On the use of puppets
It was encouraging to read about transparency, public relations ethics and the insidiousness of spin at various points of this PR Blog Week. On this forum as in others, public relations professionals are trying to get the industry moving toward new paradigms and values.
The calls for change are coming not a moment too soon.
Ninety years after Ivy Lee was labelled a “professional liar” for saving the Rockefeller’s reputation following the Ludlow Massacre, public relations professionals are still being seen as one of the less trustworthy categories of human beings. The fact that famous entertainers and talk radio hosts score even lower on the Public relation Society of America’s National Credibility Index does little to make our 42nd (on 44!) place look better.
So after the first century of modern PR, our clients and employers recognize us as valuable members of the team, but the public thinks we’re despicable liars. How about starting the second century with a little public awareness campaign to correct public perceptions and clean up our image a little, as some proposed in other forums? Wouldn’t that improve our professional prospects, or at least our social life?
Perhaps, but we have to clean up our act a little if that fragile veneer of respectability is to stick. If not, we’ll have to continue avoiding the words “public relations” when future in-laws ask: “So, what it is that you do?”
The ever-present “spin”, mostly the look-at-the-bright-side variety, is probably what most people would complain about. As Jim Horton mentioned earlier this week, there’s “too damn much of it.” Cutting down on spin won’t be easy though, in part because the line between “a good pitch” and a bad spin can be tricky at times, and being recognized as a good spin doctor is a point of pride in some sectors of the profession.
I’m actually more concerned with the increasing awareness among the public that PR operations make massive use of seemingly independent groups or experts to bolster the credibility of dubious claims. The practice of putting together front groups as part of “astroturf” campaigns and buying the services of researchers with scientific credentials is now so widespread that it’s entirely possible most people interviewed as experts by the media are being fed their lines by a major PR firm.
Fairly few PR outfits and departments can summon the resources and ruthlessness necessary to use these tactics, but they’re having a large impact. On a global level, examples include climate change issues, genetically altered foods and foreign policy.
If they are allowed to continue, these practices might have lasting negative effects on academics and legitimate NGOs when large segments of the public realize the media makes little efforts to separate independent voices from PR puppets. Part of the blame will be placed at the door of some of the world’s largest communications firms, especially those that associate themselves with a controversial message for a long period. When people get sick, or global temperatures rise, or the earth doesn’t stop turning, inquiries will be made to learn why so many experts said were so sure about something that turned out being false. In some cases, the link between the faulty message, PR firms and their clients will be easy to follow.
Something to keep in mind in the ongoing discussions on establishing standards for public relations.
Note: I’m not involved in any way in the issues mentioned as examples, in case anyone’s wondering.
Author: Montag | Jul 16, 04 | Permalink
| 1 comments
Category: @ Montag | Topic 5 State of PR Profession
Spin - in the sense of putting forward the client's position in the best possible light and with the greatest possible effect - is the everyday business of PR and is perfectly legitimate. Indeed in a democratic society what else would you expect? PR does what lawyers do only in open public forums. People may decry our ability to argue any case (seemingly without moral centre), but they can't deny its legitimacy. The requirement on us as PR professionals is to conduct our business openly and honestly. In effect, to let people see the spin.
But the problem - the very big problem - which I think has the potential to destroy the legitimacy of PR as a profession is when we come to the now common habit of controlling the debate not just maximising your effectiveness as a participant in it.
The Bush administration's efforts to shut down any opposition to the Iraq war - through intimidation of journalists etc - is the latest and saddest example. This article by Orville Schell is a must read I think http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/19238/
But the problem is almost endemic - its hard now for an ordinary citizen to access anything like an unspun account of global warming and its effects.
Ordinary citizens now get the sense that everything they read in traditional media is a clever piece of (undisclosed)spin.
Opinion is now delivered as expertise - there are more studies of everything and less certainty about anything than ever before.
Look at obesity - there's virtually no-one involved in this huge global debate that doesn't have a vested interest of some sort or other. For instance, look at how much diet companies, and pharmaceuticals, are pumping into the PR effort to convince us to lose weight.
I think this is one reason why so many people have rushed to blogs - they want to hear opinions again ,stated as opinions, not masqueraded as expertise.
And blogging, the creation of new media channels, is the only way on offer, it seems, to start questioning some of this 'expertise'.
I hope so!!
Posted by: Trevor Cook at July 16, 2004 03:42 PM
- About
- The Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is an online event that will engage PR, marketing and business bloggers from around the globe in a discussion about blogging and communications. The event is scheduled for July 12 - 16, 2004.
- Links
- The New PR Wiki
- Recent Entries
- Looking forward to 2.0
- Site Statistics and Trends
- A participant’s final thoughts
- Traditional PR is dead - Long Live DIY PR
- Quiet is the new loud
- Recent Comments
- Rick Barry on A Very Brief Look at Blogging for the Uninitiated Executive
- George Mc Quade on The Battle Over PR
- Duncan Adams on Robert Scoble interviewed on Corporate Blogging
- Kevin O'Keefe on How to launch a corporate blog for a professional services organization
- William Luu on Site Statistics and Trends
Comments