Online Public Relations Thoughts

This newspaper has decided to drop the column of a conservative shrew because of "stridency." It's about time. There are a few liberal commentators who should go as well for the same reason.
Don't get me wrong. Anne Coulter has a right to complain as she does. A newspaper also has a right not to devote its columns to her complaints. She can go to any street corner and spout if she wishes.

Coulter belongs to the class of persuaders who believe the best defense is a good offense and the more offensive the better. There are plenty in PR who think that way too. It works for a time, and then, it gets tiresome. One wants to turn the volume knob down or off.

There is no attempt to persuade the opposition with the merit of one's argument. Rather, the effort is to please the faithful by calling the opposition names. It's a narrow version of relationship building.

There is far too much preaching to the faithful on both sides of the aisle in the US today. What is needed is reasoning across the aisle. In other words, more of what public relations is supposed to be, but too often, isn't.