Struggle with the Media

Besides your organization and public(s), the media is one of the most important relationships to nurture. After our discussion on media relations, many concerns and questions began running through my head. Why do journalists view public relations so negatively? Why do they think that we can never get along? Why do they see us as their adversaries? It does not help that Cutlip, Center and Broom say that “these relationships, although mutually beneficial, remain adversarial at their core, because journalists and practitioners are not in the same business and often do not have the same communication goals” (pp. 268).
Perhaps the most important question that came up for me is what can we do to change not only their view, but to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with the media? I believe that one step in changing these perceptions is for public relations practitioners to begin looking at both professions as having a common goal: informing the public with accurate and truthful information. Moreover, has there been research in this area? If so, what are the findings?