Egad! That’s just nuts. Why? Why do they waste our time like that? You’re right — this is exactly where we are these days. I blame writers who pushed mashup articles, content mills, and Fiverr pieces. When you present the bottom of the barrel as pure journalistic talent, you dumb down the entire culture.

Lori, yes, it’s happening a ton. I’ve learned to read very closely the responses and then push back. I’ll ask for an expert on, say, how you’ve used TikTok in your real estate business. Then agents will respond giving me general info about it. I was noticing none actually came out and said they used it. So I started replying with, “You’ve provided interesting information, but you don’t actually say you’ve used TikTok. Do you use TikTok?”

And I got a bunch of nos!

I even called one guy and said, “Hey, I see this in your response, but you don’t say you do this (whatever it was).” The guy said, “I never responded to that. Thanks for calling.” And hung up.

What? A PR person? A guy who didn’t want to admit he tried to pull a fast one?

The problem is that somebody is accepting this stuff as trusted insights! Yes, it’s where we are today.

It can be a bit like watching a train wreck at times, can’t it, Paula? I hadn’t considered that some people might be bragging, but that’s definitely possible. The “look at what I can do!” stuff, like the one writer who literally typed, “I can write anything!”

No writer can do everything, so that writer is trying to start the client relationship with a lie. There’s a winning formula! LOL

I think arrogance and laziness are both at play. It often feels like some people are seizing a chance to brag or share their website. The first few usually set the tone, with subsequent responders trying to one up the competition—unaware that by ignoring very simple instructions they’ve probably already eliminated themselves as potential candidates.

Gabriella, I think you’ve hit on exactly the issue. The arrogance. I know I’ve seen writers attack job posters for having the audacity to post exactly the experience they require. The level of bitching is shocking — as if bitching to a potential client is going to make the client see the error of their ways and hire them.

It’s interesting what you say about “ex-spurts” responding despite having no info on the topic. Is this really where we are today? Anyone thinks they can talk about anything? I guess in a world where shit is made up on the spot, that’s the expectation they lead with.

Fortunately, you and I have editors who actually care about facts being real.

In other words, I’m not sure these people aren’t listening. Or are lazy.

I think they’re arrogant and don’t give AF about the requirements–and are simply promoting themselves with the expectation that nobody follows the rules today, so maybe the hiring person won’t, either.

I say this because I often put out requests for sources on Help a Reporter Out. Often, I get great leads. (Not all the time.)

But more frequently recently, I’m getting idiots who have absolutely no expertise related to my topic who respond with pablum.

I’m so tired of it I’ve started being ruthless. I’ve created a simple one-sentence template response: “Please don’t respond to a topic on which you’re not an expert and have no relevant information. It’s a waste of my time.”

It’s not that people aren’t reading the requirements, in my opinion. It’s that too many of gatekeepers (hiring managers, editors with too much on their plate) are accepting this nonsense.

I’m not sure the cause. But nobody listens anymore and just promotes themselves with abandon. Oy!