This Week in PR News: “It’s Called Public Relations for a Reason”

PR Industry News & Other related stories

• It’s Called Public Relations for a Reason (Huffington Post):  This article makes a very important point about the evolving role of public relations.  PR is not longer about image management  says Michael Ramah, acting CEO, Porter Novelli. This is coming from a CEO!  Anyone who is familiar with the Author Page Society may have read a recent report about the future need for public relations at a C-Suite level.  Executives are relying more and more on public relations professionals as the digital age has greatly complicated traditional communications between companies and their customers. Today, there is a much great demand for transparency. Information spreads so quickly online that companies and organizations must develop ways to monitor and respond to public opinion and crisis.

Every time I read a blog or op-ed proclaiming the impending meltdown of the public relations industry, I think of that great Mark Twain quote: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

• Cut city PR staff, save $920,000, watchdog says (Chicago Tribune):   So let me get this right, of all the areas where spending can be cut… you want the mayor to remove communications professionals who respond to reporter inquiries? This is just one of 31 ideas.

The city could save more than $900,000 if Mayor Rahm Emanuel reduces the size of his public relations staff by 25 percent, according to a report released Thursday by Inspector General Joseph Ferguson.

•  Yanukovych: PR firms and nice suits hide authoritarian intentions (LA Times): Yanukovych is dressing for “business” with the help of PR staff. Hmm… Yet another article target PR professionals as spin doctors (though to be fair that’s not the point of the article). What do you think?

The pogrom and the putsch have given way to PR. Yanukovych has hired lobbyists and public relations teams to help him project a progressive image while he quietly squeezes the press and rejiggers election laws to guarantee his party permanent rule.

More News:

Why the US Needs a PR Campaign

Ogilvy PR West Adds Four New Clients

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