And here’s why we have to be kind to journalists…

Not  sure if this video is real…but it could be. (See below.)

I used to be a TV anchor, and I’ve seen some bad stuff myself (like a certain sportscaster throwing a chair across the room, breaking a monitor). This news producer was obviously having a real bad day.

Things go wrong a lot in newsrooms, and if you really want to help them do their jobs better, you need to think like them and  help them out when you can.  Not just with stories that can benefit you, but in other ways.

Many of us journalists, producers, directors and new crews worked the holidays and my mom (a damn good PR person in her own right) would cook an entire Thanksgiving dinner for those who were working, even when I had the day off. It was appreciated by everyone.

And once I left to pursue PR myself, I would call with news ideas and tips that had nothing to do with my clients.

I also made darn sure that when I did pitch a story, I did ALL the legwork to make their jobs easier. That included: lining up additional sources (even competitors), developing through press kits with additional facts and figures, and  finding great places for ‘B-roll’.

So what are you doing to help a journalist today?  At least send them a holiday card, ok?