Here's how Irv Hamilton, our Senior Vice Lredident and founder of our company sees it...

I had an experience this past weekend that made me feel as though I had been insulted by a friend. Not by a person. But a TV show; “CBS Sunday Morning,”

The incident has to do with a segment titled “The Flak Over Flacks,” an opinion piece Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen. He began with comments about the book “What Happened” in which former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes about lying. From there Mr. Cohen launched into a nasty tirade about the ethics of PR, a profession in which I have spent my entire working life.

He said the essence of PR is to . . . “convince people that a turkey is really an eagle. . .” He’s wrong. PR people know full well that you can’t make something be what it’s not. Our job is to enhance what it is. Not pretend it’s something else.

Mr. Cohen sarcastically belittled the code of ethics advocated by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) that calls for truth and accuracy in the information used in PR. He said, “Show me a PR person who is “accurate” and “truthful” and I’ll show you a PR person who is unemployed.” That comment is as insulting as saying that all attorneys — of which Mr. Cohen is one — are ambulance chasers who rip off their clients by charging exorbitant fees for work not done.

Yes, there are no doubt attorneys who work that way. And there are PR people who are less than totally truthful. But during my many years in this business, I have worked with countless PR people. And I can say without hesitation that the vast majority of them have been dedicated to their work, have behaved professionally, and have been committed to being absolutely truthful.

For most people in this business, truthfulness is a matter of professional ethics. And, practically speaking, we know that lies will sooner or later be found out, substantially eroding our credibility as information sources. We know that credibility is the key to a PR person’s success.

At the beginning, I said I felt I had been insulted by a friend. “CBS Sunday Morning” had become a highlight of the weekend for my wife and me. We enjoyed the thoughtful, informative, humorous and beautifully presented stories. We looked forward to the footage of plants, mountains and wildlife that close each show. But, sadly, the nasty, sarcastic, and dishonest commentary by Mr. Cohen will make us think differently about the program.

There is an ironic twist to this. It’s very likely that the content of the “Sunday Morning” benefits from input by PR people who suggest story ideas to producers, coordinate interviews, provide information and assist in countless other ways.
--

Irv Hamilton APR
Sr. Vice President
The Placemaking Group
www.placemakinggroup.com
ihamilton@placemakinggroup.com
510.835.7900, ext 202

Links:

• http://www.placemakinggroup.com/team_hamilton.shtml

posted June 2, 2008

For better or worse, I think PR will always have a credibility problem. In some ways, there's not much that can be done about it, but I do think more can be done in terms of educating the public on what the profession does and does not do.

However, rather than relying on an industry body to do that, the on the ground practitioners have to take the lead. One of the ways that can be done is being straight with clients from the get go on what we do and don't do and what we can and can't promise.

This is why I SO DETEST how publicity and PR get used interchangeably. Publicists are associated with keeping clients who do bad things out of the news and most PR pros don't do any of that kind of work. But yet, the myth persists even in major markets like NY because no one and I mean no one effectively highlights just what the heck it is we do. We get too caught up in PR 2.0, blogs, etc., when credibility is our biggest problem.

PR needs to focus on basics and worry less about the latest fads. Surely the dot-com bust taught us something.

posted June 13, 2008

"affirm the professionalism of public relations practitioners"

1 - How to give an affirmation of professionalism without a licensing board? Affirm is not as strong a word chosen as attest, which was not written. Would the profession's spokesperson pledge his reputation on the professionalism of the individual practitioners within the discipline?

2 - A Pandora's Box opens with the question: are we even professionals? I mean there are fraternities that are irregular yet bear the fraternal name and some of the trappings of the organisation. However, they are not part of the true order and their members are not admitted onto the tiles. PR fits into the irregular category of such an example - as does "the oldest profession."

"All professionals, including attorneys, accountants and physicians, aspire to ethical standards..."

3 - and are licensed with serious repercussions to the livelihood for individuals who do not abide by the code.

Pirates have an ethical code too: Parler - french for speak.

"Unemployment, contrary to your opinion, is reserved for the professional who has lost his or her credibility."

4 - This is simply not 100% true. In fact, some clients prefer a boutique of P.T. Barnum technicians to stretch the truth and convince journalists to rephase or obfuscate direct communication of news. I applaud the rousing talk of high standards. However, unlike Mr. Scott McClellan, I cannot, in good conscience, be the spokesperson for something so transparently incorrect.

I look no further than the current and former WH staffers. And where could Mr. McClellan take his concerns: The Profession? His decision to resign based on principle would be more likely to lead to the unemployment line rather than his silence and continuance to further the client's "unethical" objectives.

"Curiously, you also assert that lying is no big deal. To the public relations professional, that is far from the truth."

5 - This decision is obviously left to sole discretion of the individual and what it personally means to them to consider themselves a professional. Sure, lying does not help honesty. But it must be acknowledged that some individuals have no problem with lying. And not all PRs are hired to be honest, frankly. PR's claim to Professionalism, though encouraged, has no license with which to be policed or attested.

In fact, not to admit this could, in the strictest sense, be considered dishonest.

I am happy to openly continue this discussion on the Professional Public Relations Forum I host: http://crowcommunications.com/forum/smf

I am very passionate about professionalism in my industry but this serious topic needs straightforward candor not hide and seek rhetoric.

Thanks for your time to read my opinion on this question. I look forward to further conversation on this important topic on the Forum topic: "Is Scott McClelland Done?"

All the best,
Richard Whipple

Links:

• http://crowcommunications.com/forum/smf

Richard A. also suggests these experts on this topic:

• Elizabeth H.
• Sheldon P.
• Al R.

posted June 2, 2008

My commentary?...no more than a smile...may be is too much

posted June 2, 2008

One could suggest it is the pot calling the kettle black

A lawyer commenting on the ethics and integrity of another profession is like a rock star taking the first world to task for having too large a carbon footprint, before jetting off in their private jet to another series of massive stadium concerts.

The hypocrisy is breathtaking, and more fool the CBS anchors for letting it pass unchallenged.

posted June 2, 2008

PR and ethics..strange bedfellows from what I've seen lately.

I think the analyst is piggybacking popular news stories, just as any PR person would do.

posted June 9, 2008

There are good actors and bad actors in every single profession. I've been working with doctors for the last decade or so (as a flack) and I can tell you they're just the same; there are many fantastic doctors, really eager to help you get and stay healthy, truly concerned about their patients, and there are also quite a few who got into it for the money and prestige who couldn't care less what happens to the poor guy in the paper nightie.

In PR, in journalism, in politics, there are people who do their jobs with strict professional standards, ethical considerations, and honesty. There are also people who just don't give a rat's ass and took the job because of...well, you ask them.

Scott McLellan was in the familiar position of wanting to be truthful, preferring to be truthful, and being told by the guy who signed his paycheck to say something else. What do you do? Keep the job and pretend you don't know what you're saying isn't true? Quit and go to job interviews trying to explain that you left your last job because the President lies? (Bush's lawyers would love that one)

posted June 9, 2008