The PR Lab

I don’t know if archbishops can be sacked. But surely the Catholic Archbishop of Perth should be, following revelations he lied about complaints made about a Catholic sect.

Hickey initially said he had not received complaints about sexual misconduct in the sect. Today, it transpires he was personally presented a report in 2000 about the sect.

In essence, he lied. An Archbishop lied.

At the end of the day, it was left to a Church spokesperson to handle the flak.

A PR nightmare. Your Prime Minister is in Japan having high-level talks with that nation’s leaders. At the media conference he gets asked about the behaviour of MP Belinda Neal, who allegedly has threatened restaurant staff and also been found guilty of kicking an opponent (while she was on the ground) during a soccer game.

Incredible. What must the Japanese think of us?

Rudd at least phoned her, presumably dressing her down and saying she had to get anger-management conselling. Not good enough in my books. Hardly decisive. But he can’t run the risk of putting half of his cabinet off side.

In reality Neal should be sacked, except that it would only be from the Labor Party and not from parliament – more’s the pity. 

Neal certainly has an image (PR) problem, apart from her behaviour. It seems she has a constant scowl on her face. Her language and intonation sound like they belong on the backstreets of the roughest neighbourhood.

What politicians don’t get it that people want firm leadership. If it was you or I assaulting someone, then allegedly abusing and threatening workers we’d be on a hiding to nothing from our employer and the law.

Honestly. What federal parliamentarian kicks someone when they’re on the ground?

These are the little incidents that mount and can contribute to a government’s undoing. People DO pay attention.

The Australian alcohol industry had the temerity this week to ask the Federal Government to conduct a campaign to educate parents about teenage drinking.

While governments have a role to play in this area, if anyone should be conducting the campaign it’s the industry. They’re the ones making wads of money from the product.

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Matt Hayden does “sit down comedy” (he writes a blog). His irreverent swipes, however,  became national news this week when he said the leader of the WA Opposition may have mishandled a quokka (a small marsupial found on Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth.

While it has nothing to do with PR, it has everything to do with journalism (our close neighbour) and how easily the media is fooled (and how slack they are).

After apologising to Buswell, Matt said: “Now it has become news in the mainstream meeja.  Which I’d say makes the meeja the bloody joke, wouldn’t you?”

The incident highlights how easy it is to pass non-news as news, simply because journalists are too lazy to check their sources.

In a roundabout way, it’s encouraging for (ethical) PR practitioners, as it highlights another trend in the media: that they are becoming so short-staffed there is little time to check stories.

See also http://www.prlab.com.au

The decision by the Australian Olympic Committee to lift the ban on its athletes commenting on sensitive issues during the Beijing Games is sensible.

Why they had the ban in the first place is a mystery, as is why the sudden change of heart.

From a PR aspect, it will mean far less work “putting out bushfires” during the Games.

Denial of free speech never was an Australian “strong point” anyway.

More PR at http://www.prlab.com.au

Once iconic Aussie swimwear company Speedo took a dive yesterday by distancing itself from its Olympic sponsorship … and the ubiquituous Torch Relay, due in Canberra any time now.

Speedo said it only made swimwear and didn’t comment on politics.

It was joined by BHP, which has now toned down its involvement by saying it’s just making the medals.

Most of the companies I’ve already mentioned must be wondering if the negative publicity associated withe the Games is worthwhile. They probably figure “let’s just lay low for a while and the protests will subside once the Games approaches”.

But their long-term reputations may suffer. People will remember; not only for their actual association with the Games, but also for their weak-as-piss responses.

I wonder if these companies would have something to say about politics if they were prevented from operating in China?

Apparently the global PR company Edelman’s latest catch phrase is “authentic PR”. Yep, that’s right. Edelman is doing “authentic” PR (i.e., real, traditional, genuine, significant, purposive, factual – take your pick from my dictionary). Makes me wonder what they’ve been doing for the past umpteen years.

More comments can be found at http://www.prlab.com.au 

The Australian magazine New Idea proved what a lousy publication it is by contributing to the withdrawal from Afghanistan of Prince Harry. Whether it was New Idea or the Drudge Report is immaterial (apparently Drudge picked it up from New Idea). What is important is that the magazine put at risk the lives of not just Harry, but the men he was serving with – all for the sake of … what? Even the British tabloids respected the embargo, which the Oz publication said it didn’t know about. So what?  It’s obvious no one there has any common sense. I propose the magazine be re-named No Idea. Other media comments can be found at http://www.prlab.com.au 

It’s got nothing to do with PR, but it’s got a lot to do with PR. Scepticism.

A healthy dose of scepticism is essential in this day and age. 

Bloody Google invents some flaky course and includes a competition, gets academics to deliver it and, presto, students are devotees of AdWords when they go into the world of commerce.

Am I sceptical? You bet I am. Must be the journalist in me. 

You really have to wonder just what the government is playing at with its supposed response to the Japanese whale hunt in the Antarctic.

The plan seemed positive. To monitor and put pressure on the Japanese. They had a vessel on standby in Fremantle for weeks. But nothing happened … until yesterday. The ship left its berth, bound for … the Garden Island navy base, just 20 or so kilometres away.

Greenpeace reckons by the time the ship gets to the Antarctic the whales will have been slaughtered.

The government’s PR response was pathetic. Three ministers (yes, three) issued a joint statement, which said there was plenty of time to conduct the operation. 

Greens senator Rachel Siewert said it was just “hollow rhetoric”. Couldn’t have put it better. Hollow rhetoric is even better than just rhetoric (which these days is generally is taken to mean spin).

Let’s hope this federal lot don’t follow the path of their NSW Labor colleagues, who mostly do nothing about anything.

This blog also appears at http://www.prlab.com.au