The blog announces that Vicks VapoRub sent about $400 in goodies to a Reuters writer – not even a fulltime employee. One wonder how many other journalists received these gifts. EW writes:
“Product samples are one thing, if they’re of minimal value and a reporter needs them to write about a new release – although I should note that it’s still preferable to have journalism outlets pay for the products, and there was no actual VapoRub in the package. …
But this is just ridiculous. Does the PR agency that came up with this — DeVries Public Relations – think that ethical reporters will accept all of these gifts? Does Vicks’ parent company, Procter and Gamble?
I’m not sure how sending this much of value to a reporter supposedly covering a story fits into ethics guidelines from the Public Relations Society of America or the International Association of Business Communicators. When I send this package back to DeVries, I’ll include a copy of this post so they can think a little bit more about the campaign.”
Opinions on other issues in news, journals, PR, advertising, marketing
Monday at #ADA2021, an infectious disease epidemiologist, a journalist, and a researcher shared perspectives on communication of risk in the era of COVID-19: http://ow.ly/ROfR30rMeE7 @AstleyCM @garyschwitzer @berthahidalgo @ADA_DiabetesPro
Shoutouts to @susan_bewley @drkevinknopf @MichaelBaum11 in this call for more than fawning coverage from press releases for these kinds of stories.
Also, linked history inside goes back 5 years just on Grail apparently trying to become Holy Grail. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1408849696416841731
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