publicity is good publicity… for the client.
Makes you the press writer look like a dud.
As a public relations agent, you have a
responsibility to the public to tell the truth.
Lies only come back to haunt you. They’re also
exhausting to keep up with. It’s equivalent to
placing a shingle outside your door that reads
‘
Fibber for Hire’.
PR agents also have a responsibility to
themselves. You may be a press writer, of-
ficer, agent but you are also a business. What
are you saying about your organization, about
your skills, when you lie in your writing? What
you are saying is that you are not very good
at your job. The idea of a PR agent is to re-
lease information about a particular subject
like a business, CEO accolades, or news. Not
putting a ‘spin’ in order to get interviews and
make sales.
Whatever is dark will come to light.
That means that what you may think you are
hiding now will only come out sooner or later.
Public Relations firms pride themselves on be-
ing able to turn a pumpkin into a coach. Turn-
ing the help into prince’s and princesses.
That’s what writers ultimately do.
Before considering fabricating a story
honestly ask yourself:
Am I ready for what
comes next?
If there is public backlash can I
get myself out of it? My client may look good
or bad. Who’s to say that my reputation won’t
be tarnished and I’m done before I start? How
do I want to be perceived to the public? Cli-
ents? Consumers?
From the press agent to the subject
matter which can be a music artist, filmmaker,
CEO, and the like, both have to be on the
same page. Use your talents and abilities to
make positive things happen in your life. If
you work hard, the opportunities are endless.
But if you build soft foundations, plagued with
tall tales and untruths? You’re asking for trou-
ble. –
Tonisha L. Johnson
NOVEMBER 2012
WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM
44
PUBLIC RELATIONS
FABRICATED
STORY
I
RISHACADEMY
.
COM
P
UBLIC
RELATIONS COURSE
1
Public Relations involves telling the truth. A
fabricated story just won’t do. It’s like telling a
tale that you just have to keep up with. You
have to remember all the ‘stories’ you told to
everybody, in every way, each time. Tracking
a lie is a job within itself.
An entertainment press release is
bound to be fabricated. Or let’s just say
‘
puffed up’ a bit. ‘Padded’ if you will. You may
also find that your PR agent is as much a liar
as their client. How so? Well, who’s writing the
release? Who’s putting it out their for you to
believe? And even if you do research and dis-
cover you’ve been deceived, 9 times out of 10,
you won’t call them on it. You’ll just walk away
from the story.
You have to put both the PR agent and
the subject on blast. It’s kind of like a public
spanking. How can you, the audience, the
public, tolerate being lied to just to garner
fame, notoriety or acceptance? Shame on you
for not standing up when being told something
that positively isn’t true. This is one of those
times when doing nothing actually means do-
ing nothing.
It all starts with the content placed into
the release: the facts. A fact is defined as true
statements. Not only do you have to sit down
with your client and interview them. You, the
press writer, have to do the research. Delve
into the subject and ask yourself:
do I trust
my client’s information? Or do I just ‘run with
it’ and hope and pray I don’t get caught in a
windfall of bad publicity?
Funny thing is, bad
link