What's wrong with the PR industry?

Some say nothing. Some say everything. We're taking the easy way out and saying that there are good things we should continue doing and bad things that need to end.

In the dirty wake of Whispergate, most PR pros got caught defending themselves or their profession, especially from large media powerhouses.

The Economist, as the people over at Marx Communications noted, is an excellent case in point.

Within the PR world, it's easy to blame one or two journalist interlopers for negative spin, but the truth is, PR controversy happens all the time (see Weinergate) and there's got to be something that we in PR can do about it.

Maybe the solution is to keep on keeping on. If you have a successful track record, satisfied customers and a massive, thriving network, the answer may be to continue to flourish as you have been.

As Danny Brown points out, there are idiots in every industry, and PR has not magically attracted every moron from the four corners of the globe.

Gini Dietrich takes a more proactive stance in changing the idea that PR is a necessary evil:

"The time is ripe for us to begin to make change; for us to begin to change that perception. It’s time for us to shift the mindset that PR is an expense and help business leaders understand we are an investment."

"In order to do that, though, we must get out of our comfort boxes and learn some new skills: Some skills most marketers already have."

We here at Charet are currently reading up on SEO and getting back to our roots with some tried and true writing tips, among many other things.

What are you doing to keep your edge?

Comments

Peter Faur said…
I think that as long as public relations is involved in controversial issues (which will be forever), we will have our critics and detractors. We won't have control over them, but we can control whether we act honorably, ethically and in a manner that can be justified.

I'd be much more worried if everyone loved us. If that were to happen, it would mean that we had moved to the margins, where nothing of interest is happening.
Anonymous said…
Good point, Peter. There are always going to be two sides to every issue, and as long as they are handled ethically, conflict and interest doesn't hurt.

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