What is being missed in the heated exchanges regarding the failure of Wal-Mart to disclose ties to seemingly independent bloggers is that ALL public relations programs -- both online and offline -- should face a high level of disclosure. This article examines the issue.
It''s becoming clear just how important search engines can be in helping organizations track and manage issues and proactively work to prevent them from bubbling into full blown crises. However, relatively few troubled organizations are using search engine marketing tactics as part of an issues management strategy.
This article, originally published in the November 2003 issue of Public Relations Tactics, outlines the potential implications of activists lawsuits aimed at limiting corporate speech.
When Salvador Tapia, a disgruntled former employee walked into the Chicago wharehouse where he worked until six months before and killed six former co-workers, we all were reminded how a crisis can hit any organization at any time. As is frequently the case, this tragedy may prompt some organizations to evaluate their own policies and procedures. Unfortunately, the review usually focuses on security rather than on the human elements that contribute to workplace outbursts. If your organization is considering what it can do to prevent workplace violence, I hope you, as the public relations advocate in the room, speak up. Public relations pros have plenty to offer for an organization tyring to assess its vulnerabilities, identify areas for improvement and act on those findings. This is the essence of issues management. Besides, if your organization determines that changes are necessary, the communication initiatives that …
Can you imagine a day when virtually every word communicated on behalf of your organization could be subject to legal review of its accuracy? Depending on how the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Nike Inc. v. Kasky, everything we do as communicators could be deemed “commercial speech.” Why should you care? After all, no credible public relations practitioner would knowingly mislead the public. It’s not that simple. Nike is appealing a California Supreme Court ruling that it can be sued for allegedly trying to mislead the public about its labor practices. The court’s ruling was a shot across the bow of the public relations profession. It indicated that public relations elements – news releases, brochures and letters to editors – ultimately are intended to spur sales and, therefore, are not protected under the First Amendment. If the practice of public …