An increasing number of journalists now view PR people as nothing more than email spam artists that use untargeted pitching techniques to the detriment of their clients Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine and author of The Long Tail, gets 300 emails a day. He's blocked  PR people who spam him and has even published a list of the email addresses of violators, which includes names from some of the largest PR agencies in the world: Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Waggener Edstrom, and Fleishman Hillard.

But there is good news. There are approaches that effectively deliver the message if a publicist recognizes that journalists aren't passively waiting for something interesting to appear in their email inboxes. Journalists use search engines to research stories. If companies and agencies spent as much time creating great web content as they do sending out spam, they would be much more successful.

Reporters are always looking for truly newsworthy companies, products, and ideas to write about. A mention in a widely read blog reaches reporters and editors, because smart journalists read these for story ideas and to understand early market trends.

Publicists who practice their profession with real dedication know this. They pay attention to what individual reporters write, target and craft their pitches specifically, and cultivate real relationships to become part of a journalists' network of resources.