Journalists Are Drowning in Misinformation. We Need to Stop Making It Worse.

02/01/2025

Illustration by Tatienne Émile

I'm not sure there's ever been a time when doing my job well mattered more. That applies to journalists, and it applies to us.

Journalists are overwhelmed. Newsrooms are shrinking, misinformation spreads faster than facts, and the pressure to publish is relentless. The public does not trust the media, and every misleading headline, bad pitch, and evasive response only makes it worse.

We call ourselves storytellers, but too often, we create noise instead of value. We send press releases nobody asked for, pitch stories that will never get written, and flood inboxes with empty jargon. Journalists call PR people "flaks" because too many of us act like human shields, spinning lousy press instead of helping the media get the facts.

We need to stop contributing to the problem. Instead of wasting journalists' time, we should help them separate truth from misinformation.

We Make Journalists' Jobs Harder Than They Need to Be

PR professionals claim to work with the media, but many make the work more difficult.

Pitches with no relevance. Reporters do not need another email about a skincare launch when they cover criminal justice.

Buzzwords with no meaning. If a company is innovative, we should show how instead of calling it a "game-changer."

Exclusives that are not exclusive. If multiple reporters get the same email, we are wasting their time.

Silence when it matters. Journalists know which PR professionals are only available when there is good news to share.

Bad PR does more than annoy reporters. It weakens trust in the media and our profession. When we send misleading claims or dodge legitimate questions, we increase skepticism about what is real.

PR Has an Ethics Challenge

Journalists work under strict ethical guidelines designed to protect the integrity of their reporting. PR professionals also have a code of ethics, but the structure of our industry makes it harder to enforce.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) outlines clear expectations for ethical conduct.

  • Represent clients responsibly while serving the public interest.
  • Provide truthful and accurate information.
  • Offer objective counsel without conflicts of interest.
  • Treat journalists, competitors, and the public with fairness.

These principles set a high standard, but PR operates in a landscape where oversight varies. Unlike journalism, which has formal consequences for ethical violations, PR professionals are accountable primarily to their clients and employers. The PRSA can remove members who violate its code, but membership is voluntary. Many practitioners work outside of industry organizations, meaning there is no universal enforcement mechanism.

This reality requires us to self-regulate. Ethical PR requires conscious effort, transparency, and a commitment to accuracy, even when the pressure to shape narratives is high. To be recognized as professionals, we need to demonstrate accountability through our actions.

United Airlines Ignored the Basics of Crisis PR

United Airlines failed in 2017 when security dragged Dr. David Dao off an overbooked flight, leaving him bloodied and unconscious. The videos spread instantly. The airline's PR team called it "re-accommodating" passengers, a robotic phrase that ignored the reality of what happened.

The backlash was immediate. The phrase became a joke, and United's stock price dropped. The airline eventually issued a genuine apology, but the damage was done by then. If United had responded honestly and urgently, the fallout could have been prevented. Instead, it turned a crisis into a case study of how not to handle bad press.

Elon Musk and the PR-Free Model

Tesla eliminated its PR department in 2020, leaving Elon Musk as its only spokesperson. The result has been chaos.

In December 2022, Musk suspended multiple journalists from Twitter (now X), claiming they had shared his real-time location. Musk tweeted:

"Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not."

The problem was that the journalists had not shared Musk's location. They had reported on an account that tracked his private jet using publicly available data. The move was widely seen as retaliation for critical coverage, sparking backlash from free speech advocates.

Regarding its public relations strategy, Tesla has operated without a traditional PR team since 2020. This approach has been criticized for leading to conflicts with the media and damaging relationships with reporters, as there is no dedicated team to manage communications and fact-check information. Without a PR team, Tesla operates without message control, making every controversy a bigger story.

Eliminating PR would be a disaster for most companies. The lack of a professional media strategy turns minor issues into major crises, with no one responsible for setting the record straight. Tesla may get away with it because of Musk's massive personal brand, but this approach would backfire for almost any other company. When a corporation removes the filter between leadership and the press, the result is often misinformation, unnecessary conflict, and a damaged reputation.

Some Journalists Do Not Care That They Peddle Bullshit

It would be naive to suggest that every journalist out there is working with good intentions. Some do not care if they spread misinformation. Some will take a press release, slap a headline, and publish it without checking a single fact. Some get their talking points straight from political operatives or corporate executives and never bother to question them.

There is no shortage of bad actors. The worst offenders are the ones who create clickbait outrage and pass it off as objective journalism. They take a quote out of context, twist it into something scandalous, and turn it into a viral headline. The next day, they move on, leaving the reputational damage behind. It is the same playbook used by conspiracy theorists and propaganda machines.

That brings up an ethical question. Should we pitch our stories to these people?

The short answer is no. The longer answer is that I am not you. You will have to make that decision yourself. If you want to see your client's name in a headline and do not care what kind of publication it is, that is your call. Just know that working with bad-faith journalists is like playing with fire. They are helpful when they serve your purpose, but they will turn on you just as fast.

How We Fix It

Good PR does not waste journalists' time. It provides what they need without the fluff.

  • Know what a journalist covers before sending a pitch.
  • Provide facts that can be verified.
  • Prepare for difficult questions instead of avoiding them.
  • Be available when the news is terrible, not just good.

Journalists remember the PR people who help them do their jobs, and they also remember the ones who waste their time.

A Call to Do Better

If we want to fix PR's reputation, we must stop acting like spin machines and act like real professionals.

Before sending an email, we need to ask ourselves.

Is this actual news or just an ad disguised as a press release?

Does this journalist cover this topic, or are we hoping they will?

If we received this email, would we care?

If the answer is no, we should not send it.

Journalists have a difficult job. We can make it harder or help them get the facts. The PR professionals who do this right will be the ones reporters trust. The ones who do not will keep being called "flaks," and they will deserve it.