Greetings PR Methods Students:
I have a guilty pleasure that I don't get to indulge very often.
Every once in awhile I like to sleep in on Sunday mornings, get up when I wake up, throw something on over my PJs, run to the convenience store and pick up the NY Times, come back home, get back in the bed, and spend the morning leisurely reading the paper, working the crossword puzzles, sipping coffee or tea, and listening to CBS Sunday Morning on television.
Pure luxury!
Sunday, June 1st, I decided to welcome the new month by indulging my guilty pleasure. There I was, propped up on a bed filled with pillows, truly enjoying my Sunday morning, half-listening to the television and perusing the NY Times magazine section, wallowing in the peacefulness of it all.
All of the sudden, this commentator comes on the CBS Sunday Morning show and begins talking about Scott McClelland's new book and how ALL PR people are untruthful, slick, liars. He said that the American public should not criticize Scott McClelland because he was trained to do what all PR people are trained to do; lie. The commentator went on to say that the PRSA Code of Ethics was a sham and that PR professionals are hypocrites.
He said that we are trained to convince people to change their opinions about things and that we use unethical, deceitful methods to do so.
Needless to say, I immediately snapped out of my haze and began to think about what he was saying. After all, such national attention to my chosen profession could have negative repercussions on many fronts. PR is one of the hottest degree programs on college campuses all over this country right now. Negative opinions like the ones being espoused by the Sunday Morning commentator could potentially shut a program down!
I personally think the FAMU SJGC has one of the best PR degree programs going. We continue to get overwhelmingly positive feedback from the industry about how well our students are trained and how far ahead they are from their counterparts at other schools like FSU, UF, Howard, Hampton, and others. Our program gives students a nice balanced mix of journalism, PR, business, and design.
I also think that there is nothing unethical or immoral about persuading or influencing public opinion as long as you observe fairness, expertise, loyalty, etc., in doing so. We don't 'spin' situations to make them appear to be something that they are not. We give the company or client's 'side' of the story and are always open to hear what others think.
But that's MY opinion. What do you think?
1. Is Scott McClelland (one-time White House Press Secretary for President Bush) wrong for writing a book that details the deceit and corruption that went on in the White House? Should he have told the American public what was going on while he was employed as the press secretary instead of pretending like everything was okay?
2. Do you think the principals that we practice as PR people are inherently unethical at the core of what we do?
3. Based upon your personal experiences, do you think FAMU has a good PR degree program? If not, what could we do better?
Professor Kinchlow
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12 comments:
I don't think that the principles that are taught to individuals that choose publics relations as a profession are unethical. It is up to the student to make the right decisions when him/her venture out with the profession. I can only speak about my experiences at FAMU, but all my professors have dedicated many class sessions explaining the PRSA Code of Ethics, and the cardinal rule of public relations. One person's "betrayel" to the public should not dictate or question the ethics of all public relations professionals.
I believe that FAMU has a very strong public relations program. I have a basis for comparison. I use to be a student in the communications program at Bethune Cookman and the program didn't challenge me. I was on the dean's list every semester for using my "power of persuaion" to obtain good grades in my classes. When I transfered, I really had a bad year because my work ethic from Cookman transfered over with me. The program at FAMU really challenges students and helps develop higher thinking skills. The program really molds a professional within the students and I really appreciate that factor at FAMU.
I don't feel that Scott McClelland did a bad thing. I figure that he just wanted to keep his job. I think that McClelland came out with a book talking about the events going on in the white house to make money.
Scott McClelland sounds extremely bitter and jealous that others are okay with their profession. I can’t understand why he feels that it is necessary to bash others while trying to reveal himself but hey they say that misery loves company and he is definitely miserable! I feel like he should have expressed his feelings while still employed as press secretary or resigned from the position sooner. It’s unfair to others that he decides to tell all about the wrongdoings of the Whitehouse after he has left. What good is that doing in helping the situation? Nothing at all but creating bad press!
Nothing that we do as PR professionals is unethical. Our job is to inform people, show them our side of the situation and hope that they make a decision that favors our client. Isn't that what people in politics do all the time? They spend millions of dollars trying to convince people to see their side of an issue and make a decision that favors them gaining the position. Nothing is wrong with that at all. As long as lying is not involved and the difference between facts and opinions is distinguished I don’t see what the problem is.
I think that FAMU's PR program is great. I didn’t really realize how fortunate we are to have these resources until I spoke with possible employers and they were surprised and excited that we learned to create things (media kit) that directly related to the field.
I do not believe that Scott McClelland is wrong for writing a book that details the deceit and corruption that went on in the White House. I believe that it was better for him to reveal the information later than never. I understand that he had a commitment to perform his duties as press secretary. However, I believe he had a higher and deeper commitment to the general public. He did not behave ethically, he was not reporting accurately, and he was not accountable for his messages. He should have told the American public what was going on while he was employed as the press secretary instead of pretending like everything was okay. Although McClelland said he did not know all of the details involved with the deceit, I do not believe he is telling the truth. He has been holding back pertinent information for a long time so it is difficult to believe everything he says.
I do not think that the principals we practice as PR people are inherently unethical at the core of what we do. Our job is not to deceive people. Our job is to build mutual understanding between our organization and the publics that we serve to benefit our organization and the publics. If we cannot go to bed at night with a clean conscious, then we should not take the task. There will be some things that we are asked to do that go against our morals. In those specific situations, we should take a stance for what we believe in. At the end of the day, we have to live with our decisions.
As we have discussed in class, there are several ways we can respond to a situation that goes against our values. I am glad that we have learned those methods of dealing with ethical situations and much more. I have learned a lot at FAMU about public relations. I think FAMU has a great PR degree program. Although the work is strenuous and sometimes tedious, I learn a lot. I have learned a plethora of skills, such as how to create a media kit, in just three weeks of this class that I am able to apply to my current internship. I think that FAMU has strived to make each student in the PR degree program a cut above the rest. Personally speaking, I think there should be more emphasis on the artistic side of public relations. I am not very artistic and I think it would be advantageous to have more required classes that help students to develop their artistic skills. I know I will never be a Picasso but I think it would help if I got more time to develop basic artistic skills.
I think that Scott McClelland is absolutely wrong there is nothing unethical or immoral about the principles that we practice as public relations people. Maybe in his line of work as the press secretary for President Bush, he was deceitfull and untruthful, but I in no whay believe that PR people are trained to lie or that we are untruthful, slick, liars.
I do believe that McClelland wrote his book to clear his conscience about the lies he told while he was the press secretary to make the public believe that everything was ok in the White House. Many Americans are yearning to know what has gone on in the White House while Bush is in office.
I Love FAMU because I know that I receving a quality education. FAMU has without a doubt the best public relation program. Students here are given the direct professor to student attention that we need inorder to succeed. The public relations program here at FAMU affords students with hands-on experience that students need when thye matriculate into the workforce.
I do not think Scott McClelland was necessarily wrong for writing a book disclosing the deceit in the White House. He is just trying to make a quick buck any way he can like many other people in this society. Yet, I do think its wrong for him to put down the field of public relations because of his wrongdoing. Yes, in class, the PRSA code of ethics and being truthful is always hammered into our heads but not every school is like FAMU. Although in our profession, we are taught to be truthful but with one bad decision, it is very easy to spin something or hide the truth, which is just as much a lie. As a good PR person McClelland should have told the American public what was going on while in the White House.
The principles that I have been taught about PR are not inherently unethical. We always talk about fairness and honesty. Yet I think as we are presenting our clients “side” of the story to the media it is very easy to hide things or lie and spin the lie in our minds without thinking we are lying. I do not think that McClelland or the commentator are going so far as to bring down the PR major because society already thinks that all we are all liars. For example, I am currently working at a PR firm right now. I was listening in on a conference call with the employees of this office, Washington D.C. office, and some lawyers last week. One of the lawyers said, “Well all you have to do is lie that what you spinsters do anyway.” I was shocked that he even had the audacity to say that. But it made me really believe that that is what people think of when they think PR.
Based on my experience I believe FAMU has a great PR degree. I think we are taught how to critically think and I believe this program has given me the tools to go out into the real world and get any PR job I want. Students have a preconceived notion as to what PR is all about and they are typically wrong. I think that the school should make it so you have to take PR classes earlier in the degree program so you know if that is exactly what you want to do and not waiting until late your junior or senior year to take it and people just stick it out because graduation is right around the corner. Also, I think they should not offer classes like this one in the summer or at least not in A session. Students don’t have the time to maximize on their full potential because its so much that has to be turned around so quickly you barely have time to catch and learn from errors that you made. I know in the real world things are going to go just as fast if not faster but I think if at any time the learning process is the time to take it slow and nurture your talents and skills.
The practice of any subject has always come down to what you were taught, what you learned and what you decided to do. There are many programs at other institutions that might teach their students about spinning and lying while others like FAMU SJGC doesn’t encourage such behavior. FAMU SJGC teaches us that as PR professionals we must only persuade public opinion through honesty, independence, loyalty, expertise, advocacy and fairness. I think FAMU SJGC does an excellent job in teaching students to be critical thinkers and to be thoughtful of others feelings. I do not believe that the public relations profession is unethical if you are following PRSA Code of Ethics.
Every profession or company has done something unethical because we live in a capitalist society. What about when Enron’s top executives concealed their debt to the public and even their own employees causing the lost of billions of dollars and jobs? What about our own President lying to us about weapons of mass destruction causing a war that has accounted for over 655,000 deaths? At the end of the day, it is up to that individual to be honest.
If Scott McClelland was about telling the public the truth then he wouldn’t have decided to come out with a book (that you have to buy) to tell the details of the deceit and corruption that went on in the White House. He would have quit his job and went to the nearest media outlet to tell the world the truth, but he didn’t. What he really is trying to say is that I chose to lie to the American people and since I feel bad now, let me blame it on my profession. I’m glad that he came out with the information because it is better to have heard it than not at all, but who’s to say that this isn’t all in context of trying to sell a book.
I think it is truly unfair to upcoming PR professionals that he would say things like that damaging the perceptions of those who are truly trying to follow the PRSA Code of Ethics.
I don't think that the profession of public relations is inherently deceitful, I do however think that many deceitful individuals have harmed the reputation of public relations. Take the Sunday morning news show incident for example. The panel seems to have concluded that it is the role of the PR professional to deceive the public and to cover up the truth with the use of deceitful practices. The question I immediately ask myself is what happened? What has occurred in the past to make so many people think that dishonesty is the standard method of operations in the field of PR? I think that so many individuals have misused our practice that it now has become synonymous with deceit in the eyes of many. With that in mind, I think it is essential that public relations professionals strive to educate the public about the true nature of our profession. Hopefully this will build a mutual understanding and help repair the damage of past deeds.
I believe FAMU has a very good public relations program. I constantly find myself challenged and interested in my work. The program has pushed me to work harder and to use my time wisely. I hope that the things I have learned in our program will follow me into the profession world.
I feel the CBS commentator was wrong for criticizing all PR professionals based on the actions of Scott McClelland. Scott McClelland is not wrong for exposing the details of deceit and corruption that went on in the White House by writing a book.
Personally, I feel McClelland should not have let this situation go unnoticed and escalade to this point. However, in many cases PR professionals don’t see the extent of the damage right away, many simple see it as “one lie won’t hurt anyone.” Then the situation begins to get out of control and they feel the public now has the right to know. At this point, it is “better late than never.”
I don’t agree with McClelland’s past decisions to keep quiet; however, I do give him credit for taking a stand now and informing the public of the issues taking place in the White House. Maybe a book wasn’t the best way to present the issue; in fact, it was most like a publicity stunt and a way to make money. But at the end of the day, the public now knows the truth.
I don’t feel that the morals of all PR professionals can be placed in one basket. Every profession has professionals that are going to be ethical and some that will get involved in unethical situations. That is not just a public relations issue and honestly has little to do with the values taught in courses. At the end of the day, everyone has a choice and it just turns out that some people make bad choices.
Based on personal experiences at FAMU, I feel this is an excellent program. All of the professors really care about their students and will do anything to ensure they have future success, even if that means failing them. We are taught a wide variety of things that will make us versatile and prepared when entering the competitive world of Public Relations. I have observed the students in many of my classes and several FSU students are getting minors in Journalism from FAMU, which means the program must be doing something right.
It really disturbs me that people fail to relize the importance of public relations in the world. We shape opinions, not 'spin' the facts. We frame the story, not discard the picture. Public relations is truly about informing the publics. This is why I don't agree that Scott McClelland is wrong for writing a book that details the deceit and corruption that went on in the white house. When you are a PR practisioner you serve multiple roles. As a PR professional McClelland had an obligation not just to the white house but to the public as well. Therefore he had every right to tell the truth of what was going on in his book. However, releasing what was going on while he was employed as the press secretary would have been more effective.
McClelland really puts into perfective what we recently discussed in chapter two. That is, when we are asked to do something that goes against our personal ethics, we can respond in four ways. We can either try to educate those in your organization to your standards. Refuse the task. Ask that you be given another task. Or take the assignment. Clearly at the time, McClelland took the assignment and kept his mouth shut, up until now that this. The point is, he eventually did what was right and brought the corruption in the white house to light.
However, I don't see why he would blame the deceit on public relations. The principles that we practice as PR professionals are not inherently unethical at the core of what we do. It's simply unethical people who practice public relations that make the profession seem unethical. Just because a person is corrupt does not make the occupation corrupt. I'm surprised that a smart man like McClelland would generalize the PR profession as a whole in stead of blaming the unethical PR people working within the white house as being unethical.
Thank goodness for the wonderful PR program at FAMU! Based upon my personal experiences taking PR classes, I honestly see how much FAMU SJGC has truly prepared me for the industry. Not many students can say that about their program because many programs graduate students but fail to produce employees. Through the intensity of my journalism professors like; Dr. D, Professor Gordon and especially you Professor Kinchlow, I've even become a better, more serious employee at even my rinky-dink part time jobs. The hard work and high expectations are truly a blessing in disguise that are sure to create ethical, experienced PR PROFESSIONALS. It's true, what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger!
On another note, reading the newspaper is not considered a guilty pleasure Professor Kinchlow.
It's a wonderful past time and I hope you have more interesting guilty habits. LOL!
I don’t think he was wrong in publishing anything that exposed the deceit and corruption that has taken place in the White House over the past eight years. My issue arises from the fact that he bashes public relations practitioners, claiming that we have do not utilize our ethics in our conduct, when he behaved unethically by keeping his knowledge of wrong doings to himself while employed by the White House. But once he was no longer an employee, he felt free to discuss whatever he wished. That is unethical. If it is such an important cause, one should be mindful of the fact that they may lose their job, but do what is right according to their moral guidelines. Obviously, he doesn't practice what he preaches.
I believe that the principals that we're taught are not inherently unethical. Public Relations is a business like any other and it just so happens that we're in the business of influencing public opinion. But people are given free will and as a public relations professional, we must make choices that we believe are ethical in the practice of our craft. The number one rule in public relations is to "never lie" and if that is the main rule you base all others upon, how unethical can your principals be? FAMU has a very strong public relations program, the only thing that I would advise would be better organization and I think that some of the classes need to be sat in on to make sure that we're being taught what we're supposed to be taught in a fair manner.
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