Yesterday, I saw the first clear sign that President Obama is winning the race for re-election. The gun nuts are seldom wrong about such things.
According to CNN, gun sales are “hotter than a pistol,” driven mostly by fears that a Democratic administration will make guns less accessible — despite evidence to the contrary. Continue reading
There’s an adage in the PR biz that says you may win your case in the court of law and still lose it in the court of public opinion. This post is about such a case — though it’s unlikely to end up in litigation.
Bill Koch, APR, Fellow PRSA
The story is about Bill Koch, APR, Fellow PRSA, one of the most talented, strategic and ethical practitioners I’ve ever met. And you might say I owe him. He was among the first guest speakers to address my classes at Kent State back in the early 90s and has hired 3 PRKent grads over the years. More importantly, he was one of two national PRSA leaders who wrote a letter supporting my own election to the College of Fellows in 1996.
Bill has held several senior-level PR posts in the corporate world, along with leadership positions in PRSA ranging from local chapter president up to national chair of the Government Affairs Section. He’s a model professional and outspoken defender of PRSA and its accreditation program — until last week. Continue reading
I met legendary PR professor Ray Simon in 1987. He came to Buffalo, at my invitation, to address the PRSA chapter there, and he discussed the questions you see in today’s headline.
Ray began teaching PR at Utica College in 1949. I used his book, “PR Concepts and Practices,” when I taught my first PR class at the University of Buffalo in 1985, and have always held Ray in the highest regard.
Ray’s key messages about “PR as profession” became part of my own lessons for the next 23 years. But since I can’t locate the script he gave me that day, you’ll have to trust my notes and my memory.
Ray outlined 5 attributes of a “profession,” and he addressed how public relations measures up in each category. Continue reading
A group of influential PR practitioners today launched a petition drive asking the Public Relations Society of America to become more democratic.
Add me to their list of supporters.
The petition asks PRSA’s National Assembly to remove a longstanding obstacle that blocks 80% of the society’s membership from holding national office: a requirement that officeholders first earn the “APR” designation. The restriction was put in place in middle 1970s. Continue reading