The killing of Osama Bin Laden was broken by a random individual on twitter, and the aftermath of the killing of the world’s most heinous terrorist shows just how important Public Relations is in all aspects of today’s world. PR defines what and how the world thinks.
– The (usually brilliant at PR) Obama administration has clumsily handled his death:
- First the world was told that Bin Laden and his henchmen had offered fierce resistance during a sustained firefight and that Bin Laden had used one of his wives as a shield. Then it emerged that he was unarmed, and that the woman had charged at the US commandos.
- While this was undoubtedly an amazing victory for America and for the Obama administration, even the photo released from the White House had so many questions (and why, unless to embarrass Hillary Clinton would you release a photo of her gasping?)
It was a major American victory and a triumph for the free, civilized world – Am sure many of us wish it could have been handled in a better manner.
– Today we see Bin Laden videos released of him in a home video clutching a remote and channel surfing through footage of himself on a TV:
- Media Reports have said, wisely that he was “as much a PR person as a terrorist.” In many ways, Bin Laden utilized all forms of modern media to speak to his audiences, and he really understood the power of media and power of images. As owner of a PR agency, I am not surprised to read that he dyed his beard to look better nor that he practiced his lines for a propoganda video.
Even the world’s most heinous terrorist understands that mastering PR is key to success. Truly Amazing.
Ronn Torossian
5WPR
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