The third in the series of the PR True Or False podcast series addresses the subject, "Email is broken as a PR communications tool". Phil Szomszor and Austin Brailey come from different perspectives on this subject, so what is the verdict this week: true or false?

This week we've also taken the views of communications professionals via LinkedIn and Twitter.

Andy Turner writes:

"Email is broken, for sure, and I'm pleased to see Phil you didn't say it was dead, as quite a few other people seem to believe. In my view, the same assertion could be made for any other form of marketing communication: take your pick from 1:1 networking, DM, experiential, social, etc, and any form of PR-specific comms activity. My point here is that the perfect tool doesn't exist and email done badly is no different to any other form of communication done badly."

@theredrocket email not broken, but rapidly receding into the distance. I personally still prefer the phone for its "shock and awe"
— Mark Roberts (@sparky_roberts) November 27, 2013

@theredrocket Yes. Email was built for words + small attachments. Media (& PRs) forced to jump through hoops to share everything else. — Releas'd (@TeamReleasd) November 27, 2013

@theredrocket @PRTrueOrFalse In most cases, yes. A journo mate said that he only reads emails when he recognises the name of the sender. — Charlotte Stoel (@Miss_Stoel) November 27, 2013

@theredrocket @PRTrueOrFalse people do miss emails, but email isn't broken. Still the best way in most case to get your message accross. — Tom Reynolds (@TwitchierFish) November 27, 2013

@theredrocket @PRTrueOrFalse not broken, but massively overused - particularly internally, where often a 'real life' convo would be quicker! — Emma Brown (@emma_brown89) November 27, 2013

And one from our client Geoff Love, CEO of SMS services provider Esendex...

@theredrocket Broken beyond belief Phil. As you know, SMS is where the smart money is at... — Geoff Love (@geoffalove) November 28, 2013

Tweet #PRTrueorFalse if you'd like to join the conversation or suggest topics for future shows. Views expressed in this podcast are Phil and Austin's and do not necessarily reflect the view of Firefly, its employees or clients.