What is PR?

Here is a comment I posted on Jay Rosen's site responding to some very strange ideas about the nature and role of PR, icluding one that thought that because PR was used to promote the Gulf War then PR is basically an instrument of war.

"Its a bizarre syllogism

a) PR sells things

b) Some of the things some PR people sell are immoral

c) Therefore, PR is immoral.

Of course, the real story is:

a) Selling (products, services, policies, ideas) is immoral

b) PR is part of the selling process

c) Therefore, PR is immoral

At least in that format the logic works. And its more honest.

You could also argue

a) Information can only be trusted if it comes from an independent source

b) PR is not independent

c) Therefore, information from PR cannot be trusted

This works too.

I expect any journalist I pitch to will check the facts (surely?) and that there are many sources of information (esp. in an Internet age), so I don't have a monopoly

After all, PR people are putting their clients' view, we do not aspire to independence.

The first proposition in the last sequence however raises many questions itself.

What is 'independence' (or, objectivity) and who can claim it? After all, we're all linked to communities, causes and ideologies etc. The idea of a disembodied liberal individual is a myth,which has long since been laid to rest.

Secondly, even if you adhere to the notion of independence why is it the only basis for 'trust'?

I'm a 'trust and verify' person myself. Even if I respect the source, I still want to see the evidence myself, I still want to check the logic that underpins the arguments.

So, as a PR person if I give you a pitch document (media releases etc.) which contains an argument that you can examine yourself and information you can verify and so on. And I don't pretend I'm doing anything other than openly pressing my client's case. What's the problem?

Why do clients use PR agents? Because we are, or should be, very good at constructing and presenting those arguments and that information.

Further, everyone uses PR and PR professionals.

Adam Curry and Dave Winer have been very effective in using the media to promote podcasting. They, especially Adam, have used some classic PR techniques.

Aid organisations use PR. They did so very effectively during the recent Tsunami response.

Left-wing causes use publicists.

Universities use PR, I assume NYU is among them.

Book publishers use PR. I expect O'Reilly used PR to promote Dan Gillmor's book.

Anytime anyone moves past the build a mouse trap view of the world (doesn't work) and starts to promote their idea or service they have entered the world of PR.

Democratic societies are competitions, anyone who succeeds, or wants to succeed, in those competitions uses PR techniques."