Your previous PR experience sounds interesting. Having a wealth of knowledge in strong communications for banking must be invaluable now.

Vianka has raised an important question for all PR professionals, and you point out something my mentor, the late Don McAllister, APR, made in a white paper he wrote back in the seventies. He said that just as everyone is due the best legal counsel they can hire, so, too, are organizations due good communications counsel. However, he said, public relations practitioners must weigh ethically each and every case they take on because in the court of public opinion they will be judged along with their clients.

Thanks both for visiting TakingAim and for having me at your chapter last month.

I agree these calls are not easy to make sometimes and can seem like no win situations. I worked in banking PR for 13 years, but I didn’t feel an ethical dilemma because bank robberies sometimes occur within branches or, most recently, the fallout from the credit crisis. Granted I worked for one of the more reputable institutions (some others were not as prudent), but I think our task is to always be truthful in representing our clients’ position (as long as their position is honest and not deceptive). A few years ago BP was regularly hiring for PR and public affairs pros along the Gulf Coast. Taking a job like that could have made you unpopular in the community, but does the fact that the company made mistakes mean they don’t deserve to have their story (and the story of how they find solutions/make amends) told? Progress cannot happen without good communication. I’m not saying I could represent Libya and I am not packing my bags for Mexico, but I’m not sure I begrudge Ogilvy for what they are attempting to do. If they make safe travel tips a part of their message, even better.

Thought-provoking topic, for sure.