PR: Not What You See On TV

In 1981, the popular TV series Dallas introduced the character Leslie Stewart. Portrayed by actress Susan Flannery, Leslie was a public relations consultant hired by one of TV’s most memorable villains, J.R. Ewing (played by the late Larry Hagman) to improve his image. Given that Dallas was a prime-time soap opera, those who never watched the series can probably guess what type of character Leslie turned out to be.

TV Guide put it best in a 1981 cover story about prime-time soap opera vixens: “… Dallas has now given us the unscrupulous Leslie Stewart, J.R.’s personal public-relations consultant. Leslie is so flagrantly unethical that the Public Relations Society of America has felt called upon to protest her character and condemn her conduct.”

In an interview later that year, Flannery discussed this development: “The Wall Street Journal ran a story quoting the Public Relations Society of America saying Leslie was a discredit to public relations. They said any reputable press agent wouldn’t take J.R. as a client to begin with. It’s ludicrous that any organization would take notice of a character in a television show … Press agents are image-conscious because that’s their bag, and evidently their image isn’t all that impressive. I don’t know many press agents myself but I wouldn’t put anything past them. They’d do anything to make it go, to sell their product, to give their clients a positive image. My character in the show promises to make J.R. No. 1 in Dallas and his company world famous — which she does. She delivers. If you have unlimited friends, you can make anyone world famous.”

Having worked in PR for over two years, I agree with the PRSA’s decision to publicly object to the actions of the fictional Leslie Stewart. Flannery evidently harbored the same misconceptions about both PR itself and the people who work in the field that many TV viewers held in 1981 and continue to possess. From Dallas in the ‘80s to Sex and the City and Absolutely Fabulous in the ‘90s to Scandal and Nashville today, PR and PR professionals are misrepresented on TV.

PR is about much more than promotion and making clients “world famous,” as Flannery said. PR professionals work with people and organizations to create and build a brand using core messages, and find ways to communicate those messages to key audiences. By establishing a brand and generating awareness of that brand, PR professionals help their clients grow their businesses. Contrary to what one might see on TV, PR involves much more than writing press releases, socializing with journalists and attending glamorous parties.

When the PRSA stated in 1981 that no reputable PR professional would take the infamous J.R. Ewing on as a client, it wasn’t throwing a tantrum — the organization was launching a legitimate defense of its industry. PR agencies understand that their clients reflect their values, and as a result they are selective about who they add to their rosters.

For example, Fleishman-Hillard represents many sovereign governments, but the firm declined to represent Libya under Muammar Gaddafi (see previous JCPR blog post). Martha Boudreau, Regional President for Mid-Atlantic and Latin America at Fleishman-Hillard, revealed in an AdAge.com column, “When the Libyan government approached Fleishman-Hillard, we had an internal debate, and declined the assignment because we felt Gaddafi would never be able to fully conform to international norms and standards. The regime’s history and Gaddafi’s reputation gave us serious concerns about his true intentions and plans for the future.”

Similarly, the actions of PRSA members reflect the reputation and brand of the PRSA and the PR industry as a whole. PRSA membership is the PR industry’s Good Housekeeping seal of approval, and as a result, ethical infractions are taken very seriously. The PRSA maintains a comprehensive code of ethics for its members, and retains the right to bar or expel anyone who has been convicted in a court of law or sanctioned by a government agency for actions that violate the code.

The PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values states, “We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.” It also states, “We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.”

The PR field is not the Wild West, nor is it a glamour parade. Contrary to how PR professionals are portrayed on TV, they are part of an established industry with a well-defined purpose and value system — and they deserve to be recognized as such.