June 05, 2006
Why Bother?
I addressed a Public Relations Society of America conference on Friday on the need to adapt PR practice to the new media environment. I received a question from an attendee that went something like this..."why do you bother to speak out so bluntly about our business? Aren't you afraid of the negative consequences to your company? Don't your colleagues ask you to cease and desist?"
It so happens that I am in the middle of reading Shakespeare's Othello and came across this passage that answers the question.
Cassio, lieutenant and number two to the Moor, stands accused of drunk and disorderly behavior and is seeking the assistance of Othello's personal aide, Iago.
Cassio: "Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, reputation."
Later in the play, speaking to his master Othello, Iago says, "Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, is the immediate jewel of their souls; Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed."
We are at a moment of great opportunity for the PR business. In a world of consumer generated content, infinite media choices, lack of trust in traditional institutions, and desire for peer-to-peer discussion, we are well suited to be the communications discipline of choice.
But there is an elephant in the room. The PR business at present lacks the credibility to take that leadership position in communications. Since our industry tends to be defined by the political or entertainment worlds, we are characterized as spinmeisters and flacks.
How can we get out of this stereotyped second class citizen role?
We need to continue to evolve our approach--to move away from message triangles, hyping press releases and controlling access to our clients. We can facilitate and participate in open conversations, providing a full set of facts (positive and negative) about products or companies.
We have to continue to confront misbehavior in PR such as pay for play in a public manner so that the business community and other stakeholders should know that we do not condone malpractice.
Most important, we need to promote our best work in public forums. The coverage of the central role played by PR in the General Motors' board reaffirmation of its support of CEO Rick Wagoner in today's Wall Street Journal is a perfect example. Steve Harris, Wagoner's corporate communications advisor (and a great guy), is quoted as saying, "Listen Rick, perception is reality...you have become the story of the company...you need positive confrontation, challenging negative news reports." Harris suggested the Detroit Project which should "send Mr. Wagoner out himself to defend GM and his leadership...to sway the national thought leader media," the Wall Street Journal reports. "Mr. Harris set up media appearances that trumpeted GM's strengths but also his own."
Fourth, PR professionals should help clients to take the risk of speaking out about important issues of our time. As Joe Klein, author of Politics Lost, has written recently, "Real leadership throughout history has involved the defiance of conventional wisdom, the breaking of rules. Politicians themselves have to figure out new ways to engage and inspire us...or maybe just some simple old ways, like saying what they think as plainly as possible...to tell the public at least one unpleasant truth or something substantive they hadn't heard from a politician before." We must deal with complex issues, such as environment or drug pricing not through simple messages but by engaging in substantive dialogue that expresses a clear position but is open to continuous improvement through feedback.
As always, I would appreciate your comments.
Richard
Posted by Edelman at June 5, 2006 09:10 AM
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