I start 2010 back in the Middle East and working out of our new offices in Abu Dhabi’s media zone, twofour54.  We keep good company in this fantastic centre alongside the likes of the FT, BBC and Reuters.   And it provides a good opportunity to catch up with the people reporting the news.
 

One of the things I’ve picked up on in recent times is the disappointing levels of professionalism that permeates the PR scene in the region.   This was painfully highlighted in a survey of what Middle East journalists really think of the region’s PR consultancies published over the summer.  It revealed a horror story of inaccurate, irrelevant news releases, widespread ignorance of media practices, ‘blacklisting’ of certain agencies and their output and a failure generally to respond and communicate effectively.
 

Andrew Mackay, a Director at AAB’s corporate communications agency, International Insights, says in a recent article published on ArabianBusiness.com that it is time to win back the trust of the region’s media and to stop viewing hard-pressed journalists as an irritant who exist solely to do the bidding of PRs and the clients who pay them.   And that probably means worrying less about applying online innovation and the latest communication channels and focusing more on the basics:  researching how the media works and what deadlines really mean, articulating client messages accurately and talking to journalists to understand what makes a news story powerful enough to grab their attention.
 

The PR consultancy/media community has always had an uneasy relationship based on mutual needs, but it’s not all bad. Consultants need to start earning their fees and rebuilding trust in themselves – and what they do in their clients’ name.   To read Andrew’s article which is published in our series of occasional From The Hub articles, click here.