Ridiculous PR and objectivity
Wikipedia requires contributors to write from a 'neutral point of view' and its founder Jimmy Wales discourages edits from PR practitioners because their view is deemed, as paid advocates, to be biased. (There's currently a lively debate on this topic...
Your chance to write for Behind the Spin
Here's what we have planned for the next few months at Behind the Spin, the online magazine for PR students and young practitioners. I'd love to hear from new contributors. Celebrity and entertainment We're welcoming articles on this theme until...
My PR books of the year
Here's a very personal pick of the top five newly-published books on public relations in 2011. 1. Measure What Matters by Katie Delahaye Paine (Wiley) Two books were published by Wiley earlier this year on the important topic of measurement...
Are we mavericks? (to the tune by The Killers)
In an intriguing aside as he presented findings from the PR2020 research, Dr Jon White described PR practitioners as 'marginal, and often mavericks'. By marginal, he did not mean marginalised. He meant operating at the margins - a reflection of...
#commschat: the role of learning
I'm leading a #commschat Twitter discussion later on the theme of learning. What can academics learn from practitioners? What can practitioners learn from academics? How do we all keep up, let alone try to keep ahead? Let's start by addressing...
Lies, damn lies and league tables
Scores matter. At university, we grade assignments as a percentage, and bracket degrees to indicate levels of attainment. In sport, matches are decided by scores and league tables are used to rank achievement. In work, salaries are a numerical indication...
From fashion to politics: new themes at Behind the Spin
Want to break into the competitive world of fashion PR? Then you should get your name out there. Why not write for Behind the Spin? We're looking for articles on fashion PR and entertainment PR for publication in January (deadline...
Why articles don’t get published
We're a friendly bunch at Behind the Spin. We welcome ideas and articles - and even enjoy receiving some press releases. But not every article submitted appears on the site. Here are the top reasons why articles don't get published:...
My thoughts on references and recommendations
I'm often asked to write references - and now so many are on LinkedIn, recommendations too. I'm willing to help, but if you're thinking of asking then here's how you can help yourself first. Here's what I need if I'm...
Hans Christian Andersen on spin and PR
There's one fairy tale I frequently use to illustrate lessons about public relations: The Emperor's New Clothes. Written in 1837, before the modern public relations industry came into existence, it nonetheless can be seen as a metaphor of two contrasting...
CIPR 1 v 0 PRCA
Today's news that the PRCA now welcomes individual members is not a surprise. The PRCA's competitive moves onto the CIPR's territory have been clear for some time. The CIPR has responded with a statement: "We support healthy competition and we...
It’s never wasted (only connect)
It's so easy to have regrets, usually over the things we didn't do. But nor is there necessarily a right way, or a correct sequence, for gaining experience. Here are some of the jobs I've held before working in public...
