From our readers - Training teaches PROs that hacks are rude

What crops up repeatedly in our sessions is how reluctant many PROs are to pick up the phone to speak to journalists, whom they regard as rude and unhelpful. We are, of course, all of those things. But we are a necessary evil and companies that don't expose staff to the brutal realities of journalism early in their careers are making a false economy.

PR may be developing new platforms but the essentials of a good story remain the same. Journalists admire talented PR professionals and will always take calls from someone who speaks their language. And they might even be pleasant to them.

- Guy Clapperton, Lori Miles and Sally Morris, founders, What the Press Wants.