Successfully working with international journalists - includes related article

A GERMAN JOURNALIST working in Washington, D.C. received a message from his editor in Frankfurt asking why he had not reported on a statement by a state department undersecretary the previous day. He responded by saying, "The undersecretary's statement was just a 'trial balloon.' It does not warrant reporting on." His German editor had no concept of government officials testing public or congressional reaction with a "trial balloon." It was inconceivable and unknown in their culture. Although the reporter was able to convince his editor that the development wasn't newsworthy enough to print on that occasion, the lesson didn't make a lasting impression, and he had to keep reminding him that Americans conducted business and politics differently.

This anecdote is the real-life experience of a seasoned journalist. His story has been my most frequently used illustration to business executives with global responsibilities how cultural differences can make the connection between reporter and source problematic.

Unfortunately, although we, as communicators, acknowledge intellectually that the responsibility for understanding cultural differences is ours, we do not seem to follow through in practice. Often, we do not go beyond making superficial adjustments to our communication techniques.

U.S. JOURNALISTS

Journalists in the United States arrive at their profession through many different avenues of preparation. They are not licensed. They do not have to earn a degree from an accredited journalism school. However, if they are working in the public media of weekly or daily newspapers, magazines, radio and television, they are linked by the fundamental cultural obligation to keep the public informed, an obligation recognized by the U.S. constitution in its protection of a free press. It is expected that their reporting is accurate and unbiased, but that expectation is not met in many cases.

Italian JOURNALISTS

Italian journalists, on the other hand, are licensed. They have passed a national examination that attests to their skills in journalism. Their education for their profession with the most respected media is generally quite good, with university graduates and those with advanced degrees getting the best jobs. However, they do not have an obligation to keep the public informed. And even the most highly respected newspapers and electronic media of Italy "wink" slightly in the delivery of the news. By "winking" I refer to the practice of embellishing key sentences or segments of reports in the same way that they would tip their listeners a wink if they were telling a story in a cafe. The Italian journalists are quietly proud of the "wink" toward news treatment. Over dinner during a recent U.S. industrial information tour by Italian journalists, the subject was discussed. Mario Pirani, a senior and well respected business writer with La Stampa, a popular newspaper in Rome, noted that the Italian reader expects reporting that is written with flourish, with color, with style, and therefore business and government reporting are embellished.

Advice for reaching Italian journalists: Be conscious of the need to provide flair in your information. If you write it into the material, the journalists will not be as apt to unintentionally misinterpret or misrepresent your presentation.

German JOURNALISTS

German journalists are perhaps the best educated journalists in the world. They are not licensed, but it is not uncommon for those representing the most respected newspapers and magazines of the country to have Ph.D.s in economics or similarly disciplined subjects. Most German journalists must sign a pledge to their employer of absolute honesty in reporting, along with some other non-compromising requirements. And as the introductory anecdote attests, they are expected to write in precise detail about everything.

Carola Kaps, economic correspondent for Frankfurter Allgemeine based in Washington, D.C., describes several cultural differences between Germany and the U.S. that make understanding very different.

"Despite the avalanche of information available to business, government and the general public in both countries, there is a basic lack of understanding even after all these years of intense interest on both sides of the Atlantic.

"For example, the whole question of religion in the United States is terribly misunderstood in Germany. In Germany there are only two religions -- Protestant and Catholic. And both are intertwined with the government. Here there is a separation of Church and State. Churches have more influence over people and frequently act in opposition to the government. That is unheard of in Germany. As a result, Americans are viewed as religious 'fanatics' because there are so many different churches, and church members act collectively on political issues."

Kaps also notes that in Germany there is no reporting about the private lives of public figures. "Everybody knows, but nobody talks about or reports on it as you do here."

German journalists, at least at the professional level of the Frankfurter Allgemeine, apparently have not been "Murdochized," shaped in the likeness of Rupert Murdoch, the owner of several English and Australian newspapers known for their uninhibited reporting on private lives.

Advice for reaching German journalists: Direct, factual and elaborate detail are appreciated and understood as essential to German journalists. They do not shrink from a long news release. Be sure to explain anything that could possibly be considered a colloquial phrase.

Japanese JOURNALISTS

Japanese journalists also are well-educated. Obtaining a position in the respected media is difficult and highly competitive. Japanese journalists have no requirement to keep the public informed. Although there have been several recent national embarrassments of political leaders being forced to resign, these were not the result of Watergate-style investigative reporting. More of a partnership exists between government and industry that is respected by and participated in by the media.

In Japan, the collaboration between industry, government, and the news media can be very disarming to the outsider and most clearly illustrates a basic cultural difference. It is most evident in the practice of industry and government leaking information on business announcements to key publications to establish the high ground in negotiations or market position.

For instance, Japanese companies must import nearly all of their iron ore and coal used in making steel, and, to do this they purchase these raw materials from sources throughout the world. The contracts for these raw materials are generally negotiated annually. The steel companies invite suppliers to Japan for negotiating the next year's contract, and one of the companies (usually one that would be considered a vulnerable negotiator) is selected for the honor of being "first batter," a baseball term used because negotiations are held in the spring.

After the price for the first batter has been agreed upon, the price will be leaked to the news media by the steel company, and that price becomes the world price for that commodity for anyone selling to Japan.

To the Japanese journalist, being on top of the issues in this manner, through cooperation, is normal and does not require balancing the story with information from other sources.

David Morey, a Washington, D.C.-based organizational consultant specializing in Pacific Rim political campaigns, reflects on Japanese reporters by saying: "My experience in ... Japan ... is that most journalists were, and remain, closely aligned with the government. There is no such thing as a "watch dog" presence or the Fourth Estate to check and balance the ruling structure."

Advice for reaching Japanese journalists: Use a local presence. Understand the key realities through research and testing. A correct strategic approach is crucial.

SUGGESTIONS ON PREPARATION FOR DOING PR IN A DIFFERENT CULTURE

1. Know Your Customer

As trite as it sounds, we do not do this well whether we are Europeans communicating to the U.S., Americans communicating to Japan and other Pacific Rim countries or Japanese communicating with the U.S. Look beyond the business media for learning.

For example: The Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology published a study that addressed the cultural differences between Japanese and Americans in their reactions to the praise of others. In this study, 58 percent of Americans responding tended to accept compliments. The Japanese either questioned a compliment's accuracy (33 percent), denied it (19 percent), explained why it was not deserved (17 percent) or responded by saying nothing at all (24 percent).

2. When in Rome... etc.

English language news releases received in the news room of II Sole will undoubtedly not make it. Use the language of the country and not just a literal translation. Remember where you are and what makes news there.

3. Don't Be a Stranger in a Strange Land

If you want to be successful, having face and name recognition and working toward some personal knowledge of the journalist, who is your customer, is invaluable to both you and the journalist. If it sounds too expensive or impractical, consider how expensive and impractical it is not to have successful communication in your marketplace.

Stephen Anderson is the principal of an organizational communication consulting business in San Francisco specializing in communication strategy in the U.S. and in other markets.

COPYRIGHT 1994 International Association of Business Communicators
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group