14 cringe-worthy things PR clients say

‘We need this to be viral.’ Sound familiar?

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It’s happened so many times you don’t even dare to count.

But no matter how many times you hear one of these phrases slip from a client’s lips, you still feel the urge to throw everything off your desk and break something.

OK, maybe it doesn’t go that far, but they can definitely make you throw your hands in the air. All in a day’s work as a PR pro, right? Here you go:

1. “Can I do the interview over email?”

2. “Can you find out what the reporter wants to ask before we commit to an interview?”

3. “I’ll be able to proof the article before it runs, right?”

4. “Why weren’t we in this story?”

5. “We want this news embargoed.” [When it’s not news]

6. “I reached out to the reporter directly.”

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