COMM 3445 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Endangerment
28 Sep 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
17905 9/21/2018
Principles of Public Relations
John Guilfoil
Does the press have a right to know?
● Adversary does not mean enemy
○ An enemy is something you are trying to destroy
○ An adversary is to be worked with, not against
● If a reporter phrases a question incorrectly, but you know what they mean, do you have an
obligation to tell them the truth?
○ An executive is going to resign on Monday. A journalist asks you on Friday if the
executive has resigned. Can you say no?
■ Yes, you can say that, because it is the truth
■ You are taking advantage of the reporter’s mistake, which might damage the
relationship
■ You can tell the reporter to call you back on Monday morning
○ When you tell a reporter everything they want to know, you become less valuable to
them
■ Control mutuality, make reporters feel special while also making yourself seem
special
● The press generally does not have a right to know:
○ Proprietary information
■ e.g. the recipe to Coca Cola, inventions that are being patented, trade secrets,
unannounced products
○ Personal information
■ e.g. health conditions
■ Government organizations and public companies on the stock market have
some requirements to disclose public information, usually salaries, bonuses,
and stock holdings
○ Information that isn’t fully developed
■ e.g. identifying victims before family has been notified, rumors, financial
projections
○ Information that may threaten security of the company/client/people
■ e.g. travel itineraries
● Security concerns
○ Spokesperson should protect security of the organization and its people
○ Information that could endanger the company or its employees should be protected
Success in Media Relations
● Your ability to communicate determines your success in PR
○ Even if you have a bad product or a serious crisis, good communication skills can help
manage it
○ Speak with conviction and confidence
● Be quick but not foolish
○ Return calls promptly, but only if you have all the information you need
○ Maintain the moral high ground and work on improving relationships
● Know the media
○ Understand the mission of each publication
Document Summary
An enemy is something you are trying to destroy. An adversary is to be worked with, not against. An executive is going to resign on monday. A journalist asks you on friday if the executive has resigned. Yes, you can say that, because it is the truth. You are taking advantage of the reporter"s mistake, which might damage the relationship. You can tell the reporter to call you back on monday morning. When you tell a reporter everything they want to know, you become less valuable to them. Control mutuality, make reporters feel special while also making yourself seem special. The press generally does not have a right to know: E. g. the recipe to coca cola, inventions that are being patented, trade secrets, unannounced products. Government organizations and public companies on the stock market have some requirements to disclose public information, usually salaries, bonuses, and stock holdings. E. g. identifying victims before family has been notified, rumors, financial projections.
