Washington Post Writer's Tips for Flaks

Gene Weingarten, humorist at the Washington Post, absolutely skewer PR people in his latest column. Sadly, some of the laugh out loud funny stuff he says is exactly what legions of PR people actually do every day.

He relates that a typical voicemail message from a flak might be:

"Hi! This is Amber McChippie of Ernest N. Forthright Communications, and I was just following up on an e-mail I sent you about our client's intriguing new book, Squat-Thrust Your Way to Inner Peace and Firmer Abs, and ..."

Then he offers some advice on what flaks should do:

Q: What tips would you give PR professionals who may want to contact you? What is your preferred method of being contacted?

A: I encourage midnight visits to my home by PR professionals who have no immediate relatives or close friends. Note: Please enter through the basement dungeon room.

Hat tip to Joan Stewart