As many of you probably know by now, I worked in technology PR and marketing for many years. Now that I’m an independent writer, I find it strange and amusing to experience PR from the other end: I get quite a few cute “pitches” from agencies I know quite well from the old days, such as:

* Dannon yogurt – an email asking me to “review” the latest type of yogurt, which is oh-so-good for people with diabetes. I replied to ask if they were offering me free “review samples.” Never heard back.

and

* Slim Fast – an inquiry asking me to post about the clinically proven weight loss benefits of this food substitute. Again, no free samples.

I guess it’s perfectly legitimate for these folks to think that sites about diabetes would be interested in their products. But then again, they obviously didn’t do their homework about me, ’cause nowhere on my site will you find the terms “diet” or “weight loss.” I left that all behind years before I was diagnosed with this disease.

Also, Kathleen wrote to me yesterday to point out that one of my “Weekly Nugget” items (5 Personal Accounts) was not a real news story, but rather a “planted” press release. Oh yes! I know a cheesy press release when I see one, ’cause I write that kind of stuff for living — but only for 100% credible clients, of course. I even gave the ladies over at TheDiabetesBlog a hard time for posting about these “five stories of individuals reversing their diabetes” as if it were legitimate and important. They tell me they’ve removed the post.

So, Dear Readers, take note: Not everything in my “Weekly Nuggets” section is a serious piece of news. I’m a sarcastic gal. I stick some stuff in there because I think it’s funny or ironic or even totally ridiculous. From now on, I just have to be more clear about flagging the silly stuff — the stuff that really makes a mockery of the PR profession. A crying shame.

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (3)