Still thinking about PR's reputation, and the two major factors impacting it

I woke up this morning thinking about this post, and contemplating PR's reputation. Why is our profession under attack? What's causing our credibility to nosedive?

My opinion may vary from more high-profile members of the PR community, but I think there are two main issues at play here. One is strategic, the other more tactical, but both shed a negative light on public relations.


Issue No. 1

In my travels around the blogosphere, no single issue brings out the hatred of public relations as much as the practice of astroturfing.

In a simpler day and time, shadow groups and think tanks could create and distribute communication with little scrutiny. That age has passed. Honest or not, astroturfing looks bad and reflects poorly on PR. The practice simply doesn't pass the public's smell test.

In my opinion, legitimate public relations firms should remove all ties with these types of organizations and they should publicly commit to clients and prospects that they will avoid future entanglements.

The argument that "the other side" uses these types of tactics in issues management -- and it's an argument you'll hear frequently even from respected communicators -- doesn't hold water. If it's wrong, it's wrong ... and I believe it's wrong.


Issue No. 2

The second issue relates to promises that PR firms make to clients about media coverage.

All too often clients approach an agency wanting publicity for a product and service when there is no story there. But of course, what agency will turn down business?

So promises are made, and efforts undertaken, to gain news coverage to justify a monthly fee. And that leads to the second major complaint about PR -- that we'll hype anything for a buck.

This is where area where I believe the advent of social media may help public relations.

Firms that are approached by prospects with little or no mainstream news value can now steer them to more direct forms of communication. We no longer have to promise the front page of the NY Times in order to be effective.


What are your thoughts?

Do you agree with my opinions here, or do you think I've missed the boat? Tell me ... let's get a dialog going in the comments section.