The Flak Over Flacks

In The Wake Of Scott McClellan's New Book, Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen Says PR People Are Aghast At The Truth

(CBS)  CBS News Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen offers an opinion this morning about a certain new book …

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There is nothing funny about this past week's revelations that former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan lied to the American people about certain vital policy decisions within the Bush Administration.

It's a confession which supports the worst suspicions that millions of Americans have about the current leadership in Washington.

But in every tragic drama comes a moment of comedic Zen. And in L'Affair McClellan, that has come from the public relations community, where some now wonder whether the former flack violated the "ethics" of his craft.

Apparently, an industry the very essence of which is to try to convince people that a turkey is really an eagle has a rule that condemns lying.

The Public Relations Society of America states: "We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent..." This clause strikes me as if the Burglars Association of America had as its creed "Thou Shalt Not Steal."

Show me a PR person who is "accurate" and "truthful," and I'll show you a PR person who is unemployed.

The reason companies or governments hire oodles of PR people is because PR people are trained to be slickly untruthful or half-truthful. Misinformation and disinformation are the coin of the realm, and it has nothing to do with being a Democrat or a Republican.

So McClellan is a liar. Big deal. Thomas Jefferson was a liar, and so was Franklin Roosevelt. John Kennedy lied and so did Richard Nixon.

During the time it took me to write this essay I'll bet dozens of PR people blatantly lied to their audiences, despite the presence of proclamations declaring that they should not.

You can't try to convince someone that a milk cow is really a racehorse without lying. You can't build a profession based a deceit and spin, then create "ethics" rules that call for honesty, and then criticize McClellan.

He did what his predecessors had done and what his successors are doing and will continue to do until no one listens to them anymore from the podium. It's as American as Apple Pie and indictments - as book deals, and perjury.

And that's the truth.

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Click here to read Andrew Cohen's follow-up to the response this essay has received.

[brock4man]

Reckless journalism, this. Try interviewing a few PR practitioners next time rather than spewing out useless stereotypes.

[satigger-2009]

Mr. Cohen %u2013

Before moving to my current employment, I worked in pr agencies and represented everyone and everything from hotels to lawyers.

Not once, EVER in my career have I lied for a client. On the VERY RARE occasions when we discovered that a client was not being honest with us, the account was dropped immediately.

As any public relations specialist worth their ilk will tell you, the lifeblood of our careers is our relationships with reporters. Period. If a reporter feels that we are dishonest with them or that we will mislead them, they would %u2013 as they should %u2013 reject anything we pitch. Would you trust information delivered by someone with a reputation for lying? I didn%u2019t think so. And neither would I.

Do our clients sometimes have %u201Cpie-in-the-sky views%u201D of their products and services? Of course, but that is their job as dreamers, entrepreneurs and CEO%u2019s to believe that their products can change the world.

However, it is our job as their PR representatives to rein them in, bring them down to earth and pitch an honest and decent story.

Regretfully, every field has its bad apples.

Yet to lump every PR specialist in with those of low professional ethics would be to equate every doctor with Adam Zarkin, every accountant with Richard Causey and every journalist with Jayson Blair. And to do that, would be neither fair nor appropriate.

[prg-tbm]

Wow, Mr. Cohen, isn''t it your responsibility as a member of the news media to do your homework before commenting on an organization like PRSA which you obviously know nothing about except what you have been able to cut and paste from the PRSA member web site? Members of PRSA agree to earn the public trust by behaving in a way that serves the public good, and have taken on a special obligation to operate ethically. Certainly, McClellan is no shining example of that, PRSA member or not, so to make an example of him and point that out is certainly appropriate.
But, to say that all PR professionals lie, and that''s why they are hired, and if a PR person is honest they are out of work is not only deeply ignorant on your part, but it really hurts those of us who are doing it right. I mean, COME ON, talk about SPIN! Sadly, this kind of comment also defines you as a person who creates gross generalizations about large groups of people because of the actions of one, or of a few. Isn''t that something that a good journalist is supposed to work against?

[batesdon1]

Let''s all get a grip. I have been around public relations for more than 30 years and I''ve never cheated or lied. And I can say the same for countless others at all levels and in all kinds of organizations from business to government to nonprofit enterprise. But that doesn''t mean the PR profession is without sin or sinners. Clearly, it isn''t. Ditto for law, accounting, journalism, medicine and politics. Mr. Cohen''s language is a little too pompous for my taste but his message has a lot of merit and deserves objective discussion. Slapping the messenger around just won''t do the trick.

[newmoonrays]

Andrew Cohen...you really have NO clue, do you? Do your research before you publicly make claims like you have here.

If I''m not mistaken, PR, journalism and broadcasting tend to go hand-in-hand. At least that''s what I learned while obtaining my college education in the Department of Communication! With a double-emphasis in PR and Broadcasting, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that your comments about the PR profession are very contradictory to what you do on a day-to-day basis!

[mspr1]

I take issue with the assertion that all PR people are liars. I''m a certified PR practitioner with 20 years experience and it''s ridiculous to assume we all lie. Do journalists LIE when they choose a particular angle to tell about a story? Is it lying to edit a video to meet airtime constraints? Do reporters LIE because a story is edited to include only some quotes but not all? Is selecting one story for the front page lying? Is designating some topics and stories more newsworthy than others lying to the public too?

Journalists like Cohen do our industry a disservice with their ignorance. He clearly doesn''t have the first clue about what it takes to be a PR practitioner. The truth is none of us would have jobs if all we did was "lie."

All the PR people I know have either graduated from an accredited Journalism program or worked as journalists at some point in their career. It''s disappointing to see him trashing the very industry he''s part of.

[mambisa-2009]

There are standards in the PR profession, Mr. Cohen, and those of us who take our craft seriously take them to heart. There are good PR people and bad PR people and it''s a small enough profession that we can spread the word amongst ourselves about the bad ones. I''d say there are probably more scummy lawyers, politicians and TV commentators per capita than scummy PR practitioners. Scott McClellan was one of the bad ones and he allied himself with a corrupt, lying administration that continues to deceive the American public. Please don''t lump him in with the rest of us who take our code of ethics seriously!

[pjpr07]

Why qualify the truth? If it is the truth, should it not be inherent?

Why make generalizations without research? You are responsible for the words you say.

Saying something is "the truth" doesn''t make it the truth. It means you stake your credibility on the statements you make. And how many times in the past few years have those words come out of your mouth?

Words are weighty. It''s good to remember that. I''m sure you know people who have been knocked off course or brought down because of the words he or she spoke.

[purepr]

PR professionals are no more "spin doctors" than lawyers are "shysters," accountants "bean counters," or reporters "hacks."

Cohen%u2019s pejoratives reflect poorly on the quality of CBS journalism. As the ethical code of the Society of Professional Journalists says, %u201CAnalysis and commentary should not misrepresent fact.%u201D

Our democracy gives news media the right to express opinion on public affairs. But with it comes a duty to be just as accurate as in news reports.

PR professionals in PRSA also have an ethical obligation %u201Cto adhere the highest standards of accuracy and truth.%u201D We serve the public interest by advancing the flow of accurate information, essential to informed decision-making in a democratic society.

People would know far less about our nonprofit organizations, government, and businesses if PR pros weren''t working to get information out. Research shows that most stories covered by journalists originate with PR professionals.

PR also helps put people in touch with organizations and their leaders, whom we frequently advise on the need for open, two-way communication. That%u2019s critical if public opinion is going to help shape policies, positions, and products.

In fact, PR has been at the forefront of nearly every major advance in U.S. history--from fighting poverty, hunger, and disease, to promoting civil rights, women%u2019s equality, and corporate responsibility. PR is just as vital to democracy as a free press.

[spiderj3]

Mr. Cihen,

I guess your analogy is that it takes a liar to know a liar, which would be true since you work for CBS, the King of Left-Wing, Lyibg Liberals. My take would be that someone has offered more than is known to Scott McCellan than the public will ever know, or that Scott has been hanging around with the wrong crowd and as the saying goes, one becomes the environment they are surrounded by. I believe Scott McCellan believed what he spoke and truly meant what he said. I hate to quote Bill O''Reilly here, but, unfortunately Scott has drank too much of the Koolaid. Now Right-Wing Radical Rhetoric is just as bad, so both sides have bad entities that just want to tear the other side down, but for you to state, "Show me a PR person who is "accurate" and "truthful," and I''ll show you a PR person who is unemployed," makes me one of your worst enemies. I have enjoyed a 28-year career and continue to be Trythful and Accurate. But, I will say that I purposely avoid working in Washington D.C. so I can remain true to my profession.

[prg-tbm]

Wow, Mr. Cohen, isn''t it your responsibility as a member of the news media to do your homework before commenting on an organization like PRSA which you obviously know nothing about except what you have been able to cut and paste from the PRSA member web site? Members of PRSA agree to earn the public trust by behaving in a way that serves the public good, and have taken on a special obligation to operate ethically. Certainly, McClellan is no shining example of that, PRSA member or not, so to make an example of him and point that out is certainly appropriate.
But, to say that all PR professionals lie, and that''s why they are hired, and if a PR person is honest they are out of work is not only deeply ignorant on your part, but it really hurts those of us who are doing it right. I mean, COME ON, talk about SPIN! Sadly, this kind of comment also defines you as a person who creates gross generalizations about large groups of people because of the actions of one, or of a few. Isn''t that something that a good journalist is supposed to work against?

[prg-tbm]

Wow, Mr. Cohen, isn''t it your responsibility as a member of the news media to do your homework before commenting on an organization like PRSA which you obviously know nothing about except what you have been able to cut and paste from the PRSA member web site? Members of PRSA agree to earn the public trust by behaving in a way that serves the public good, and have taken on a special obligation to operate ethically. Certainly, McClellan is no shining example of that, PRSA member or not, so to make an example of him and point that out is certainly appropriate.
But, to say that all PR professionals lie, and that''s why they are hired, and if a PR person is honest they are out of work is not only deeply ignorant on your part, but it really hurts those of us who are doing it right. I mean, COME ON, talk about SPIN! Sadly, this kind of comment also defines you as a person who creates gross generalizations about large groups of people because of the actions of one, or of a few. Isn''t that something that a good journalist is supposed to work against?

[prg-tbm]

Wow, Mr. Cohen, isn''t it your responsibility as a member of the news media to do your homework before commenting on an organization like PRSA which you obviously know nothing about except what you have been able to cut and paste from the PRSA member web site? Members of PRSA agree to earn the public trust by behaving in a way that serves the public good, and have taken on a special obligation to operate ethically. Certainly, McClellan is no shining example of that, PRSA member or not, so to make an example of him and point that out is certainly appropriate.
But, to say that all PR professionals lie, and that''s why they are hired, and if a PR person is honest they are out of work is not only deeply ignorant on your part, but it really hurts those of us who are doing it right. I mean, COMMON, talk about SPIN! Sadly, this kind of comment also defines you as a person who creates gross generalizations about large groups of people because of the actions of one, or of a few. Isn''t that something that a good journalist is supposed to work against?

[prg-tbm]

Wow, Mr. Cohen, isn''t it your responsibility as a member of the news media to do your homework before commenting on an organization like PRSA which you obviously know nothing about except what you have been able to cut and paste from the PRSA member web site? Members of PRSA agree to earn the public trust by behaving in a way that serves the public good, and have taken on a special obligation to operate ethically. Certainly, McClellan is no shining example of that, PRSA member or not, so to make an example of him and point that out is certainly appropriate.
But, to say that all PR professionals lie, and that''s why they are hired, and if a PR person is honest they are out of work is not only deeply ignorant on your part, but it really hurts those of us who are doing it right. I mean, COMMON, talk about SPIN! Sadly, this kind of comment also defines you as a person who creates gross generalizations about large groups of people because of the actions of one, or of a few. Isn''t that something that a good journalist is supposed to work against?

[leahdog2150]

For immediate release
CBS Commentator Off Base with Criticism
Comments Fall Below CBS Standards

Dallas, Texas (June 2, 2008) - CBS legal analyst Andrew Cohen%u2019s blanket denunciation of the public relations profession on this week%u2019s Sunday Morning broadcast should be an embarrassment to CBS News.
%u201CAs this is being written, CBS reporters at the network and owned and operated stations are relying on media relations professionals to help them do their jobs,%u201D said David S. Margulies, president of the Margulies Communications Group.
%u201CThe modern media, with its limited budgets and staffing, could not function without the assistance of the public relations professionals in government and industry that Cohen accused of lying to their audiences,%u201D said Margulies. %u201CIf these sources are really so undependable, then why do CBS reporters attend briefings in Washington and Iraq and repeat much of the information they receive in their broadcasts? Enterprise journalism would grind to a halt if journalists had to spend their time rounding up information that is compiled for them every day by public relations professionals.

[mjd1627]

"Show me a PR person who is "accurate" and "truthful," and I''ll show you a PR person who is unemployed."
I''m very much employed for a NON PROFIT organization focusing on CANCER RESEARCH. Everything I discuss has been peer-reviewed, I have nothing to be other than accurate and truthful.

Making broad statements about any group of persons is what''s unethical. Doesn''t every industry have unethical people? To judge an entire group by the faults of some is a poor analysis. And what good is a commentator who lacks analytical thinking skills?

[skyoverride]

I just found this very funny after re-reading some of these and analyzing the situation.

CBS has been trailing in ratings for the past decade. Andrew Cohen has never received this many comments in any of the stories that he has recently been involved with.

Actually, CBS actually gloated that they were highest in ratings this past week. Which drew a ton of criticism from all other media outlets, when this is a TV-dead season, no new shows, re-run marathons. They claim that 18-35 age group were the largest demographic watching their shows. Now, I''m no expert, but I don''t watch CBS and if this story wasn''t published I probably wouldn''t have even seen CBSnews.com.

Desperate times do call for desperate measures... right?

I wonder who''s next, maybe it''ll be kindergarden teachers, librarians, or maybe even charity work volunteers. :) (I kid)

But this is the truth.

[PrissyPatriot]

As a military family with a loved one, merely a teenager (injured once in the National,not International Guard) Mr.Cohen, I find you shallow and callous and not a good American citizen. No good American would write the trash you just wrote and stand by it.
You owe (along with the rest of the lying media) an apology. Unfortunately, you''ve proved your ego is not capable of giving one...

[stfpr]

At first, I thought you were just misinformed. Now, I just think you are ignorant. Two words, Cohen - YELLOW JOURNALISM.

[sophie2473]

NO profession deserves such discredit.

Taking swipe at ANY group, is incorrect and sensational. Low blow, Andrew Cohen and ABC!

From our troops, to our doctors, to the highest leaders in the country - and in between - all of us are accountable to the people we serve. Our publics AND internal constiuents.

We, THE MAJORITY, live by our oath to give and do our best for the highest good of all concerned.

One bad apple does NOT reflect the intregrity OR intention of ANY group -shame on Andrew Cohen !