Thread by @ryanWneal, One thing I learned from journalism school is how the general public [...]

Ryan W. Neal

ryanWneal

One thing I learned from journalism school is how the general public has very little idea of how articles get produced behind the stage.
So here& #39;s a thread for some of my fintech and financial advice followers:

2/ Last week, a PR rep approached with a story idea about a fintech startup partnering with a custodian. It was an interesting angle and I pitched to editors and it was approved. Reported it out, but couldn& #39;t get the custodian to confirm, so it didn& #39;t run.

3/ Sometime later, the custodian reached out the apologize. They didn& #39;t get back to me because they weren& #39;t aware the fintech company was ready to announce or that their company name was being used to promote a startup. They weren& #39;t able to comment until they learned more.

4/ But this didn& #39;t stop at least 2 competitors from running the angle exactly as pitched, with only one source and no confirmation.

I share this not to point fingers, but to remind there are 6 PR pros to every 1 reporter (according to PR daily: https://www.prdaily.com/report-pr-pros-outnumber-journalists-by-a-6-to-1-ratio/)">https://www.prdaily.com/report-pr...

Report: PR pros outnumber journalists by a 6-to-1 ratio - PR Daily

As newsrooms shrink and more industries clamor for coverage, PR pros have surpassed their newsroom counterparts. Here’s what that means for your pitch. The staggering loss of journalists has had a...

https://www.prdaily.com/report-pr-pros-outnumber-journalists-by-a-6-to-1-ratio/

5/ Reporters: You do no favors by publishing without verifying. I get deadline pressure, but without multiple and ideally diverse viewpoints, you& #39;re just doing free promotion. Trust in media is under assault, and we need to work together to fight back.

6/ Readers: Think about the media consume - are facts sourced? Are viewpoints examined critically? Were all parties given a chance to comment?

This is as important with national politics coverage as it is with trade news relative to your job.

7/ For sources: When I question, push back or even outright argue with you, it& #39;s not personal! Just want to get the best information I can for readers. Reporters aren& #39;t "haters," but it& #39;s also not our job to simplify amplify your marketing message.

8/ And for what& #39;s it worth - I& #39;ve made mistake in the past and will do so again in the future. But you can be sure that with every story I write, I did my best to question every narrative, verify with all parties involved, and get analysis from third-parties.

You can follow @ryanWneal.

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