PR, Spin and (the) PM
We’re all familiar with PR or public relations. That’s a way of making sure you put your best ‘side’ forward in the public arena. ‘Spin’, of course, made notorious in my mind by the first New Labour government in the UK – a way of taking elements of truth which a person wants conveyed, and seeking to ‘make the news‘ and manage the media. Managing the media – making sure everyone including them stays ‘on message’, becomes a crucial tactic in the political battlefield for the hearts and minds of voters.
Politics in this country is not immune to it – in fact due perhaps to the relatively small media community, and the high demand for news, journalism here sometimes lacks the probing analysis seen elsewhere. The results can be favourable for those behind political spin and PR. Perhaps the most notable PR/Spin story right now is John Key’s unwillingness to identify their own advisors in this area.
If it is Crosby Textor, then it’s not surprising they want to keep quiet – Crosby Textor’s reputation isn’t exactly squeaky clean. After the last election fiasco in this country, with National and the Exclusive Brethren getting up to hijinks, one can only hope that there isn’t a pattern of public deception being repeated.
Not surprisingly, Labour are taking the opportunity to attack the way in which National might be using Crosby Textor – although one can’t help wonder what information they are privvy to.
Anyhow, all leads nicely to PM – not Prime Minister, but perception management. What Spin is to PR, PM is to…well…any reality you want to create, really. PM isn’t so much in the business of spinning the truth as it is fabricating it from the ground up. Of taking a notion or an idea, and turning it into ‘reality’ and ‘truth’ before you eyes (retrospectively, one might say that early adverts for cigarettes in which doctors are seen lighting up and the public involved smoking ‘is good for you’ are an example).
Of course, a great deal of this article holds up different spins on the PR machinery’s attempts to tell us ‘the truth as it really is’ or at least case a shadow over one form and a light on another.
The media are really the masters, because unlike our expectations of politicians, so many expect reporting to be free from bias. The reality is this is far from the case. News is a business, and what ultimately counts for media companies is the ‘bottom line’.
In a news saturated world, isn’t it reasonable to adopt a tactic or two to ‘get your message heard’ above the din of the babble of others? Are some tactics more acceptable than others? Is it okay to spin the truth about chocolate (Cadbury’s) but not okay to spin the truth about ‘the things that matter’? If so – what matters?
One of those irritating quote to round off: “It’s not hard to find the truth. What is hard is not to run away from it once you have found it.”
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