Yesterday’s arrest of Kanye West at LAX was surprising to me primarily because it doesn’t happen more often.  West was arrested for suspicion of vandalism after confronting paparazzi media and allegedly smashing their  cameras.  The struggle between celebrities and the paparazzi is an issue that high profile people must deal with on a day-to-day basis, and it is extremely trying on both physical and emotional levels. It is incredible that today, even after the death of Princess Di, celebrities still have very little protective barriers between them and an intrusive swarm of prying media. Yes, people in the public-eye lose their right to complete privacy when they perform, appear in movies, or get rich by possessing rare athletic ability, but does that mean that there should be no boundaries whatsoever?  Should their children be endlessly subjected to flashing lights? Should they not be allowed to lead somewhat normal lives?

5W has worked with countless celebrities.  I vividly remember walking out of court with Lil’ Kim after she was sentenced in her perjury trial a few years ago. We were managing her crisis communications, and as we walked out the front door, we (Lil’ Kim, one security escort, two attorneys, two of her family friends and I) encountered at least 100 members of the media all jockeying for a shot or a comment.  It was a wall of reporters and photographers, flashbulbs blinking in her face. To say it was a mob scene is an understatement.  After the paparazzi got their pictures, they still wouldn’t move.  There was no choice but to push forward for the two blocks we were required to walk.  It was a very dangerous situation, and in LA, this happens every single day.

Managing the media for corporate clients is far different than managing celebrity-driven paparazzi media.  Every type of public relations, whether crisis-based or paparazzi, consumer or technology, requires different skills and a completely different set of “rules.” I don’t believe for a second that today’s incident between Kanye West and a swarm of paparazzi is an isolated occurrence, nor will it be the last time we read about a celebrity fighting for his privacy with paparazzi.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Reporters surrounded Lil Kim

I recently sat on an NYIABC panel discussion with some prominent bloggers and journalists, and I wanted to share some thoughts and feedback about the impact of online media.

• As this New York Times article points out, there are major restructurings occurring across the board in print journalism. The Tribune Company alone is eliminating 500 pages of news a week by axing many of its employees. On the panel, Jon Fine said he believes there will be a major metro newspaper this year that goes out of business. What does this mean for PR professionals? Journalists are busier than ever before, so now more than ever we need to provide them information that’s accurate, clear and brief (Hint: No 2-3 page press releases). Our materials need to be user-friendly, and we must increasingly build relationships, so writers want to take our calls and know we aren’t wasting their time.

• Print media clearly won’t die. It will decline, but those who talk about the death of print media outlets are simply out of touch. Print is epic – it outlasts the test of time. Reading a newspaper is something you can touch and feel, and there’s a real value to that.

• The relationship between bloggers and reporters is constantly evolving. Reporters are now using blogs to research stories or phenomena. As opposed to providing factual evidence, bloggers provide reporters with information on “sentiment.” According to the 2008 PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey, which polled an array of media professionals, 73% of respondents use blogs in their research, while only 19% of respondents never use blogs.

It’s always interesting to sit with my fellow PR professionals in a room and engage in a thoughtful discussion. I enjoyed it very much.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

There’s been a lot of debate recently about the difference between bloggers and reporters. I, for one, firmly don’t believe that bloggers and reporters are synonymous. Bloggers are biased. (Although, reporters are also. Let’s remember that while both FOX News & CNN claim to be unbiased, one needs only to watch a political report for all of 5 minutes to see that they both clearly “skew.” Right or wrong…)

This morning I read an article where the VP of student affairs at Duke University was quoted as saying, “It’s a world where someone with half a brain, a computer, and an Internet connection can be a publisher.”

Now, clearly this isn’t true for all bloggers, and there are many different types with different levels of objectivity. However, social media, Web 2.0 and today’s blogosphere plays by a whole different set of rules, and public relations professionals who want to be relevant need to be prepared and equipped to handle client communications in this era of new media.

As an aside, yesterday’s New York Times included an article about the pressures bloggers face from a 24/7 news cycle, but failed to mention that many reporters now face these same pressures. The news cycle in every outlet – from broadcast to print to online – has become global and continuous, with every outlet competing to break each story the moment it happens.

That’s one of the reasons consistent public relations and communication with the media has become so pivotal. I tell my employees that a good PR professional never shuts off – with an endless stream of changing news coverage, there are countless opportunities to create relevancy.

Ronn Torossian
5W PR