{"id":120088,"date":"2019-01-09T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2019-01-09T09:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/?p=120088"},"modified":"2019-01-09T16:01:42","modified_gmt":"2019-01-09T15:01:42","slug":"prs-react-to-the-portrayal-of-the-industry-in-radio-4s-media-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/prs-react-to-the-portrayal-of-the-industry-in-radio-4s-media-show\/","title":{"rendered":"PRs react to the portrayal of the industry in Radio 4\u2019s Media Show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week\u2019s edition of Radio 4\u2019s Media Show<\/a> caused outrage across the PR community and many have spoken against it, defending the industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Criticism of the show was that it was an inaccurate portrayal of PR, suggesting the profession was all about publicity stunts and doing anything to get your clients\u2019 news out. The show jumped from making PR sound like a \u2018fluffy\u2019 profession, to calling PRs \u2018bullies\u2019 and \u2018liars\u2019.<\/p>\n

Both the CIPR and PRCA have spoken out accusing the show of misrepresentation of the profession.<\/p>\n

Emma Leech, CIPR president, said: \u2018Public relations is not a dark art. We are not bullies and we are not liars. What we deliver goes far beyond media relations.<\/p>\n

\u2018The truth is tens of thousands of public relations professionals provide ethical and strategic support to businesses of all sectors. We help build trust in organisations by establishing and improving relationships with key stakeholders \u2013 not just journalists. Many aspects of PR such as community engagement, digital communication and internal communication involve no media relations.<\/p>\n

\u2018It’s wholly unfair and somewhat naive to label an industry of 70,000 people as dishonest. CIPR members are bound by the Institute’s Code of Conduct and adhere to the highest standards of professional practice. Media broadcasters have a responsibility to accurately reflect the reality of modern public relations. We have contacted the show’s producers to offer our help with definitions, research and guests for future shows.\u2019<\/p>\n

Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, said: \u2018BBC Radio 4\u2019s show, The Art of Public Relations, was shockingly inaccurate in its representation of the PR and communications industry as we know it today. The fact that the BBC failed to contact the PRCA, the CIPR, or any other valid representative bodies for their insights is bad enough, but to continuously misrepresent PR as publicity is incredibly embarrassing for the broadcaster.<\/p>\n

\u2018PR and communications is a \u00a313.8bn UK industry, with 86,000 people working in it, and growing every year. It is a creative industry and a success story in that it continuously draws in new skills to stay credible and relevant. This is why the show was a huge disappointment.\u2019<\/p>\n

Industry bodies weren\u2019t alone in speaking out, many PR professionals have taken to Twitter to share the truth about public relations:<\/p>\n

\n

For anyone who listened to The Art of PR episode on @BBCRadio4<\/a> The Media Show this week, and would like a real understanding of the art of PR (which isn\u2019t the manipulation and fluffery this episode reinforced stereotypes of) I have some suggested listening:<\/p>\n

\u2014 Lisa Potter (@crystal23tipps) January 5, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n