Spooky. Just as I settle down to write something about the financial public relations industry, an e-mail arrives from Emma Brown, an undergraduate at Boston University's College of Communication, saying: "I am assigned to conduct an interview with a professional reporter about the likes and dislikes of journalists and relationships with PR practitioners. At your earliest convenience, I would love to conduct a phone interview."

No need for a phone interview, Emma. In relation to the first issue, I can tell you here that journalists like: money and giving each other awards. We do not like: early mornings. Meanwhile, I have been considering the latter issue for more than a month now, after a colleague popped by one morning and began an all-too-familiar spiel about how he "enjoyed my work BUT . . ."