As an accredited PR professional, I take my job very seriously.

My clients know that when they speak to the media or in a public forum, that honesty is a must. I recall an incident where a client was being interviewed by a local business reporter. Unfortunately, the client got a bit carried away and started touting the capabilities of a product that was not yet finished (nor was the capability yet proven possible). After much consideration and discussion among my staff, we determined that for the credibility of the reporter and the client that the story needed to be killed.

I fell on the sword that day and took my verbal beating from the reporter. He even went so far as to publish an unflattering editorial about me (name withheld) in that next issue.

I still agree with my decision, because, I am a PR professional. According to the Public Relations Society of America’s Code of Ethics we shall:

• Be honest and accurate in all communications.
• Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the member is responsible.
• Investigate the truthfulness and accuracy of information released on behalf of those represented.
• Reveal the sponsors for causes and interests represented.
• Disclose financial interest (such as stock ownership) in a client’s organization.
• Avoid deceptive practices.

Dana Perino, former Bush White House Press Secretary, was a keynote speaker at Denver’s annual PRSA conference in Denver last year. Her speech, (obviously written to benefit an unrevealed client), took place during the brutal health care fight in congress. When the opportunity came, I asked her to speak about how she, as a practioner and employee of one for the largest PR firms in the country, upholds our Code. Her response? A pathetic mumble of clients’ right to discuss their issues. I further asked her the important of truthfulness and accuracy. She again mumbled some answer about “what is the truth”. Really? Are we having a discussion about truthiness?

More recently, we had an incident of malfeasance when Fox News broke an erroneous story on USDA official Shirley Sherrod. Their misreporting of comments she made about a white farmer during a speech led to Sherrod’s hasty firing. Keith Olbermann’s news-making commentary on the Sherrod incident stated that “Fox News’s manipulation, is not just a story, not just on behalf of a political philosophy, [but] of a society”

After that, I just blew.

Fox News’ number #2 man is Roger Ailes, a Republican PR strategist. He, like Karl Rove, is a master at manipulating the media (note that I did not use the word “journalist”) Ailes’ constant rewriting of facts, not just for Fox viewers, but in an attempt to overcome public policy has become intolerable. I don’t want my profession to be looked upon as “designers of lies”.

It’s time for my profession to get fired up!

To read more on Keith Olbermann’s commentary visit: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/07/22/olbermann-sherrod-was-assassinated-fox-news-and-scum-breitbart#ixzz0y6SpMx8G

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