Public Relations Princess

Andrew Cohen's Outrageous Comments About PR Professionals

I cannot remember a time that I was more outraged by a commentary on national TV. Andrew Cohen, a legal analyst for CBS news, was allowed to unleash this vitriolic opinion piece during the highly regarded CBS Sunday Morning.

I watch this show like clockwork every week. You can be sure I'll be watching for an apology to all the hard-working and honest PR professionals whom he completely insulted and berated.

Ya know, I hear an awful lot of lawyer jokes, but I don't repeat them, because I know a ton of great, skillful and ethical lawyers out there. Then again, there are a few bad apples, like the guy I know who was treated to beers by his lawyer the day after his DUI probation ran out. Yep. True story.

The story Cohen refers to here is the supposed loose morals of one Scott McClellan, a press secretary for George W. Bush. Not your typical PR professional in either job title nor fact. Does anyone out there even know if McClellan was ever a member of PRSA? Anyhow, here's the video.

Chris Anderson's PR Rant

Chris Anderson, the author of the critically acclaimed book, "The Long Tail," had a bit of a hissy fit on his blog last week. PR Princess has been very busy getting fitted for a new tiara, so mea culpa, I just noticed Chris' rant.

It seems that he is sick of getting spam from PR professionals. He's right on that account. Anyone who still sends news releases to hundreds of reporters at a time with no attempt to target the messages should be flogged with a wet noodle. Or, I could swat them a few times with my wand. Ouch, that could leave a mark.

However, as the editor of Wired, where he receives the offending messages, he also has a responsibility to provide a system by which legitimate PR pros can get a message to the magazine. If Wired wants to be "invite only" then take the generic email address down.

Here's a solution: Provide the email addresses and beat description for all of Wired's reporters. Let them block the spam themselves. If someone sends them an email that is not targeted, send them one polite warning. Next time, stick 'em on the spam block list.

This is not brain surgery. Wired obviously is sick of the spam, but it's not doing anything proactive to help its readers direct their queries and story ideas. Anderson's solution of posting the offending email addresses online is an unacceptable breach of privacy and something that they would rant about if someone else had done it. Shame on Wired.

I sent Chris Anderson a quick email today to introduce myself, and gave him a virtual hug. He seems like he needs a good stiff drink and a massage. I'll let you know if he gets back to me.