Use Your Powers for Good, Not Evil

Star Wars is a convenient (and yes, overused) pop culture touchstone. Let me state for the record that I enjoy the movies, but aside from a fascination with Darth Vader in my pre-teen years I’m not one to quote lines from the movies.

Well, okay, except for “these aren’t the droids you’re looking for,” which I say accompanied by a bizarre hand gesture.  Actually I replace the word “droids” with whatever topic the conversation is orbiting, which could be anything from  “delicious martinis” to “diapers” to “male pattern baldness solutions.”

Anyway, one thing public relations professionals have to be keenly aware of is (as the man said in Star Wars) using their powers for good, not evil.

Case in point, Institute of Public Relations Malaysia president Datuk Mohd Hamdan Adnan, who made no bones about it: “Among the negative activities of certain media practitioners are spin doctoring, flacking, astroturfing, opponent defining and fronting. All these can threaten peace and order in the country.”

He continued (source here):

“Presently, almost all organisations require various PR expertise and as such, PR practitioners must have the skills to fulfill that need.”

He said among the benefits from the creation of a Public Relations Profession Act would be recognition and prestige for the profession in Malaysia, monitoring of the practices and developments of the PR profession and industry, and ensuring PR practitioners had acquired the education, and suitable training and experience before being recognised as qualified PR practitioners, in line with other professions that were protected by statutes.

Sounds like the way lawyers and doctors administer their profession in the U.S., eh?

Not a bad idea, especially if you agree that the abuse of information, facts and the warping of motive and intent can be disastrous. In the United States, there is no such governing body for the profession, aside from the purely voluntary standards and codes of ethics as set by the Public Relations Society of America or the International Association of Business Communicators.

Both codes are admirable, forthright and necessary–though completely unenforceable. Just as it was in the Wild West, any modern-day snake oil salesman can sell elixirs with malignant properties across the electronic frontier.  Corporate mistakes can be hidden under layers of spin; governmental lies can be excused by propaganda, customer complaints may be expunged from the “public” website.

This is the way any skilled–and unscrupulous–public relations professional can use their powers for evil. Instead of owning up to mistakes or misjudgments, clients can activate the PR machine and through “spin doctoring, flacking, astroturfing or opponent defining and fronting,” come out smelling like a rose.

It’s easier in a way. Clients who want that sort of thing will love their “PR man” for it. But in the long run, is it the best thing? I mean, is there any doubt among serious minded people that BP’s PR mission was not one of transparency, but obfuscation and deflection? Okay, and just how do you feel about BP?

BP is only one example of the misuse of PR in a culture rife with the warping of facts to turn public opinion. What is the culture of spin doing to our country? Indeed, to our selves?

I am not saying you throw your client to the wolves when the going gets tough–but you don’t take the easy way out and commit lies of omission or commission, either.

What’s hard is to have the courage to tell that high-paying client when they are indeed wrong–when these are indeed not the droids they’re looking for.

If they made a mistake or did harm, clients should be advised by PR professionals that a policy of honesty, contrition and a desire to do better is in their best interests and indeed the interests of society as a whole.

Ultimately it’s the client’s decision, but public relations professionals shouldn’t enable shifts to the Dark Side.