It’s no secret TechCrunch, like all media outlets has a love hate relationship with the PR industry. Take the guy who just rang me. “Hi, my name is Rob, I want to tell you about a news story.” OH REALLY? How about you say where you are from first? But moving on…
You’ll recall the video we posted on the weekend about another tedious annoyance: The Embargo. The satirical video featured was in fact created by TechCrunch Europe Contributing Editor Steve O’Hear, (@sohear) who has form in this filmaking business, having directed a real documentary, In Search Of The Valley.
Steve is building up a nice line in these movies recreating conversations between PR professionals and bloggers/journalists. We just hope he doesn’t get snapped up by Hollywood or we’ll have to place a want ad.
Here’s Embargoes II.
Transcript:
PR Pro: Hi, I’m just checking you got the voice mail I left
Blogger: When did you leave it?
PR Pro: 5 minutes ago
Blogger: Oh. I get a lot of voice mail.
PR Pro: Shall I leave it again?
Blogger: No. What did it say?
PR Pro: There’s been a slight mix up.
Blogger: Oh
PR Pro: You remember that story I sent you, which was under embargo?
Blogger: The revolutionary real-time location-based augmented reality app for iPhone, that’s going to change the way the world is seen forever?
PR Pro: Yes
Blogger: What about it?
PR Pro: The embargo has been broken.
Blogger: Oh. Fuck.
PR Pro: I’m sorry.
Blogger: By whom?
PR Pro: That mainstream media organization that I can’t name for legal reasons.
Blogger: But that’s not the first time.
PR Pro: I know.
Blogger: I don’t understand. Why do you keep giving that mainstream media organization that I can’t name for legal reasons, news, if they keep breaking the embargo?
PR Pro: Well. They don’t actually break them.
Blogger: They don’t?
PR Pro: No. We just tell you that they do.
Blogger: What do you mean?
PR Pro: Well. We give them the story in advance. Just like you.
Blogger: Great.
PR Pro: But we tell them that they can publish the story whenever they want, while you and everybody else has to honor the embargo.
Blogger: Oh.
PR Pro: Then, when you all have hissy fits because that mainstream media organization that I can’t name for legal reasons has scooped you to the story. We throw a hissy fit too.
Blogger: Great.
PR Pro: And then blame them for breaking the embargo.
Blogger: Which they didn’t?
PR Pro: Right.
Blogger: I still don’t understand.
PR Pro: They wouldn’t cover the story otherwise. It’s called an exclusive.
Blogger: An exclusive. Hmm. I didn’t know that. Thanks.
PR Pro: It’s nothing. Really.