Public Relations: Engineering the Truth or Relaying the Facts?
By Natalie Pieper
Nowadays, individuals are ignorant of the manipulation occurring in mass media. Often, the source of this handling is behind the scenes, unknown to almost everyone except those who employ the “manipulators.” In this discussion, I will attempt to uncover how much control public relation firms have over consumers by using a specific and monumental political situation: Nixon’s aftermath.
After Richard Nixon surrendered to the pressures of the public and became the first president in United States history to resign, he made the choice to hire Hill & Knowlton. Now a global public relations firm headquartered in New York City, Hill & Knowlton were tasked with rebuilding Nixon’s tarnished reputation. Although Hill & Knowlton’s name was out of public view, their work was in the limelight. By 1984, Nixon’s image “miraculously” was reclaimed, and his place on the national scene in the public eye was once again restored. The rebranding that Hill & Knowlton made possible was credited to the media sources they had at their fingertips. Articles, public speeches, memoirs, radio, television and phone interviews contributed to the new and improved Richard Nixon.
It is unnerving for me to think that news is monitored by PR firms, whose sole purpose of employment is to promote favorable reputations. Especially when it comes to political situations, the influence media has when one is forming judgments is tremendous. Warped information tends to lead some astray. Ideas and opinions are commonly based off of psychological notions than pertinent facts. Advertising firms combined with PR is a recipe for systematized perspectives aimed at either glorifying or destroying a person’s/company’s reputation.
Whether one gathers their own information to form an opinion or listens to PR backed media, it is crucial to recognize when something is presented as “spun” news. As individuals enter into the advanced technological age of media and public relations, their opinions will begin to be unknowingly formed for them.
In this YouTube video and in our communications book, PR Watch is one example of how firms’ propaganda is monitored.
Think Hill & Knowlton’s biggest cover up case was Nixon? Think again. Whatreallyhappened.com exposes more scandals that Hill & Knowlton were assigned to.
Here is an interesting article about how the Information Age forces public relations to avoid propaganda.
Questions to Think About
1. Do you find comfort in trusting the media, even if possible manipulation is involved?
2. Do you remember any situations where you felt a situation was either swept under the rug from the public eye or “spun” towards a certain perspective? (Ex: Oil spills, POW abuse, political scandals)
3. What is your opinion of PR firms/specialists? From what you know, do you respect their work?
Good point in bringing up Nixon. He has the perfect PR scandal. There are some aspects in the media that can’t be trusted. Of course there’s an ulterior motive behind everything but they aren’t all that bad. In these days, we’re more capable to finding out the truths ourselves, simply because we have more outlets to use. I want to be a PR specialist. I used to work for a PR firm in Las Vegas who represented the governor and different political leaders and on a different level, we had to do dirty work that eventually had to be done. It wasn’t controversial or beneficial to myself or anyone else. Someone has to do it.
I for one will say that you have raised some great questions and awareness as to what is taking place in media over the years. I for one do not trust that the media will tell the truth on any event and they intentional leave information out. I believe with the many shoots that have taken place by cops over the past years there has been grave information left out as to the cause to the shooting. The media immediately paint the victim that was shot as a thug or criminal. Public relations is a field I wish to go in and there are many firms that I honestly can say I respect their work but not all are using moral ethics when it comes to making decisions of who the represent.