Why is PR sometimes synonymous with deceit?
Posted in Commentary on February 23, 2009
Last week on NPR, during a story about changes in Sunday’s Oscar Awards due to the economy, the interviewer asked: “Is Hollywood really broke, or is it just PR?”
It seems lately I have heard many folks refer to deceitful, misleading, even dishonest statements or practices as “good PR.”
Why is that?
The code of ethics from the Public Relations Society of America — the voice for the practice of public relations in the U.S. and abroad — lists honesty as one of the profession’s six fundamental values:
We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.
Having referenced that, as with any profession, you find practitioners with varying degrees of commitment to ethics.
The only way to combat a negative connotation to PR is to ensure that the practice of public relations is in no way misleading or dishonest. And that’s a tall order for any profession.
Perhaps I’ll become more accustomed to the idea that what I do for a living has a negative connotation, like that of a used car salesman.
Or perhaps individual public relations practitioners, and thus the industry, will hold itself to a higher standard, making the negative spin doctor connotation obsolete.
Why do you think PR gets a bum rap?
This is a common conversation among PR professionals right now…not necessarily deceit, but in general with the image of the profession. If you haven’t seen this post and blog from David Mullen entitled, “What Can PRSA Do to Demystify PR For Business Leaders?” I would like to welcome you to the conversation – http://davidwmullen.com/2009/02/20/what-can-prsa-do-to-demystify-pr-for-business-leaders/.
I think we have a lot of work to do on the “image relations” front in this industry. At the end of the day, my philosophy is to lead by example and hope to touch as many others to do the same. Thanks for starting this conversation here, Pete!