm guessing the majority of these just slide by because producers are more and more harried, being asked to do more with less. But there are PLENTY of people who want to be on TV to give their opinions without being paid by some company to do so.

Tales of the Dark Side: PR Horror Stories

Sounds like a lot of you out there have PR horror stories. Here's (one of) mine.

I was doing consumer in an undisclosed market turning out stories faster than GE cranks out light bulbs. I got a press release that sounded interesting. An insurance company had a study showing which intersections had the most accidents. I call the woman to set it up. She asks what kind of angle am I going to take on the story and is this going to have a negative spin? Huh? YOU called me! If I were doing a negative story, it certainly wouldn't be off a press release you sent AND I'd say to you up front... "Hey, we've gotten some complaints about your company we'd like to ask you about."

I believe she also asked me to submit my questions. (This happens a lot. I do not submit questions in advance and certainly not for some goofy consumer story on danger intersections!) This all should have been a clue that this whole exercise would be a complete waste of time. Did I wisely tell this woman we were no longer interested and I would move on to the one of 800 other stories sitting on my desk? Sadly, I did not.

The PR woman calls back. She says she'd like to arrange a conference call with her, the interview and me. I say, fine. The conference call happens and I'm asking some general questions, like... WHY are these particular intersections problematic? He says, I can't answer that. Ok-- the data only shows where the accidents happen, not why. Fine. I ask, what are some tips for people to avoid accidents? He can't answer that either. It goes on like this. Me asking pretty simple questions speaking to how our viewers would benefit from us doing the story, him being unable to answer. Finally, out of frustration I ask, "Well, what can you talk about?" He says, "XYZ insurance company has new one stop shopping insurance centers to file your claims." Bingo. Not interested.

If you're going to pitch me a story, I'm happy to interview your expert but please make sure he can answer more than one question and don't insult my intelligence by pitching one story when you're really pushing another one.

For Our Friends in PR

I just got an email from someone wanting advice on how to pitch stories. In case other PR folks are out there reading this, how is how NOT to pitch stories (this goes for local & network):

DON'T CALL ME. I don't have time. I barely have time to leave my desk to pee or heat up my Healthy Choice Frozen meal-- so you can bet I don't have time to sit on the phone with you to listen to the intricacies of your pitch. Send me an email. I'll read the first three lines and if we're interested, i'll call you.

DON'T WASTE MY TIME. Have the courtesy to watch the show or correspondent I produce. Look at what we're doing. Is your pitch something that would really fit in my show? Honestly, if it's not, you're wasting your time and mine. For example, I got at least 10-20 email pitches today. I would wager a week's salary not one of the PR folks who emailed me today have any clue who I am or what we do. They just bought my name from somebody's list and sent me a blast email. My response? Delete. I get so many of them, if it's a name I don't recognize, I don't even read them.

TARGET A SHOW. Each show has a different staff and different needs, even if they are on the same network. You should pitch a story differently for a morning show than say an evening program. Fox and Friends is different than Special Report which is different than Fox Report, n'est pas? Tailor your story and pitch to someone on a particular show. Be flexible if someone calls you back. Get me someone quickly, because management may not be interested in the story tomorrow. Get me someone who can give me a viewer benefit. I know you want to pitch XYZ green window cleaner company but if you can give my viewers general tips on how to find green cleaning products (even those your company doesn't pitch) you'll have a much better chance of making air.

WE DO NEWS 24/7. So be so kind as to include an after hours cell number so if I have any questions on say, a Friday night or Saturday morning, I'll be able to contact you. If I had a dime for every press release for an event on a weekend without a weekend contact number, I'd be a millionaire... blah, blah, blah.

ONE FINAL NOTE. If you come through for me, I'll turn to you again and again. There is a particular college I have called in the past asking for an expert. They got me one within hours. Other schools I call don't answer calls or can't seem to get it together. Guess who I call back regularly?