I went to a summit recently, a get-together for media and publicists to discuss how we can work together better. Like all journalist-publicist summits, soon enough it devolved into the usual festival of complaints, pleas, veiled accusations and, well, you get the picture.

The problem, of course, isn't that PR people can't figure out journalism. In fact, many of the publicists I know once worked as journalists. The problem is that what journalists think a publicist's job is and what a publicist's job is, in reality, are two very different things.

To journalists, the publicist's job is to research what they are writing about these days, understand the journalist's audience, and craft a thoughtful pitch that both makes for a great story and gets the publicist's client some attention.

In reality, the publicist's job is to keep the client happy (and keep the retainer coming next month). More often than not, keeping the client happy is at odds with keeping the journalist happy.

For one, appeasing clients seems to require generating a certain amount of volume to prove the worth of the staggeringly high retainer. By volume, I don't necessarily mean results. I also don't mean time spent researching every reporter's magazine, blog, newspaper, TV, radio, and Twitter feed to understand what makes individual journalists tick, and tweaking pitches accordingly.

Volume means the hefty list of media contacts some PR firm bought from a service and then handed to the cheapest person in the office to dial and dial and dial.

Dial and dial and dial. Log all the calls. Big report. Happy client.

This system is what most every PR firm relies on, especially the bigger ones. It's time for us all to admit this system doesn't actually help the client. More likely, it hurts them. But the publicists continue because they want a happy client. And, big report equals happy client.
 
So, how to fix the problem:
 
• Publicists need to have the guts to tell clients that a big report is a sure sign of wasted money. Fire the clients who won't listen. Publicists, trust me. It is better for your business and all of your current and future clients if you don't pollute your name with actions taken on behalf of a deluded client who demands meaningless volume.
 
• Clients need to have the guts to trust that they can get more results from a tiny report. Believe in your publicist even without those godforsaken reports. Or fire them and find someone else you can believe in.
 
• Journalists, well, I don't know how you have the guts to walk into work each day, wondering what is going to happen with your job. You've got enough on your plate already.