Over the past week, the PR profession has been called into question based on some dubious examples of obfuscation and spin. While Scott McClellan's new book has caused most of the firestorm, there also was a ruling that appointees in the public affairs office of NASA knowingly distorted communication about climate change findings. It read more...
Is PR Paid to Lie? The Two Paradigms of Public Relations
The pundits and the PR community are all sharpening their pencils and will be read more...
Brainstorm: What Should Guide Online Ethics for the Community and the Corporation?
On June 13, I have been asked to lead a discussion at Blog Potomac in the D.C. area about ethics in an online world. I wanted to start the discussion early and test some questions that I hope to put to the Blog Potomac crowd. I started with this question on Twitter, a microblogging platform that allows people to quickly brainstorm with their first impressions:
- kamichat What are the ethics of an anything goes Internet world? How far is too far in your opinion?
Things Aren’t What They Seem: Marketing Tactic Goes Underground
One of the things that distinguishes public relations from other disciplines, such as marketing, is the notion that coverage is earned and not purchased. Not to say that purchased solutions are any better or worse than the earned variety. While I prefer using public relations strategies and tactics, I am not opposed to sponsorships and other solutions that are considered marketing. We often use a mix of both with our clients. It depends on what will be most useful in reaching the intended community. read more...
Simplicity is a Virtue: PR Could Use More of It
If you read blogs, you might go away thinking that you have a lot to learn about methodology, strategy, approach, tactical implementation and evaluation. When done well, public relations is a very complex craft. The Cold Facts Senior PR and Marketing professionals all around the world sit around tables and strategize a grand vision of a campaign that is most often implemented by junior level professionals (who are rarely asked for input). Afterward, executives pat themselves on the back for a "job well done." Nothing against executives, it is just a fact of life. When I catch myself feeling smug, I always read more...