Public Relations and Honesty (and Other PR Blog Jots)
Neville Hobson
Several PR bloggers are discussing the recent debate at the UK’s University of Westminster regarding public relations and truthfulness. As in, does the practice of PR require practitioners to be truthful at all times? Neville Hobson thinks so, citing Britain’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) code of conduct and noting that while honesty isn’t a “rule,” the purpose of PR is to serve the client’s needs, something that wouldn’t be achieved with dishonest tactics. Others, such as Martin Moore, who covered the event, disagree, arguing that the PR exec’s main responsibility is to their client. “Here’s the thing - while the ‘duty’ of PR might not be to tell the truth, the duty for you as a communicator is. Telling the truth and serving your employer’s/client’s interests are not mutually exclusive.”
Free PR For a Post Crisis JetBlue?
PR Communications
In a quick but interesting post, John Cass wonders if JetBlue’s recent handling of a PR crisis may end up working for them. Noting a local news anchor reporting cancelled flights due to snowy weather, the anchor specifically mentioned JetBlue without mentioning the crisis, indicating that their name recognition has risen in the aftermath. “I was thinking that the news anchor did not mention the earlier problem but did single out JetBlue, whether you know about their earlier problems or not, as long as the company does not mess up in the long term the incident could be a boost for the brand.”
TJ Maxx Should Take a Cue from JetBlue
CanuckFlack
Colin McKay criticizes the online response from TJ Maxx and its subsidiaries following its announcement of a massive security breach that may have caused thousands of customers’ personal data to be compromised. McKay compares their efforts to JetBlue’s noting the latter was far more effective in terms of reputation management. TJ Maxx’s online resources, according to McKay, aren’t going far enough to quell customer fears and provide the needed information. “Now, TJ Maxx has been extremely detailed and open about how they are reacting to the breach and have called in some powerful consultancies to drill down into how the company handles personal data. Still, their online presence doesn’t reflect a corporate spirit to make information about the breach front and centre.”
Blogosphere Peaking--In English, at least
901am
Basing his arguments on population and the potential for growth and linking to recent study on the subject, Duncan Riley believes that blogging growth in the English-speaking world has reached its peak. He notes the statistics on Internet usage in countries with huge populations but less access to technology, such as China, making the interesting argument that the Asian blogosphere may be on the verge of an explosion. “Expect to see more research this year showing the English speaking blogosphere has passed its peak, and more evidence that in the same way China is set to have more internet users that the United States this year, that Asia, with China at the top will be the powerhouse of international blog growth.”
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