We spent a reasonable chunk of the last 48 hours researching the difference between journalism and communications/public relations. No, we’re not “communications professionals”, so a bit of research was necessary.
For thoe unitiated, communications/PR staff are employed by many professional services firms primarily to shape public perceptions of their firm in positive ways. Part of this role involves regular interaction with journalists: Comms/PR staff are experts in dealing with journalists. They often provide journalists with an “official” comment from the firm on a particular news item which invariably results in the firm being positively perceived in any subsequent news article.
Websites like Lawyers Weekly, ALB and The New Lawyer are industry paragons in this regard. These sites regularly show how competent communications professionals can shape journalist reportage in ways that are positive for the firm in question (by the way, a big congrats to Lawyers Weekly on its 500th edition – click here to check it out!).
Such is the tremendous importance of PR that Bill Gates once said:
If I only had two dollars left I would spent one dollar on PR.
And Bill knows a thing or two about how to spend cash!
Although it is one thing for a communications professional to competently fulfil their job description by dealing with journalists, it is entirely a different thing for comms staff to comment on the relevance of our site from the perspective of the firm’s employees and to dictate to those employees what is “worthy of their attention”. Neither PR staff nor partners in firms have any business dictating to their staff what they should read and what they should not. They do not possess the professional competence even to provide guidance in this regard because it is purely a matter of opinion.
As unprofessional communicators, we understand that the communications professional previously forming the subject matter of this post was probably either acting according to the instructions of her superiors, or simply indulging in a frolic outside the scope of her professional competence.
We think 2 tough days was enough.
No doubt this information will soon be worthy enough to come to her attention!
Send the Firm Spy your news and views!
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So DLAPH decides what news their staff receive, and where it comes from; all sources deemed “not worthy of attention” are blocked by the firm? Here’s a scoop for you FS – perhaps this is in preparation for DLA Piper expanding its China offering?!
And here I was thinking I was the world’s only 12yo female communications professional! Firm Spy, can we play Barbie dolls and chat about Paris and Lindsay?
For the life of me, I can’t understand what the fuss is about re this article. No one forced Buttner to comment in the news article, nor would news have printed her name without her permission. It is not ‘personal’ for firmspy to defend itself against attacks from ppl trying to discredit its worthiness. In fact, I think the article quite objective and impersonal!
Meh, its the old fee earners vs fee burners argument. HR and communications attach themselves limpet-like to the partners and isolate themselves from the toiling masses. If they make that choice, they have to expect some blowback.
Pwned
I love the stuff that is petty and immature, especially when founded on shaky gossip! Firmspy you are awesome!
Well done FS. Stick it to them. If they are going to impugn your credibility and objectivity as journalists then I think it rightly opens the door for them to cop some heat too. Especially given the fact the comment to news.com was shameless self promotion of DLAPH.
If she cant stand the heat then get out of the fire. And to those who post comments complaining, do you genuinely think that the editors or authors will take notice? Any publicity is good publicity. Although in this case I believe its great publicity for FS, perhaps you should not read the site and vote with your ‘visits’. If they have no readers they have no reason to write. Simple.
Firmspy is da bomb. Nuff said.
Keep up the good work fellas.
Firmspy, clearly you are doing something right if you’re attracting the ire of the trolls. Keep up the good work!
I am glad you RETRACTED (spellcheck needed) the previous article….now get back to picking on those morons who run these law firms…and if want some juicy gossip there is loads going on at DLAPF – just get your feelers out….