Inspired by a Media Orchard post bemoaning the pitching techniques of inexperienced PR staffers, Wayne Pollard of the firm Hunter-Pollard has penned a nice piece for Bulldog Reporter's Daily 'Dog entitled, "A Return to Journalism: PR Can Save Itself by Hiring Hacks, Not Just Flacks."

An excerpt:

The owner of a small PR firm told me that she believed in sending out press releases just to keep her clients' names in front of the media. I asked her if she was ever a journalist. Not surprisingly, she said, "No."

Former journalists know that sending releases that aren't newsworthy is a waste of time. They know how insulting it is to receive a pitch for a story that is outside of their beat. And they know how to pitch. Their pitches might not result in coverage every time, but it certainly won't offend the very people they are trying to build relationships with.

Now, I'm not saying that only former journalists can be great at media relations. What I am saying is that the likelihood of a former journalist making some of the basic media relations mistakes is slim...

Sure, PR neophytes without journalism experience can learn media relations via baptism by fire. But think of all of the media relationships that will get burned while they are learning.