Sherri’s Blog

Bacon’s MediaMap has become a source that many PR professionals are relying on. It is an online database that offers media contacts to PR professionals and other corporate communications professionals.  Their goal is to help clients become effective and efficient, and ultimately more successful in their field of expertise.  The list iof media contacts is updated an amazing 7500 times a day.

It allows you to research the media to indentify media outlets interested in your story.  Allows you to contact appropriate medias, monitors who’s picking up your story through e-mail notifications and evaluate results.

Sounds like a convenient efficient time saver, right?  What could possibly be the problem?

The problem is that many of the journalist found on these media list are unaware that they’re information can be found on this program, according to The Problem With Bacons.

Journalist have had their e-mail adresses and phone numbers released without their permission.  This is not fair to the journalist.

In addition, this angers the journalist and makes them less interested in your story.  So how beneficial is this?

PR is all about building positive relationships.  However contacting a jounalist who is angered by your means of contacting them is not building a positive relationship.  This actually does more harm to the PR professional.

In addition, attempts journalist have made to be removed from this list have been unsuccessful.  If the journalist wishes to not be contacted through this service, they will not be cooporative with PR professional.

This makes me question if this database is even legal.  I feel it should be no problem to have your information removed.  Although I believe this is a convenient way to contact appropiate medias, I wouldn’t want to contact a person who did not want to be contacted.  This then would become a waste of time.

In addition, Bacon’s MediaMap is contradicting their goals.  The first goals involved being effective and efficient.  But you’re not being effective or efficient if you’re harassing journalist.

Another goal was to become more successful.  However, you are not increasing success by building negative relationships with angry journalist.

Bacon’s MediaMap needs to focus more on executing their goals by eliminating dissatisfied journalist from their list.  If this is done, Bacon’s MediaMap will receive more credibility.

Bacon’s MediaMap has the ability to be an excellent source.  They just have one serious flaw, that all PR professional should consider before using their services.