PR Squared: Honor Among Publicists: Resolutions for 2007

Before we are all too far along into the New Year to consider New Year Resolutions, I wanted to point to an article in the October 2006 edition of the NY TIMES, in which renowned columnist Thomas Friedman pointed out (subscription required) that:

"The jihadists follow [American] politics much more closely than people realize...[A recent post on a jihadist website said,] 'The people of jihad need to carry out a media war that is parallel to the military war' ... [F]or jihadist videos of attacks on Americans to have the biggest impact, 'Some persons will be needed who are proficient in the use of computer graphics including Photoshop, 3D Studio Max ... to design ... video clips about the operations.'

[T]he website suggests that jihadists flood e-mail and video of their operations to 'chat rooms,' television channels,' and to 'famous U.S. authors.'"

Friedman went on to suggest that this PR campaign --- combined with the ever-fragmenting situation in Iraq --- is working. The PR work of the jihadists rouses their supporters to continue the fight, while sapping the will of the U.S.

It's amazing how any interest group can use basic PR tactics to sway public opinion --- and thus affect the fate of the world, for good or ill. We like to think we're cleverer-by-half but it just ain't so. The jihadists know about YouTube, too.

Articles like Friedman's (which was subtitled, "The Jihadist P.R. War") and the exposure that our industry received in 2006 from astroturfing campaigns, etc., point clearly to the need for Public Relations professionals to rise to unparalleled levels of honor and authenticity. We must become, each of us, as Untouchable as Elliot Ness.

Maybe we can't do much about Iraq. Maybe we can't deny evildoers the techniques of our craft. Maybe we don't have Richard Edelman's ear. Maybe we can't get WOMMA or the PRSA to so much as wrist-slap ethical offenders. But if you read this blog --- and others like it --- chances are that you're a PR pro or marketer of some sort.

If so, I exhort you to make every day one in which you are unabashedly proud of your strategies, tactics, and accomplishments... Social Media has given all of PR an opportunity to re-think our role. Let's not look this gift horse in the mouth.

Tags: thomas+friedman, public+relations, proud+of+pr, astroturfing, flog