Thanks to everyone for the fantastic feedback both through comments and e-mail following my posts on blog relations, and the need for PR people to stand up for their profession.
Blog Relations
Probably the largest response I received to the call for ‘PR blog case studies’ were e-mails from practitioners who are relatively new to blogs. The common theme in their e-mails was that they are desperately trying to understand the tool, how to use it, how to monitor it productively, and how to incorporate it in ongoing communications programs.
I believe that that is a good, albeit statistically insignificant, measure of the current maturity of blogs.
We’re still at the early stages of blog relations. That was my belief and I called for blog case studies to see if maybe I was wrong. For once I wasn’t.
Hopefully I’ll tackle the questions raised in those e-mails in the near future.
PR’s Image Problem
Jim Horton commented:
“Give up notions of regulating PR. It won’t happen in the US because of the First Amendment. It is doubtful that it will happen anytime soon in other countries.”
I completely agree. These efforts have failed in the past so it’s unlikely they will suceed in the future.
However, I don’t think that means we should ignore the problem of PR’s image.
What’s clear is that the only way to change the misperception of PR is that individuals must take responsibility — collective responsibility.
I think Piaras Kelly has a point regarding the international code of ethics as a starting point for establishing acceptable behavior.
However, if you as a PR professional are interested in improving the profile of your profession, it is up to you to do something about it.
Only when individual practitioners take a stand, can we turn the tide of negative publicity. At the very least it might force people to re-examine their perceptions.
Footnote:
- Richard Bailey rightly points out that Gerry McCusker has a book to promote, but that doesn’t mean the message is wrong 🙂
Murphy's Law 