Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Public Relations, good and bad

Our good friend Tom Murphy points to this remarkable video by PR Watch. It is a compelling, if crude piece of propaganda. I think people outside the news industry have this immaculate conception of reporting, as if reporters are just supposed to know what is happening without any sources. Of course companies and other organizations are going to send them material, what’s wrong with that?

Sadly, you can fool all the people some of the time. When that happens, when disillusion sets in, the price you pay is very steep. If you cannot persuade by honest methods, that may be a sign that your message lacks merit.

PR at it’s finest is understanding your client’s role in society, and communicating that both to your client and to the society in which you operate.

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