‘Unique’ blog: 20 phrases to avoid when talking to journalists

Writing a news release or a pitch for journalists is essential if you want your company name, product or ideas heard by wider audiences. But news releases or pitches aren’t guaranteed success - in fact, there are some very specific words and phrases that will help you go straight into a journalist’s bad books.

So, here we have it, the jargon glossary: 20 words and phrases you should keep out of your product pitches or news releases. These are phrases suggested by us, PR in HR, as well as other freelance PRs and journalists - who all understand the ins and outs of the media - so you know what not to say in order to present your stories successfully.

Flowery adjectives

When writing a pitch or news release, people try to use compelling adjectives in the hope that they will set their product or company apart from the rest of their competitors. 

But problematically, when doing this, people tend to use the exact same flowery phrases as each other; this overuse means each pitch or news release can sound identical. Essentially, these cliches don’t distinguish you from anything and journalists will read them and roll their eyes having seen them a hundred times before.

Here are some flowery adjectives to avoid:

1. Unique

2. Innovative

3. Revolutionary

4. Glittering (as in a ‘glittering awards ceremony’ - was it really though?)

5. Pioneering

6. State-of-the art 

7. Cutting-edge

8. Disruptive

9. Groundbreaking

Vague nouns

Another culprit for overused phrases in pitches and news releases are vague nouns. These words are very indistinct and don’t add any real value to a journalist. 

When writing anything for the HR media, you want to educate a journalist’s audience. As well as this, journalists are busy - they’re looking for a story quickly, so words that waste their time and don’t help them understand a product will not interest them in the slightest.

Here are some vague nouns to steer clear of:

10. Solution

11. Game-changer

12. Omnichannel

13. Synergy

14. Platform

15. Landscape

Quick tip:

Now, with these words mentioned above, we’re not saying to NEVER use them - in fact, we even use them on the odd occasion. But use them very sparingly. Ask yourself, is this product actually unique/innovative? Or is this simply a shiny word trying to grab a journalist’s attention.

If it’s the latter, a journalist will see straight through it. If a product really is a ‘game-changer’, ‘groundbreaking’ or an industry ‘disruptor’, it’s features, aims and values should speak for itself.

The key is authenticity. If the words used don’t match what’s on offer, journalists are less likely to believe you now or in the future.

Try this - read a good quality news site; you will not see flowery adjectives, so mirror how a journalist styles an article.

Frustrating expressions used in pitch follow ups

The last 5 phrases on this list are overused expressions often found in pitch follow ups. 

These phrases aren’t always guaranteed to be disliked by journalists, but if you don’t use them appropriately, you may find your pitches or news releases being ignored over time. 

16. ‘Touching base’

This phrase, for example, isn’t automatically hated by journalists - but it can be if you don’t apply it well. This is usually said when checking up on a pitch or news release and you want to know if a journalist has seen/is interested in your information. 

Essentially, different journalists have different feelings about follow-up emails. A lot of them don’t mind - but only if you don’t nag! If you send this phrase, once is enough. Use it anymore and they’ll be far less likely to feature your piece.

17. ‘Can we check our quotes?’

This is a phrase sometimes used by PRs or companies to make sure their information is used accurately by journalists. 

With this one, it’s key to understand that journalists are under no obligation to show you their piece before it’s published. And they’re incredibly unlikely to do so. So, to avoid this phrase being automatically disliked, you must refrain from using it full stop. You can read more on this here.

It can also become especially frustrating when it’s followed up with... 

18. ‘We’ve made a few amendments to get the right meaning’

If you amazingly get to see your quotes or information, use this phrase only to make small adjustments. According to one journalist we spoke to, this phrase often amounts to people restating how ‘unique’ their ‘solution’ is...or adding in some additional content that has nothing to do with the original quote and just repeats another part of the feature.

Again, journalists are busy people, they aren’t there to ‘sell’ your product, they are there to inform their audiences. So this kind of hazy ‘additional’ info wastes time and doesn’t educate further. Always be concise, specific and relevant to help their audiences.

19. ‘When can we expect this to go up?’

Journalists, especially freelancers, may not know when an article will be published. They have written something to brief for an editor of a publication.. Even if a journalist does know, it may be subject to change depending on the publisher’s priorities. So trust in the system, and keep an eye out for it.

20. Now, this last one isn’t an exact phrase but is still a commonly frustrating request: “I’m too busy to speak on the phone, but I can send a written comment?”

This is another frequent occurrence that can bother journalists. If you have the time to write something, why can’t you take a moment to chat? Some journalists prefer written information, so the best bet is to ask their preference so you’re helping them in the best way. If they don’t speak to you, you can bet they’ll find another source.

In the long run, a chat with a journalist will be beneficial for you too. It helps you to establish a stronger rapport and better relationship so they’ll be more likely to feature you in the future. Always remember, if you help them out, they’ll be more inclined to help you out as well.

If you want to find out how PR in HR can help your business speak with journalists and gain more media coverage, get in touch - we’re happy to help. Or, get your free PR audit with us and we’ll let you know just how strong your brand is in the HR market right now.