How some PRs still don’t get it? Spin can easily destroy your reputation.

In my last posts I talked about the importance of trust in the PR industry and how companies can achieve it through engagement, transparency and shared value approaches. In this post, unlike the previous ones, I’ll discuss how some PR practitioners haven’t yet understood the importance of trust in our industry and unfortunately keep practicing and reinforcing unethical behavior.

Spin is a term used in the PR industry that describes communication’s strategies heavily used through actions or events in order to boost its clients’ public image. It means controlling the news agenda to suit client’s needs, even if it becomes necessary to distort the truth. “Spin doctors”, is the term used to describe PR professionals or specialists that spin situations. The practices have been used so widely that the PR industries credibility is now suffering as a result.

It is usually associated with politics and political issues and as examples I can cite among others professionals: Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson and Karl Rove. For instance Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s ex-spokesman who worked for the British Government during the Iraq war was responsible for distributing “fabricated documents” related to the invasion of Iraq in order to gain public support. Some practicioners justify these practices by stating that customer satisfaction is most important.

Unfortunately this practice isn’t exclusive in the political arena and has been rapidly spreading to other segments as well. Some organizations have been implementing actions to make their publics believe in their products & services or their context no matter what it takes. During crisis management we can see many examples of companies spinning stories to help them mislead the media and publics’ attention. However manipulating media and public opinion is a false notion of power. In the era of digital media PR professionals and agencies are taking big risks by taking these types of approaches. As Edelman said, “Thanks to robust mainstream and social media, there is immediate damage inflicted to the reputation and the license-to-operate of any company, brand or PR firm folly enough to distort the truth.”

Some PR practitioners state we are advocates of our clients, so it’s our job to defend their statements and actions no matter what. I agree! That’s why I believe that propagating and reinforcing the truth we aren’t exposing their reputation and credibility in the future. Good PR professionals are always thinking in a long term. Our main purposes are protecting and guarantee our client’s reputation and honesty is the best policy for it.

Let me know what you think, don’t be shy J

See you next time!