What Were They Thinking?!?

This blog is called "21st Century Media Relations" -- that is, how to do PR and media relations in the fast-changing Internet-enabled environment of the 21st century. Here's an example of 20th Century media relations, or maybe 19th century if they did PR back then:

From the TV column on the web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Romenesko). The first chunk is an email they received from ABC's PR department. The second is their commentary.

INDECENT PROPOSAL OF THE WEEK

ABC is broadcasting "The 41st Annual CMA Awards" Nov. 7 live from the Sommet Center in Nashville and we have some extra tickets we'd love to give away to your readers! We can offer 2-4 tickets at great viewing seating, retail value $350. It'd be great for a posting on your publication or online Web site. Requirement: a feature about the CMA Awards that mentions the giveaway and tune in to the "The 41st Annual CMA Awards" on ABC Nov. 7 (8-11 p.m.). ...

-- ABC Media Relations

Rob: My editor and I both received this blatant attempt at quid pro quo product placement. Needless to say, we did not respond, but, boy, the TV folks will do anything for some ink.

If you see these particular free tickets offered elsewhere, it's not wrong to wonder what the publication had to do to get them.