Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Mirrors
I found this commentary interesting . It reflects on an internet that is blurring truth with fiction so often one can no longer know what is real and what isn't. The commentary is an unintentional paean to transparency, something PR knows about, or should know about.
The way to triumph over lies is with truth each and every time. One's credibility rises whether or not the other party agrees with a position. Too many PR practitioners and agencies have skirted the edges of transparency or driven right over without the least thought for its value. They get lost in a hall of mirrors and never know it. This is why many Washington DC practitioners scare me. They score points but ignore underlying facts. Winning is everything, even if eventual success leaves one so mired in conflict that the possibility of progress is elusive. In their defense, they have a history of presidents who have done the same thing, most notably Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a man who rarely told the truth to anyone. Their excuse is that keeping truth wrapped in riddles allows one room to maneuver. Well, yes, but it also compromises the individual in the public's eyes over time. Roosevelt was an exception.
On the web, transparency should be fundamental for the PR practitioner. You are who you say you are. You represent a client or a position. You make no effort to masquerade as someone else. Your credibility is a straightforward presentation of your position. Imagine how refreshing that is.
The way to triumph over lies is with truth each and every time. One's credibility rises whether or not the other party agrees with a position. Too many PR practitioners and agencies have skirted the edges of transparency or driven right over without the least thought for its value. They get lost in a hall of mirrors and never know it. This is why many Washington DC practitioners scare me. They score points but ignore underlying facts. Winning is everything, even if eventual success leaves one so mired in conflict that the possibility of progress is elusive. In their defense, they have a history of presidents who have done the same thing, most notably Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a man who rarely told the truth to anyone. Their excuse is that keeping truth wrapped in riddles allows one room to maneuver. Well, yes, but it also compromises the individual in the public's eyes over time. Roosevelt was an exception.
On the web, transparency should be fundamental for the PR practitioner. You are who you say you are. You represent a client or a position. You make no effort to masquerade as someone else. Your credibility is a straightforward presentation of your position. Imagine how refreshing that is.
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