Blog
04.05
Oops. No mistakes allowed.
As PR professionals, we all have the same recurring nightmare. We send a pitch with a misplaced verb. We send an e-mail with an incorrectly used word. We may even write the wrong name in an e-mail. Gasp!
After reading this blog, I dreamed about receiving a not-so-nice response for placing a comma where a period belonged. Yes, it is a nightmare for the books.
It happens. However, most of us are so afraid of misusing a word or goofing something up that we triple – sometimes quadruple – check our writing to make sure it is perfection. (You should have seen how many times I read THIS blog.)
We tend to obsess over content. Does that need a comma? Wait, does the reporter cover that? Is that AP style? Gosh, is that too long?
I will steal an excerpt from the PRBreakfastClub’s blog and will pose its question to you.
Why so scared? It seems in today’s public relations world, you just aren’t allowed to make mistakes. With blogs, web sites, Twitter, etc., anyone can blast a publicist in a public forum for making an error. Yes, some PR slip-ups are worse than others, and those super awful ones probably deserve the heckling – but do all of them?
We all do it. We all have our share of “oops” moments. We all have stories of “backlash” for those moments too.
Is all the heckling deserved? Should we let some of the small “oops” slide by? Are we allowed to make any mistakes?
As PRBreakfast Club wrote, “In any job, especially if you are new and learning the ropes, you are bound to make a mistake here and there. It’s normal – or should I be so bold as to say it’s human. In PR it’s a whole different ballgame. One lapse in judgment and your reputation, job security, PR future, and self-esteem could all be at risk.”
So, PR professionals, be warned. You may have to sacrifice sleeping easy at night to not make an appearance on the Bad Pitch Blog.
Sarah
I think as time goes on we judge people less and less on the use of perfect grammar and punctuation. This might be disheartening (because I know there are oh-so many grammar/punctuation nerds out there), but I see it as society giving people a break. It's okay to just let things go from time to time. Obsessing over a misplaced comma takes too much energy! Periodically I read PerezHilton.com (I know, I know). He's notorious--to me--for spelling things wrong. I think it shows his humanity and also that he types his own posts. If all the posts were perfect, I'd think he had drone hipsters in skinny jeans and v-necks beating out his posts. Which would not be as cool. Even PR people are only human, but if you can hit the Send button easier knowing your work had been quadruple-checked, I applaud you.
Post new comment