#communications lessons

When I was growing up, all I wanted to do for a living was be a journalist.

An average footballer, I knew my hopes of turning out as a professional were futile, so getting paid to watch the beautiful game seemed to be the next best option.

I volunteered for fanzines and the university student rag and knew that journalism was the career for me.

I went to a careers event one day, where budding journalists were told “Half of you or more who become journalists will end up in PR.”

I shook my head in disbelief because I knew I would remain a journalist until I was of pensionable age. Besides, I wasn’t even sure what PR was, let alone what a PR person did.

The only “PR” person I knew of was Max Clifford, the now disgraced former publicist who essentially horse-traded celebrity gossip and was later convicted of sexual assault before dying in prison.

Fast forward just over a decade, I joined local newspapers and worked my way up to national and international sports journalism which took me all over the world and watching some of the greatest sporting events on the planet.

But I decided that I wanted a new challenge and started making the move into public relations, learning as I went along how much more there was to the profession than just placing stories in the media.

Having been told by countless editors that negativity sells, working to promote the good work that individuals and organisations undertake is a far better fit for my approach to life, and while there are inevitably some clients who have or come to us because of a crisis, the role of a strategic consultant is very rewarding.

Recently, however, and in truth, far too regularly for my liking, I hear broadcasters or their guests talking about PR in pejorative terms.

The context is usually linked to trying to manipulate reputations or spinning news to show subjects in an unrealistically positive light.

We are portrayed as snake oil salesmen, trying to pull the wool over the eyes of those who are too savvy to fall for their bluster.

The truth is far removed from that perception.

Those who undertake CIPR CPD training every year are obliged to undertake Ethics as part of their study, such is the importance the governing body places on integrity among its members.

For many clients, there is a need to shape their story, their vision and their values, but no PR consultant worth their salt would try to promote those narratives without evidence to back them up.

Sometimes, that means supporting clients to make the organisational changes that back up their proclamations and ensuring that empty promises and baseless boasts are not communicated disingenuously.

When a crisis strikes, organisations know that share price, profits and reputation are inextricably linked and panic can set in for those who have not prepared appropriately for something going wrong.

Good PR consultants try to identify as many potential problems as possible, prepare for those that would be out of their control and, more importantly, help leaders to make the changes that minimise the chances of a problem occurring in the first place.

The fact is, everyone makes mistakes and crises happen.

Remember when you were at school and did something wrong, admitted it and got a gold star rather than a punishment, having set an example of owning up.

Reputation is the same – how you deal with it is far more important than trying to gloss over what has gone wrong or deflecting attention to a third party.

The core thread to every aspect of PR is not to cover things up or gloss over indiscretions, to spin or lie or deceive.

The key is to communicate positives AND help organisations to address those institutional challenges that may have or that could cause them problems in future so that they follow best practice in every aspect of their operations.

So, members of the Fourth Estate, and particularly broadcasters using lazy stereotypes – please stop.

PR consultants provide a service that includes working with you, providing information or commentary that helps you to build your stories.