In his column in the Globe and Mail this morning, Rick Salutin reveals a serious bias against the PR industry. What's that, you say? A reporter who's got an axe to grind against PR?
Everyone (particularly a newspaper columnist, who's paid to fan the flames of controversy) is entitled to his/her opinion. On that note, here's mine. This column is an unwarranted cheap shot at the PR profession.
Salutin uses the Michael Bryant affair as his platform (the recent case in which a former Ontario politician, in the car with his wife, was involved in an altercation with a bike courier which resulted in the courier's death). After noting that the media coverage of the event has served the public well, Salutin writes, "But there's one element that irritates me severely. It's the presence, since very early, of a public-relations firm aiding Mr. Bryant."
The rest of the column doesn't seem to have a clear point. It just rehashes journalism's old disdain for PR. He also suggests that the other problem at play is that many journalism grads end up in public relations. And that a "depressing quantity of news stories, especially in areas such as medicine, now come from well-produced PR packages sent on behalf of pharmaceutical firms and the like."
He bemoans the fact that PR people "may put words in client's mouths, vet their ideas and advise on whether to speak at all".
Is this guy for real? Salutin has been at this game a long time. His feigned naivete on the role of PR comes off more like a columnist's device than genuine concern. If a prominent public figure gets tangled up in a situation like Bryant did recently, their first two phone calls should be to their lawyer and a PR firm. The man's career, reputation and freedom are on the line. And given the media's love of 'David versus Goliath' stories, the bicycle courier starts out as the clear favourite in the court of public opinion, even though the truth has yet to emerge. Bryant likely has a million things going through his mind. Hiring experienced professionals for council on how to handle his one shot when the TV cameras are shoved in his face is not shocking, insulting, or devious. It's common sense. And if Salutin happened to be the unfortunate individual in the car that night, I'll bet he would have the Globe and Mail's PR firm (that's right, the Globe and Mail has a PR firm) on speed dial - pronto.
Read MorePR folks should get a kick out of this recent news release from the Joint Canadian Tanning Association. It was issued in response to recent media coverage about the alleged damaging health effects of tanning beds. I would specifically draw your attention to the quote at the end of the release - it borders on ridiculous.
Read MoreMySpace today announced plans to cut its staff by nearly 30%. Job cuts like these are always unfortunate for those affected, but it's important for the company's leaders to handle the situation properly from a communications standpoint in order to serve the company's best interests in the long-term.
In a prepared statement, Owen Van Natta, the company's CEO, said, "Simply put, our staffing levels were bloated and hindered our ability to be an efficient and nimble team-oriented company."
"Bloated?"
How do you think this word makes the departing employees feel? Valued? Appreciated?
And of equal importance, how do you think it makes the surviving employees feel?
I suspect that the word 'bloated' was specifically chosen to characterize MySpace's growing staff complement as something that happened by accident. Like eating too much at a buffet, for example. The right approach would have been for management to take accountability for the situation and outline their plan for continued growth and profitability. These people didn't hire themselves. Someone made these hires. And now, faced with a recession, and with Facebook and Twitter eating away at MySpace's audience, revenues are down.
The word 'bloated' is also getting extensive pick-up in the media as part of this story, including the New York Times.
The far superior quote was from Jonathan Miller, News Corporation's chief executive of Digital Media, who said, "MySpace grew too big considering the realities of today’s marketplace. I believe this restructuring will help MySpace operate much more effectively both structurally and financially moving forward. I am confident in MySpace’s next phase under the leadership of Owen and his team."
$165 million in bonuses to your employees? Really?
In the wake of the $170 billion government bailout the company has received, this move defies reason and only serves to underscore the prevailing greed that has created this global financial disaster.
The best quote I've seen so far was from New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo, who said, "A.I.G. made more than 73 millionaires in the unit which lost so much money that it brought the firm to its knees, forcing a taxpayer bailout. Something is deeply wrong with this outcome."
The company says these bonuses are needed to persuade employees to stay on with the company. Where else are they going to go and work? The companies that haven't imploded are significantly impaired. These folks are lucky they still have jobs at all.
It is shocking to think that no one at A.I.G. saw the awarding of these bonuses as an impending PR or business disaster. But apparently sound judgment is not something the company is flush with.
Read More
When we do TV interview simulations with clients, one of the tips we always touch on is to be aware of the backdrop behind you. TV reporters will often tell you to 'stand right here', positioning you where they think they have the best shot. And often the person being interviewed...
Read More
