Cohen: Flacks Follow-Up

After Blasting The PR Industry's Attack On Scott McClellan, Andrew Cohen Responds To Critics

(CBS)  Having blasted the public relations industry in an on-camera essay for CBS News’ "Sunday Morning" program, I am now the target of a public-relations effort to ridicule my effort, my points, my character and integrity. I expected nothing less. I mean, when you make fun of people whose job it is to burnish public images you’ve got to expect they are going to, well, burnish their own public images at the expense of your own. I am not taking it personally.

Of course, my essay generalized about the PR profession. That’s what 450-word essays do. I am sure there honest and accurate public relations people out there just as there are (somewhere, I suppose) honest journalists and lawyers. But the self-righteousness of the PR responses to my polemic masks a denial of the most basic truth about this silly kerfluffle: public relations people may believe they are honest and accurate and chock full of integrity in the work they do - but lay people do not necessarily share that belief. And isn’t appearance on a par with reality in the crazy world of PR spin?

The point of my essay was a simple one - that it was hypocritical to the point of hilarious for those in the PR field to point a finger at Scott McClellan, the former White House press secretary, and declare that he had violated the ethics rules that “govern” the industry. I am sure that everyone who makes a living as public relations professionals would like to distance themselves from McClellan’s shameful conduct. But the gulf simply isn’t far enough, not by a long shot, to sustain the argument. Point a finger at McClellan, sure. But point the finger at yourselves, too.

I did not generate the link between McClellan’s book and the rules of PR ethics. In a million years I would not have figured out that link. Instead, it was generated by a public relations type who late last week raised the question. Had the American Bar Association connected the dots first I probably would have written an essay on lawyers instead of flaks. And already there are scores of journalists who are wringing their hands at their own failures to ferret out McClellan’s lies. Give the reporters credit on that score-at least they are doing their own series of self-evaluations (mea culpas, really) to figure out what went wrong.

The best comment on the topic came from one of my friends, a lawyer. He wrote: “In an academic sense, your hyperbole is inaccurate and therefore, perhaps, unfair. There are certainly ethical PR folks out there. But, like lawyers and the Fourth Estate, there have been so many bad actors who for so long have abused the public’s trust, that the hyperbole pretty accurately represents the feelings of most in the public, and is sadly not that far from the truth. The PR industry needs to take some responsibility for this state of affairs (as do lawyers and the media) and work to restore the public’s faith.”

My friend is exactly right - on all counts. Anyone out there on the vanguard of the concerted effort to discredit me and my essay want to take issue with his main point? For years now, I have railed against dishonest and hypocritical and cynical lawyers and judges and politicians. Really, you can look it up. Anyone want to argue with a straight face that the PR industry is somehow immune from the same criticism? Do people in the PR world believe that it’s all beer and Skittles when they get up to a podium and that the public any longer automatically buys their spin? Some of the responses at the Sunday Morning site help me prove this is not so.

Sure, I live in a glass house and I threw a stone. I am sorry if it offended some of you. But consider it a wake-up call. For a profession that lives or dies on public perceptions you folks in public relations have as much work to do as the legal profession and the journalism profession (and the political profession) in changing the negative attitudes of your now-cynical audiences. And blaming me for calling attention to the problem - in a hyperbolic way, I freely admit - isn’t going to make things better.

Don’t be, like Claude Reins in "Casablanca," shocked - shocked! - to see yourselves painted with the same brush that over time has tarnished lawyers and politicians and advertising gurus. Instead, as a few of you suggested in your comments, use it as an opportunity to discuss among yourselves how a profession built on spin can survive with its credibility intact in a world where people are more sophisticated than ever in ferreting out such spin from the truth.

I’m sorry I compared your PR association to the Burglars’ Association of America. That wasn’t nice. But of course there is no Burglars’ Association of America. At least my animal analogies worked, though, right?

[proudprpro]

Mr. Cohen,

Your ''follow-up'' is incredibly self-righteous. Yes, there is a stereotype that those in the public relations profession are unethical liars. I agree that a few bad apples can leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the American people. However, you have no right to purport this stereotype. In doing so, you show yourself as someone who feels it necessary to trample on an important and vital profession in order to make a headline. Please note my use of the word vital, Mr. Cohen. Where would CBS news be if not for the PR team that keeps it in the view of the American public? Where would the thousands of nonprofits be who employ people such as myself to make sure our causes are noticed? I am just beginning my public relations career, and I am proud to call myself a member of the profession. I believe that I can effectively do my job and uphold the PRSA code of ethics. I look forward to a long and successful career, and I have absolutely no doubt I will someday be highly in demand. And when that day comes, Mr. Cohen, I will be more than happy to turn down a position on your likely-suffering PR team.

[leahdog2150]

Your commentary is about public relations in the political arena. If you limit your comments to that area I might even agree with you. However, the vast majority of work in the field is done in other arenas. How do you think a military public information officer risking his or her life in Iraq would feel about your commentary? You tried to kill a fly with a shotgun and wounded quite a few innocent bystanders in the process.

[leahdog2150]

I apologize for the multiple posts. I am just getting the hand of this web site.

[gailbkent]

You say in your rebuttal that you were just using "hyperbole" in your original piece. If that isn''t lying, I don''t know what the definition is. I''ve been a reporter, and now I''m a PR professional and a member of PRSA. I''ve known reporters who "never let the facts get in the way of a good story" and I''ve known PR people who were guilty of "spin." As a PR professional, I make it clear to my clients that I will not lie, and if they choose to do that -- or anything else remotely unethical -- I''m out. Both journalists and PR folks have ethical standards. About the only difference I''ve seen -- having been on both "sides" -- is that journalists are less self-aware about their biases and more self-righteous. You don''t own all the "ink" or "air" any more, Mr. Cohen, and you don''t get the last word when you take pot shots at an entire profession and the people who work in it. You can''t afford to be "superior" any longer.

[cincinnatus9]

Your follow-up statement makes less sense than your original premise. I am amazed that you and your fellow journalists within the Beltway actually think that political appointees like McClellan and Rove convey anything other than political policies and issues, as envisioned by the Bush Administration. This isn''t public relations, it is politics. I have worked for five newspapers and hate to get ridiculed by poseurs like you Beltway hacks who think spin is the truth. Nobody outside the Beltway does. It would make sense for CBS'' credibility to relieve you and their audience of your current position and allow you to real people in real professions across this nation.

[bill_smith2]

Let me see if I''ve got this correct. The lawyer, Andrew Cohen, is calling out public relations as a profession for its lack of ethical standards. Mr. Cohen works for CBS News. Frankly, I believe the general public would have a bit of a problem with the veracity of the statements of any of those three: lawyers, PR or, considering the lack of accuracy in L''Affaire Rather, CBS. And regarding Dan, that would be both the infamous memorandum mess and the recent dust up over his departure. As I recall, CBS''s own PR flacks had a little trouble with that recently.

[jn122736]

You say in your rebuttal that you were just using "hyperbole" in your original piece. If that isn''''t lying, I don''''t know what the definition is. I''''ve been a reporter, and now I''''m a PR professional and a member of PRSA. I''''ve known reporters who "never let the facts get in the way of a good story" and I''''ve known PR people who were guilty of "spin." As a PR professional, I make it clear to my clients that I will not lie, and if they choose to do that -- or anything else remotely unethical -- I''''m out. Both journalists and PR folks have ethical standards. About the only difference I''''ve seen -- having been on both "sides" -- is that journalists are less self-aware about their biases and more self-righteous. You don''''t own all the "ink" or "air" any more, Mr. Cohen, and you don''''t get the last word when you take pot shots at an entire profession and the people who work in it. You can''''t afford to be "superior" any longer.

Posted by gailbkent at 04:36 PM : Jun 02, 2008.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two clichis:
Those most guilty tend to yell the loudest
The truth can be told in so many different ways that a lie is seldom needed.

There%u2019s no way of knowing if what you say is the truth, but if you really do refuse to lie or do anything even %u201C%u201Dremotely%u201D unethical you have about as much chance of succeeding in your profession as a, totally honest, politician has of rising above a county office position in his/her own state. Good luck.

[drjohnnyspin]

I use as my screen name "DrJohnnySpin" as a wink and nod to the term "spin doctor." But to say that PR is "a profession built on spin" is a gross mischaracterization of what PR is, Mr. Cohen. That is tantamount to saying that the legal profession is built on loopholes. There isn''t a story about a product or service reported by online, print and broadcast media that hasn''t first passed through the hands of a PR person. The "spin" we create is to find what is meaningful and important for journalists and present that information in a way that is compelling. We have to translate the language spoken inside companies to a language that lay people understand. We have to become experts in markets and trends. If the PR profession suddenly disappeared so too would a great many publications and news outlets as there is just simply too much information to digest without it being packaged properly by people in my profession. It''s time Mr. Cohen to drop the sanctimony and admit you made an error in judgement in using hyperbole to smear an entire industry.

[ambro75-2009]

Mr. Cohen - Thank you for taking a second look at the issue. I''m still quite stunned that you''ve chosen to attack an entire group of professionals. And I remain hurt on a personal level. I wouldn''t be in this field if I felt as if my efforts didn''t help my organization (a public university) and the community at-large. You''ve called into question my very existance as a professional.

[db023]

I am also saddened that you believe it is ok to make a commentary about all PR professionals. That would be akin to my saying that since there are several authors found to be lying in their books that the category of "non-fiction" shouldn''t exist.

I don''t disagree with you that some have abused the profession, but that is often the case. As a PR professional, I could cite numerous journalists who don''t fully research their stories before "reporting" and yet I would never criticize the vocation in general.

I am sure that all of this "attention" has given you exactly what you want, and while I hate adding to your 15 minutes, I felt compelled to comment.

[dj_gamache]

I think most people in public relations do not work on the kind of national stage as do the players in this tempest, nor do most of us stand at a podium and deliver proclamations, either honestly or dishonestly, to a sea of people. Most of us work behind the scenes and do our level best to rack our brains to come up with newsworthy pitches and accurate background information. We work directly with the same reporters over and over, and our credibility is paramount. We are honest in our dealings, and the reporters on the local level where most of us work will verify our facts as part of their jobs. The think the outcry is over the generalization about dishonesty that absolutely doesn''t fit with what most of us in PR actually do, or how we do it.

[feelfree4u]

Dear Mr. Cohen,

I have been a pretty harsh critic of your writings at times in the past, however, I don''t think you have anything to apologize for here.

Plus, it has been fun to watch the members of the Professional Liars Association come on here and spam the site with their lies about how they do not lie.

That was very entertaining. Obviously you hit some folks pretty close to home.

Thanks.

[s_lopatin]

I don''t call McClellan shameful. I call him incredibly brave. One man going up against some of the most powerful individuals in this nation right now. It could have been a suicide mission.

I hope PR professionals see this act of bravery, of coming clean (even though his former actions may not have been something to brag about). And only in America could he write and publish this book, and not turn up dead one morning. While I have not read Scott McClellan''s book yet, it appears he became disillusioned and only came to his senses within the last half-year or so of his job.

As for Mr. Cohen''s response, he is entitled to his own opinion. I must say, when I was a reporter, I had a very negative outlook on PR people. I thought most of them were deceitful. Now that I''m working in PR for a good cause, I realize that''s not the case. Sometimes, it takes walking in "both pairs of shoes" to understand all sides. Perhaps one day, Mr. Cohen will walk in those shoes and see for himself. If not, this is America, and I hope we can focus on the issues at hand rather than who is at fault.

[skpublicrela]

Yes, reading the responses it appears that some of the rebuttals, and then the rebuttals to your rebuttal, are self-righteous. But I think that''s more about general human foibles rather than about PR people (who happen to know how to verbalize their human foibles better than most).

[feelfree4u]

Attention PR spammers:

The story is not about you. It is about a man with the apparent courage to take a public stand against the fascistic hand that once fed him. It is about the lies that stampeded our country into self-defeating and criminal war of aggression, that put national security and individuals at mortal risk by outting an undercover intelligence operative, and about many, many other deadly, treasonous lies churned out by the Bush cabal. It is about how many people in your industry have conspired to shoot this messenger.

Get over yourselves, and try to put your skills to use in toppling the criminal regime, rather than in boring us with more lies about the National Liars Guild lies, and lining your pockets with your lies.

[jandprprof]

Just a month ago I had a conversation with my students who were just finishing their first course in public relations. These students were a mixture of business, mass communication, and political science majors. What I learned was personally heart-warming and globally unsettling. One student, a business major, told me he respected me because I spent the entire 15 weeks beating into him that PR was about mediated shared meaning founded on truth. He said he had no idea he had to tell the truth in PR before he started the class. He thought his PR experience was going to be akin to a creative writing course for the business world. The rest of the class seemed in agreement. I was glad I could help set the record straight for these students, but the real problem lies elsewhere. All of those leaders of industry-in-training, all of those future pols, have a misguided view of PR, and those are the ones who will one day be signing the public relations officer''s paycheck. Public relations is equally duty-bound to the audience as it is to the organization. And, yes, I believe my idealism would get me fired if I was not in an ivory tower. The root of PR''s PR problems lies with intent and influence of the client or the management, not the trained and ethical practitioner.

[brandywinela]

No, your animal analogies don''t work. They''re based on the assumption that the sole point of PR is to take something bad and trick the public into believing it''s good. If that were the case, we''d all have been out of a job many years ago - PR people and journalists alike.

While I found the first article frankly mildly amusing, the second had me laughing out loud. Hyperbole aside, it''s chock full of non sequitors, inconsistencies and excuses (''it wasn''t my fault - it was the 450-word format'') that it very quickly transitioned from the offensive to the ridiculous.

I thank you for brightening my otherwise slightly dreary afternoon.

[feelfree4u]

Well, there is the truth, and then there is "mediated shared meaning founded on truth", also known as lies.

[slwinfrey]

Claude Reins? You were obviously making reference to the actor, Claude R-a-i-n-s.

However, I am not "shocked" to find an error in your work -- you had no PR person proofing your comments before posting.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "He thought his PR experience was going to be akin to a creative writing course for the business world. The rest of the class seemed in agreement."

A good example of how the student can become the teacher.

[jandprprof]

Just a month ago I had a conversation with my students who were just finishing their first course in public relations. These students were a mixture of business, mass communication, and political science majors. What I learned was personally heart-warming and globally unsettling. One student, a business major, told me he respected me because I spent the entire 15 weeks beating into him that PR was about mediated shared meaning founded on truth. He said he had no idea he had to tell the truth in PR before he started the class. He thought his PR experience was going to be akin to a creative writing course for the business world. The rest of the class seemed in agreement. I was glad I could help set the record straight for these students, but the real problem lies elsewhere. All of those leaders of industry-in-training, all of those future pols, have a misguided view of PR, and those are the ones who will one day be signing the public relations officer''s paycheck. Public relations is equally duty-bound to the audience as it is to the organization. And, yes, I believe my idealism would get me fired if I was not in an ivory tower. The root of PR''s PR problems lies with intent and influence of the client or the management, not the trained and ethical practitioner.

[camagrama]

I wonder how Gil Schwartz, head of CBS public relations would respond to Cohen''s charges. Does the CBS PR operation lie? Is CBS a duplicitous organization because they devote so many resources to an in-house PR department? By Cohen''s logic, CBS can not be trusted. It''s a sad commentary that CBS doesn''t stand behind its own PR people. Gil: where are you? Stand up! Speak up!

[abha2-2009]

The dissed PR professionals and Mr. Cohen are arguing about bad apples when the real issue is the trees in the forest Most people working in public relations do their jobs with care and integrity. They are right to point out that the scumbag spin doctors Mr. Cohen describes are not likely to be very effective%u2014at least not for long.

However, we should not be comforted by good intentions and ethical decision making of individuals. We should focus instead on the actions of the powerful institutions on whose behalf they work.

And better still on the logic of the forest: a capitalist democracy. It%u2019s no accident that the practice of public relations was born in America. Edward Bernays, the %u201Cfather of modern public relations,%u201D said it best: Public relations is the engineering of consent.

[td1285]

I heard your original commentary about how public relations practitioners are liars and read your follow up rebuttal about those who are indignant about your comments. I wanted to reply to you immediately but restrained myself, because I wanted to give my reply a little more thought than you did your commentary. Your comments are just following the tabloid trash line that is being foisted on the public by CBS, so I guess I shouldn''t have expected more from you. By overstating your case, you have caused segments of the public relations profession, and the viewing public, to lose faith in you and your ideas. That, by the way, is what journalists and PR professionals have to sell -- honesty, integrity and trust. You have diminished your storehouse of trust by your ill-conceived comments and cutesy remarks. The bottom line is that you totally missed the point. McClelland is not a public relations professional. He is a politician who was placed in a public relations post without any experience. If you will note, most of the "spinners", a term coined by politicians, are from the political world. Sure, there are a few PR people who don''t operate the way they should, but that happens in all lines of business. In all of my 50-plus years as a PR practitioner for large corporations and agencies, I was never asked to lie and would not have done so if asked.

[feelfree4u]

abha2,

Re: "Edward Bernays, the father of modern public relations"

Thank you for reminding me of this man. He was truly one of the most skilled and incideous liars of all time.

Re: "...said it best: Public relations is the engineering of consent."

Such as in lying a country into accepting a lie-based, self-defeating, and criminal war of aggression, contrary to its own interests.

This man, Bernays, is a monument to the damage that can result from the lies of professional liars.

[cindyschutt]

I''ve worked for 25 years in the PR industry building a business built on my professionalism and reputation. Now I give all I have working for nonprofits to get the word out about leukemia, homeless teens, affordable housing for the mentally ill and scholarships for needy kids. I don%u2019t lie. I do a good job. I work hard. And I%u2019m a decent person. As I''m sure my colleagues would agree, it%u2019s sickening and infuriating to be called a blatant liar, a person with no integrity, a %u201Cflack.%u201D You should be ashamed of yourself, Mr. Cohen. And that%u2019s the truth. - Cindy Schutt, APR

[octoberjazz]

Isn''t journalism simply spin of another sort, presenting information through an extremely subjective lens while pretending a commitment to objectivity (i.e. the truth)?

The most telling comment in Cohen''s rebuttal is that the "best" comment came from a friend -- someone who, like him, probably breathes the rarefied air of smugness high upon a horse.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "Isn''t journalism simply spin of another sort, presenting information through an extremely subjective lens while pretending a commitment to objectivity (i.e. the truth)?"

Posted by octoberjazz

Nope. That is called "propaganda", not journalism.

Welcome to See BS Newz!

[derville-2009]

Dear Andrew,

I invite you to consider that public relations practitioners'' testaments to their veracity was one way that practitioners are attempting to improve the reputation of the public relations industry.

For a discussion among public relations experts about other ways we seek to improve the reputation of the industry, see Shel Holtz''s blog post titled "How to Shine a Light on the Real, Ethical Work of PR" and the comments area at blog.holtz.com.

[hubbs63]

No, Mr. Cohen, we''re not shocked. We know we need to work on telling the story of our own profession and why we''re proud to be in it.
We just sort of, somehow, mysteriously, expected a little more from someone who is supposedly a professional journalist in the national spotlight.
You must be spending too long in your office; might I suggest you get out into the rest of the country and meet those journalists and public relations professionals who are just that - true professionals? They are the majority.
Kathy Hubbell, APR, MS, Fellow PRSA
Missoula, MT

[alaskapr]

I sincerely doubt that your comments would be accepted as hyperbole in a court of law. You are, afterall, defending your comments as truth, not hyperbole. Try a different "spin."

[derville-2009]

Dear Andrew,

I invite you to consider that public relations practitioners'' testaments to their veracity was one way that practitioners are attempting to improve the reputation of the public relations industry.

For a discussion among public relations experts about other ways we seek to improve the reputation of the industry, see Shel Holtz''s blog post titled "How to Shine a Light on the Real, Ethical Work of PR" and the comments area at blog.holtz.com.

[feelfree4u]

I have learned several things from these articles.

Among them:

- PR folks seem to be far more absorbed with their own egos and selfishness, than they are about the heinous and countless crimes of the regime, and about our country''s steady creep, now approaching a gallop, towards fascism

- Many of them appear unable to comment on a news site without flooding the site with the same comment, over, and over, and over

- Collectively, they don''t seem to be able to debate their way out of a paper bag

- They seem to think that they can make sweeping, unfounded claims like, "...public relations professionals who are just that - true professionals? They are the majority", and expect that we will accept that claim without any supporting evidence. Or by "true professionals", were they referring to professional liars? That, I would accept without challenge.

[ioweign]

Collectively, they don''t seem to be able to debate their way out of a paper bag

- They seem to think that they can make sweeping, unfounded claims like, "...public relations professionals who are just that - true professionals? They are the majority", and expect that we will accept that claim without any supporting evidence. Or by "true professionals", were they referring to professional liars? That, I would accept without challenge.

Posted by FeelFree4U at 08:36 PM : Jun 02, 2008

They don''t need to think.

They are the Howdy Doody and someone else is Buffalo Bob...

[feelfree4u]

Re: "They are the Howdy Doody and someone else is Buffalo Bob..."

Nice one IOWEIGN!

I''ll bet Howdy never "lied".

[jschulerapr]

Like others, I was disgusted with Mr. Cohen''s stereotype of PR pros. And while his follow-up did little to apologize for the gross mass characterization of practitioners in an industry, I did detect a hint of backpedaling. I%u2019m afraid that may be as far as he will go in his remarks. Regarding two points he made: 1) "PR people are trained to be slickly untruthful or half-truthful.%u201D I%u2019m not certain if this was stated out of ignorance or malevolence, but I can tell you that I was never trained in this vein in my undergraduate studies, during my 10 years on the job or in my studies to become an accredited professional. And if I were ever asked to lie or tell the half-truth, I%u2019d walk. Whether Mr. Cohen would agree with me or not, I don%u2019t know, but my integrity is worth more to me than the next paycheck. 2) %u201CIt was hypocritical%u2026for those in the PR field to point a finger at Scott McClellan%u2026and declare that he had violated the ethics rules that %u201Cgovern%u201D the industry.%u201D And it was his friend who said, %u201CThe PR industry needs to take some responsibility for this state of affairs%u2026and work to restore the public%u2019s faith.%u201D I ask you this: by PR pros questioning Mr. McClellan%u2019s ethics, don%u2019t you think the intent was to do just that: to take some responsibility for the industry? To point out one of its own not adhering to the ethics is not hypocritical, it%u2019s responsible and forthcoming. Jamaison Schuler, APR

[feelfree4u]

Re: "PR people are trained to be slickly untruthful or half-truthful. I''m not certain if this was stated out of ignorance or malevolence,"

Posted by JSchulerAPR

Neither. It''s called "imperical evidence".

[annbarks]

Obviously, you''re much more interested in arguing than communicating. That must be the difference between whatever legal background you have and how you''d have approached this if you had any public relations training.

You compound your lack of integrity by now being gleeful at your lack of knowledge and defensive about how quickly we saw through your naive opinions.

[feelfree4u]

Attn- PR hacks:

If you are going to come to the CBS Newz site to argue your case, you had best bring your "A"-game, and pack a lunch.

[irliberal]

Hmmm that was the silliest non-apology I''ve ever seen. A follow up article that was contained six words: "I am sorry, I was wrong.", would have been faster and far more appropriate. No, no, no. Not Andrew. He can''t just say he screwed up and leave it at that. No. He has to justify where he got his talking point, and of course, blame his audience as well. Furthermore, this:

"Anyone out there on the vanguard of the concerted effort to discredit me and my essay want to take issue with his main point?"

...had me busting a gut. Andrew thinks he''s the victim of a vast conspiracy to... do... what? LOL Poor Andrew.

[lanasma]

As an employed PR professional, I take exception to Cohen''s sweeping, unapologetic statements. It''s like saying that all TV reporters spend more time worrying about how their hair looks than about understanding the issue on which they are reporting.

I would NEVER say that about Mr. Cohen.

[leahdog2150]

Let''s review the facts. The nation''s number three network needs some cheap filler for its Sunday Morning News program. Andrew fills the bill with a poorly written and poorly reasoned attack on the public relations profession. CBS has never launched a successful morning news program and has wasted $75 million dollars on an anchor who has actually taken the evening news to its lowest ratings in history. Bill Paley is spinning in his grave. Let''s ignore this jerk. He clearly doesn''t know what he is talking about, he can''t write and nobody is really listening to what he has to say.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "It''s like saying that all TV reporters spend more time worrying about how their hair looks than about understanding the issue on which they are reporting."

"I would NEVER say that about Mr. Cohen."

Posted by lanasma

Uhhhh....have you ever seen this man''s head?

That''s a PR hack/professional/pathological liar for you. Yapping about things of which they have no personal knowledge, as if they were experts, regardless of, and even in spite of, the facts.

[feelfree4u]

leahdog2150,

Re: "Andrew fills the bill with a poorly written and poorly reasoned attack on the public relations profession."

I thought that it was one of his better written/reasoned articles. It sure seems to have gotten the members of the Professional Liars of America''s panties in a bunch.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "You compound your lack of integrity by now being gleeful at your lack of knowledge and defensive about how quickly we saw through your naive opinions."

Posted by AnnBarks

AnnBarks, eh?

What an ideal name for a Corporate lapdog.

[eilenew]

Having devoted over 20 years of my life as a PR professional, I am justifiably offended by both the original statement and this non-apology.

Any blanket statement about a group of individuals is by nature stereotyping and an example of poor writing.

Have I ever been asked to write or say something that wasn''t true in my 20 years? Yes. And do you know what my response was? I said "NO."

Even though I''ve counseled management to do the right thing time and time again, there have been instances when my bosses still went against my ethical voice. It is not always the PR person''s fault for what is stated in press releases or in the media statements and interviews.

I had a PR position where management placed me in situations that I felt were less than truthful. In this instance, I left the company and found other work. Among the other professionals I know, this is normal, not exceptional behavior.

Instead of criticizing the profession, you should be thankful that there are PR professionals who are trying to counsel management to make the right choices, say the right things, and engage in socially responsible activities.

Eilene Wollslager, PhD(c), APR

[robinmayhall]

Mr. Cohen: Your original column and follow-up contained inaccuracies and generalizations that merit a response. To say that "PR people are trained to be slickly untruthful or half-truthful%u201D is simply ludicrous. Can you offer any evidence for this claim?

You slam a 20,000-member organization because of one person who may not even be a member. I don%u2019t know if Scott McClellan is a PRSA member, but I''ve been one for 17 years, and I do live by our written code of ethics. If McClellan is also a member, he should be punished for any violations of that code. If you find that amusing or hard to believe, well %u2026 that%u2019s a shame.

You quote a friend: "''The PR industry needs to take some responsibility for this state of affairs (as do lawyers and the media) and work to restore the public%u2019s faith.''%u201D

Just like responsible lawyers and media people, responsible PR folks do work to elevate our profession. In addition to our code of ethics, PRSA offers continuing education, supports communications research, promotes quality PR education and offers a demanding accreditation exam. PRSA also defends our profession against the ignorant who try to destroy the public%u2019s faith in it.

If McClellan is NOT a PRSA member, then he doesn%u2019t practice MY profession. My employers and colleagues know my character and expertise. I''m proud to be a PRSA member, and PRSA is proud to have people like me as members.

Mr. Cohen, I hope you''re as proud of yourself and your profession.

[feelfree4u]

eilenew,

Re: "Even though I''ve counseled management to do the right thing time and time again, there have been instances when my bosses still went against my ethical voice."

And did you resign, or did you keep on serving as a mouthpiece for these liars?

Care to give us some examples, or will you continue to cover for them?

[feelfree4u]

RobinMayhall,

Re: "You slam a 20,000-member organization because of one person who may not even be a member."

Whew! Talk about hyperbole!

Re: "Just like responsible lawyers and media people, responsible PR folks do work to elevate our profession."

HELLO!!! Have you seen the current state of our legal system and media lately?

Re: "PRSA also defends our profession against the ignorant who try to destroy the public''s faith in it."

Seems like you guys are doing a pretty thorough job of that on your own.

Re: "Mr. Cohen, I hope you''re as proud of yourself and your profession."

Sounds like he took a brief glimpse in the mirror here. Maybe you should try it.

[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...