Some recent media coverage on the Public Relations industry which I found interesting:
Carl Icahn, the legendary business investor is trying to buy a company and in doing so has blasted the company’s “PR Machine and Board.” He goes on to say – “I tell you this not to boast but in the hope that you will take very seriously what I have to say about CVR and ignore the distortions disseminated by CVR and its PR firm.”
What a badge of honor for the PR firm. They are pushing their clients’ interest so aggressively that Icahn, who is opposed to their current client is upset. It’s a major compliment and I say kudos to whoever is representing CVR.
The Wayne, NJ School system has hired a public relations firm “to better expedite and facilitate all of its media inquiries” for the grand total of $2,500 per month for a 3 month period – And that’s worthy of a feature story in the Bergen Record? If one extra teacher is recruited, if one extra positive story placed which results in additional government funding (or a private donation), if say 100 less complaints come from parents because a PR pro communicated properly is that not money well spent ? Why is it that hiring accountants, lawyers, and other professional service executives is OK but PR is always the evil step-child? Tired of it – and over $2,500 per month?
Although I must say it’s rather ironic that the Chairman of the PRSA is the one being questioned in the media as he was hired by the Wayne School District. The PRSA has been clapping themselves on the back about all of their work defining public relations, and as I have written “I think PRSA and the other organizations advocating for PR should be speaking to potential clients for our industry rather than taking 1,447 votes from people who work at PR Agencies, or 947 definitions from PR firm staffers.”
