In PR there are basic (although indispensable!) practices that we must ensure we apply in order to have an ideal communication environment. Transparency is one of them. There is no reputation that will survive in an environment where words don’t match actions, credibility is essential. We see organizations trying to maintain a communication excellence with its publics primarily based on truth. That way companies’ reputation is being build and relationships strengthened.
We all know it very well; it’s part of our main goals as public relations: build strong and long-term relationships. Transparency is one of the indispensable tools to achieve it. Surprisingly though when we think about PR and war we face many contradictions and innumerable mistakes that make us think – how PR professionals could make so many heinous and basic mistakes?
Please don’t get me wrong, I’ve no doubts of the capabilities and dignity of our professionals. We are used to face crisis and challenges in our environment (and we kind of like it!). It makes us stronger and able to show our diversity and flexibility to solve problems. Public Relations means constantly moving and innovating and we are so prepared for that.
I believe that the problem is at the context that war has been inserted. Lately in the events surrounding war we could see actions towards the audience that cannot be described as public relations. Instead of information we saw persuasion. The war was seen as a product and the propaganda was used to sell and promote it. For instance, the Iraq war in 2003, where the emotional took place of the rational and every sentimental appeal was used to achieve the goal: sell the idea trough propaganda tactics no matter what.
One perfect example of this is the American soldier Jessica Lynch. She was captured by Iraqi forces and recovered by U.S. forces a few days later. The U.S. government is accused of creating a story as part of its propaganda effort. Despite the fact that she had been at the Iraqi hospital free to leave as soon as she recovered from her injuries, the American government said that she was taken hostage by Iraqi forces. Her rescue was massively publicized in the media. Demonizing the “enemy” is definitely a propaganda tactic in an attempt to gain popular mobilization and media support that the war is for the benefit of everyone.
This is a fragile and dangerous way to communicate with publics – the foundation can break anytime. Relationships can be extremely damaged requiring a long period of time to be rebuilt again. Sometimes they can’t be recovered anymore. Our goal as PR professionals is to build and maintain long-term relationships, and not putting them at risk. As I said before, transparency should be our main principle, and we should fight for it in on a daily basis.
"In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." — Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister during World War II
