Saturday, February 17, 2007

The Scary Side of PR?

Although this is my second blog post, I can't help but delving into this. One of my professors sent me a link to a video clip that portrays public relations in a way that I feel would frighten anyone before bedtime. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rPQCPwdwHQ. I don't know how many people have seen this clip, but being a public relations major, it made me feel like I'm being associated with the mafia.

I think everyone in the field is aware of the bad reputation public relations has been given for quite a while now. Many of my professors feel we're slowly coming out of this, but this video is yet another constant reminder of how "dirty" the business is portrayed.

One of the most memorable images for me was a small girl in a field of flowers, definitely reminiscent of a cold war ad that many remember. I think the main message here is, public relations is corrupting the children. I know that I heard the word manipulative used at least three times, and the term propaganda would not go away.

Another note I'd like to make is the strong correlation the clip made with advertising and public relations. The video basically used these terms as if they were the same thing, and this bothered me.

Why is it that the "public relations people" are the ones seen as sending out ads anyway? I know that the two fields are obviously related, but clips like this make us out to be silent killers.

I recommend that everyone view this, especially if you're familiar with public relations, and tell me what you think about it. I know that I'm an amateur with this stuff, but am I blowing this out of proportion, or is it what it is? An ironic, anti-advertising\public relations "stunt."

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