Today, I had the privilege of listening to media relations vet Mike Cox speak on his experiences. I begrudgingly agree with his viewpoint of PR being a sales-oriented craft, while MR is the storytelling. However my agreement has no malice behind it. Rather, his viewpoint confirms my suspicions that PR needs to work on its authenticity. There is no reason why PR can’t share and advocate a story without the shadow of a hidden monetary motive.
I thought it interesting how government agencies are forbidden from using the term “PR”, choosing instead to skirt the issue and use “public information” instead. I can’t say I’m surprised. It seems like PR itself is getting a bad rap for being fixated on sensational news. I’m afraid that nowadays stories like Mike’s about the Bosses’ Day massacre and Republic of Texas soldiers, while certainly nothing to sneeze at, will be swept up and classified as sensationalist when really they’re nothing of the sort.
I think what really makes the difference are the tips he shared with us, such as thick skin, quick thinking and having a plan beforehand. These create an aura of composure that I believe would tell media at the scene that “yes, this is serious business.” On another note, I’m so glad he thought political correctness has gone too far! I think about that especially while watching/reading stories and campaigns about race (such as this one by Adweek) and sexual orientation, but that’s a whole other blog post!