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Topic: Editors - Would you use this?
| Author | Message |
| Souper | Posted – 11/9/2007 9:09:32 AM | show profile | email poster Hi all, I've recently left journalism and freelancing to be the marketing manager at a specialty homes design company. One of the reasons they hired me is that I have reporting and editing experience and thus some insight into what editors are likely to use. So, in writing a very brief release about an unusual, visual construction event that we invite media and the public to watch, I noted that a company "representative" would be on hand to answer questions. In truth, the rep will be a regional sales manager, but I specifically left that out because too many mentions of sales people always meant "commercial" to me as an editor and I probably wouldn't have pursued it. This event is more photo op than anything, and while the company name is certainly in the release, this is not a contrived promotional event. ANYWAY, the VP was borderline offended that I didn't note prominently that So-and-so the SALES MANAGER would be there. I am prepared to tell him this is by design, won't undermine credibility, etc., but I haven't done this kind of work in a while so I wondered -- as an editor considering this event, would the sales mentions bother YOU? Thanks in advance for your insight. |
| mkelly | Posted – 11/9/2007 10:05:07 AM | show profile You could have the guy who waters the company plants there, and I'd still assume he's on site to shill for the company-- that's what company representatives do. I couldn't care less whether the person is a sales manager or VP or whatever. It's the writer's job to sift through the salespeak and BS to find any real story, and if you're doing something like moving an historic house down the road, that can be newsworthy, sure. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 11/9/2007 12:04:47 PM | show profile I don't think you're really fooling anyone by saying "representative." |
| westsidestory | Posted – 11/9/2007 1:26:41 PM | show profile Next time this happens, just remind the VP that the reason you were hired is so that the company's press releases don't wind up in the circular file.... |
| joyeuxnoelle | Posted – 11/9/2007 10:14:18 PM | show profile sounds reasonable to me Having the term "sales" rep prominently mentioned would likely turn me off ... |
| WordyBird | Posted – 11/9/2007 10:22:53 PM | show profile 1. I would be more offended when the "representative" told me he or she was a sales manager--because as a reporter I WILL ask what the person's title is--and then I wouldn't deal with your company again for lying to me. 2. You should know better than to use salespeople as spokespeople. At least use a communications associate. What you're doing is selling. Trying to pass it off as something else is, as someone else said, not fooling anyone. |
| WritingSoul | Posted – 11/9/2007 10:43:43 PM | show profile My vote's for: "rep" |
| fourfold | Posted – 11/10/2007 9:59:22 AM | show profile | email poster I wouldn't have a problem with a sales rep as spokesperson I assume there's a reason you chose this person to represent the company. He or she can presumably talk in detail about what's going on and what reporters are seeing at this demo. I agree with the poster who assumed that ANY company rep is a so-called shill, so it's not a big deal that this person is a sales manager. The onus is on reporters not to simply report what's spoon-fed to them but to verify any claims with other sources. |
