Are you ghosting someone?

Like flowers need water, relationships require coffee attention to survive.

Nurturing relationships doesn’t have to be a slog, but you’ve got to feed them. That means answering when someone calls. Or making the first move and call/text/email.

The whole relationships part of “public relations” is what makes reputation engines hum. That’s why a report from the Columbia Journalism Review revealed that people who want publicity don’t do something simple, and it’s baffling. They don’t return calls.

We’re not talking “no comment.”** People contacted by media are blowing off reporters five times more than they did 10 years ago.

If you’ve worked with a public relations agent or publicist, you know that the clock starts ticking the minute media calls. If you don’t answer, someone else will -- and fast -- which is why it’s puzzling that ghosting is growing from politics to sports to features media.

It happens.

I’ve had publicity clients blow off queries and I consider it disrespectful. Not only to me but to the outlet that asks for a few minutes of their time.

Ghosting reporters happens more than many of us know.

The survey didn’t share why people chose not to reply to reporters. There are lots of legitimate reasons, of course, like their dog ate their iPhone or their kid is sick. There’s little excuse, however, not to take a few seconds to reply, even if it’s, “I-can’t-talk-now-call-you-later-bye.”

I might be able to cover for you once. If you ghost media again, you lose what you gained when you hired a publicist to help with among other things, match you with media.

What happens when you blow off a reporter?

• You allow someone else to set a narrative even when you’re a more educated source.

• A relationship you worked to establish shrivels. You may not get a second chance.

• You lose benefit-of-doubt when you want to communicate something critical during a crisis.

• Want to pitch a new product or service? Don’t bother contacting media you ignored. (Word travels, too.)

• You concede the right to complain about a story for which you were contacted but blew off.

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) CEO Linda Thomas Brooks said to one of her organization’s writers that it’s shortsighted to think that not responding to reporters will do much good. Or like a Daily Beast reporter shared, “you gain nothing by ghosting a reporter.”

There’s a reason you brought in a professional or educated yourself to get public attention. Let us help you. Remember, public relations and publicity is a team game. It’s a relationship that only asks that you be there.

** NOTE: I recommend “no comment” in about 1 percent of media relations queries. There are legitimate, often legal reasons to say so when you do.

© 2024 Gail Sideman, gpublicity.com 

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