I've heard myself over and over again recently explaining to people that aren't particularly familiar with the PR industry that the 'P' in PR stands for 'Public' and not 'Press'. We are not all simply copy-monkeys churning out press releases and trying to win column inches for our clients or employers. Public Relations is exactly as it says on the tin: managing relationships with publics. The media, or more specifically, journalists, might be just one of those publics - one of many I might add!
So, I'm a little disappointed today that Damien McCrystal's article in the Guardian - Don't bite the hand that feeds you - places such emphasis on the media relations role that the PR professional plays. To his credit, he is trying very hard in this article to establish the credibility and the importance of the PR industry in the UK. I applaud him for that and welcome his thoughts and opinion. However, with an industry that has such a poor reputation amongst those that work outside of it, I think we PR professionals should be doing so much more to show the sheer breadth of the work that we do. Yes, relationships with journalists are crucial, but they are not everything. Sadly, to some PR companies and PR Officers they are everything, and their clients and organisations are the worse for it.
I've made a new friend recently. He's an opinionated chap who has moved in with a close friend of mine and thus has joined our social circle. I like him a lot. However, he has made it very clear to me that if we met under any other circumstances than the social circle of which we are part, he would have taken an instant dislike to me. Why? Because I am a 'PR person'. His staunch dislike of PR people is, in my opinion, purely founded on his misunderstanding of the good works that we 'PR people' (or communications professionals, as I prefer to call myself), actually do. We only met a few weeks ago but we've already had several good (and good natured, I might add) debates about the sins of the PR professional. Articles in the popular press that simply reinforce that perception of PR people as column-inch hunters, no matter how well they might try to paint the profession, just don't help us to improve wider perception of our abilities, skills, know-how and contributions to society and industry. We need to do more.
Monday 2 June 2008
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2 comments:
I didn't realise people didn't know it stood for 'Public'. The thought that it could have stood for something else hadn't even crossed my mind.
I have been steadily refining my views on PR, and not trying to lump it in with Marketing over the last few months. We're about to embark on a new PR campaign after our last went didn't go to well (a few years back). So let's hope it goes well.
In all fairness, I think most people do realise it stands for public but lots of people don't see the fullness of that term and think we just deal with the press instead. I'm being a little provocative, I know.
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