The Good, The Bad, The Spin

If the average person knew how much of what they consume of daily news originates from or is influenced in some way by a public relations effort, it would likely blow minds. But such is the nature of the news (and PR) business. There’s an uncomfortable symbiosis between reporters and PR people that is both mutually beneficial and mutually unappreciated. And it is what is.

So it’s not without some sense of irony when much of the background work done by both reporters and PR people never sees the light of day. One noted occurrence from my past: A reporter, hounding our organization for months on end, was convinced of inappropriate hiring practices based on the allegations of one individual. The story had promised to be published at any day until, one day, a barrage of questions in one email was passed on to me.

Answering each one of the reporter’s questions would have certainly been an exercise in writing one’s own headline in the next day’s newspaper. Instead, the response was short, direct and truthful, something along the lines of: “The individual was hired by a committee of his peers. You will have to ask the committee members why they chose this candidate.” (more…)

I’ve never been a fan. People who are quick to thrust themselves into the limelight at moment’s notice tend to, after awhile, raise suspicion as to true motives. Like most who publicly introduce others’ faults to the world with a high-level of shame, Jesse Jackson’s legacy of moralistic preaching is coming back to slap him in the face.

My father introduced me to the term “professional agitator,” a term that has since been seared into my head to describe those quick to jump into the social justice fray while accepting a paycheck for doing so. Jackson exemplifies this description. I don’t doubt his sincerity—at the same time, I don’t think his publicly expressed passion tells the complete story.

There have been a number of stories portraying Jackson as a self-interested empire builder, which is probably true and which adds to Jackson’s more complete portrait. (more…)

Contrast how New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has handled his demise with Geraldine Ferraro, who also recently resigned from working on the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Ferraro recently said of Barack Obama: “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.”

Taking heat for this remark, she resigned from a fund-raising position on the Clinton campaign.

Her closing remarks:

“I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign.

“The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won’t let that happen.

“Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?”