Stop Whining PR People + Hikvison
Let me tell you something: as a person whose company is involved weekly in reporting that impacts large companies, industries, and even government regulation, if you are a professional in doing so, you thrive under the pressure of saying the right things and not saying the wrong things. You sweat each word and debate at great length the accuracy, fairness, and risk of what you say. And you do it proudly and unquestionably.
So when PR people whine about this, I have zero sympathy for them. Here's the "Editor in Chief at PR Daily" opining :
I don't follow PR publications, but I do follow Michael Gutierrez, the guy Hikvision hired after his stint at defending multi-level marketing company Herbalife .
Gutierrez has spent the last few years (I would suspect making hundreds of thousands of dollars annually) trying to defend Hikvision, which continues to be caught with ethnic oppression technology, even this week: Hikvision Violates Pledge, Ethnic Minority Analytics In Latest Platform plus more below:
And Gutierrez says essentially nothing publicly, but he works with Hikvision lobbyists in DC (whom Hikvision pays tens of millions ) trying to defend the PRC government-owned and controlled company, sanctioned for human rights abuses.
So when you complain that it's "hard" and that people be "kind" to you, sorry, not sorry.
You're paid to defend bad actors. You know or are willfully ignorant about these things, and you should be held accountable. Take the racks of hundred-dollar bills these organizations pay you and dry your tears.
Author and award-winning strategic communicator
1 年There are bad actors in every profession; I think we can likely all agree on that. However, a blanket statement of kindness makes a hell of a lot more sense to me than a blanket statement of "quit whining".? Although not entirely comparable, let's consider the roles of a public defender and a PR practitioner. Both professionals strive to do their jobs to the best of their abilities, providing their clients with the best advice, guidance, and tactics. Ultimately, the outcome may not always be in their hands, but they fulfill the requests of those they represent.? I won't purport it was implied but rather inferred on my part, but the idea that you're only a professional if you thrive under the pressure of saying the right things is a bar many will not clear. Everyone who uses words for a living sweat over each one, making meticulous edits and rewrites. We don't always get it. right. What's unprofessional about that? The post referenced emphasizes the importance of kindness. I'm unsure how it transformed into an assault on the PR profession. However, it may be this kind of thinking that necessitates the use of PR firms in the first place. Kudos, Allison Carter, for choosing to promote kindness above all.
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1 年Amen! And great post!
Editor in Chief at PR Daily, experienced editor, writer, content strategist
1 年I’m not familiar with the situation you’re referencing but I absolutely stand by my call for kindness. Hope you have a restful weekend.