‘Spin Cycles’ Avoids Blanket Condemnation of the PR Industry
CBC’s Ira Basen delivered an excellent peek at the PR industry and its best known tactic spin, in the first episode of Spin Cycles Sunday morning on CBC Radio. The opening episode focuses on the history of public relations and spin, attempting to arrive at both a definition of spin, and an understanding of how different groups view the practice.
And for those of us who can’t read enough about the subject, Basen provides transcripts of some of his interviews, including with PR veteran Fraser Seitel and author Stewart Ewen, who both provide some insight into one of the most influential early public relations practitioners, Ivy Lee (photo from Radford University).
Basen’s opinion on spin is as close to my views as any I’ve come across. He doesn’t buy into the journalists’ creed that all journalism is truthful and all PR is damn lies.
Presenting a balanced look at the public relations field may not be earth-shattering news, but it’s unusual from the world of journalism. Almost every journalist I’ve heard discussing public relations does so with contempt or suspicion. And almost in the same breath, the journalists recite the mantra that they, in contrast, pursue the truth in an objective manner.
Some highlights from the show:
Talk show host Jack Webster: The only ethics PR people have is to not steal each others’ clients.
Edward Bernays: The PR pioneer tricked New York debutantes into protesting their right to smoke in public, thanks to telegrams sent to them by Bernays, using his secretary’s name to disguise his tobacco company ties.
Jim Lukazewski: “Truth is more about the person who receives it more than the person who sends it…. Truth is 15% facts and 85% perception.” “For every person in the world, there is a different perspective of what’s going on.”
Richard Edelman: I’m against front organizations and astroturfing because they don’t work.
You can download an audio file listen to streaming audio of the show in Real Audio format, from the episode’s archive. (Won’t work without RealPlayer from Real.com.)
Also see Bob LeDrew.
Previous posts:
- CBC Radio Looks at Spin January and February
- CBC Radio Show Spin Cycles Looks at Politics, PR and Media
Tags: spin cycles, ira basen, cbc radio, public relations, politics, bernays, ivy lee, media
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POSTED IN: Media Relations, Spin
4 opinions for ‘Spin Cycles’ Avoids Blanket Condemnation of the PR Industry
Bob LeDrew
Jan 21, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Hi Eric:
If you read my “Spin Cycles” post you’ll see that we’re either of the “great minds think alike” or “fools seldom differ” vein on this.
However, I don’t think you can download the program; it’s only available to stream via the bleah Real Audio.
Ike
Jan 22, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Eric–
I felt the wrath of many colleagues when I left news for PR, who claimed I was going to “the Dark Side.”
The fact of the matter is that modern journalism is seldom about “truth,” but more about “the best we can do with limited resources.”
Reporters and editors don’t wait until they have the whole story — just until they get enough. The worst example is the “he-said/she-said” school that achieves balance through mediocrity. As a communications professional (in PR) I am expected to get it right, without being a slave to arbitrary deadlines.
Eric Eggertson
Jan 24, 2007 at 7:44 am
Bob: Yeah, our responses to the show are remarkably similar. I attribute it to the Great Minds theory… You’re right about the streaming. I downloaded a file from the Spin Cycles page, but it was only something that pointed Real Player at the streaming audio.
Still, it’s available for streaming 24 hours, which is better than trying to time your listening around a set schedule.
I had to download Real Player just for this, which shows how out of use the technology is…
Tip of the Hat to the Father of Public Relations
Jun 17, 2007 at 11:08 am
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