Read a hilarious post today via Jon Silk | pr geek: Handle with care #2: Technology journalists.

“People are giving up on journalists as a ‘dying breed’. As the Press Gazette closes in a puff of poorly-written PR, journalists are allegedly scratching around, starving and confused, for morsels of work from the remaining publications who are apparently only accepting free vendor content anyway. Don’t worry, none of this is true.

In reality, journalism is alive and well and adapting to the new communication channels of 2009. The websites of the big publishing houses are better than they’ve ever been and, while there have been some closures, there have also been launches.

So, fear not dear technology PR or marketing person. There are still people out there that might want to listen. The only challenge left facing you is knowing how to handle them. Hang on a minute… I know! How about a handy guide?”

His 7 points sum it up exactly:

1. Be confident.
2. Don’t ask them how much they know about your client.
3. Respect their deadlines.
4. Avoid being patronising.
5. Don’t say ‘thanks’.
6. Give.
7. Give a sh*t about their readers.

And quote of the piece goes to:

“Despite the fact that you’ve been sick three times and are now cowering under your desk merely at the thought of having to call one, technology journalists don’t actually know that much more about technology than you do.”