Anyone who has ever watched a cop show is familiar with the “Read ‘em their rights” routine. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you.”
I don’t see any reference to any right to public relations counsel in there. That’s why I was stunned by a Reuters story outlining the “Dream Team” of lawyers, private eyes, and public relations practitioners Dominique Strauss-Kahn is assembling to defend himself against charges of sexual assault. He is, of course, innocent until proven guilty of these charges; however, at best he has a reputation as an outrageous womanizer. Now I understand -and I agree- that he is entitled to all the lawyers and gumshoes his millions can buy, but why would anyone in the reputation business (that’s us, isn’t it?) want to be associated with Strauss-Kahn or this mess?
Occasionally a long-time client is ensnared in some illegal activity, mostly unjustly, sometimes through stupidity, or an act of a rogue employee. In that case we would want to be on the team, although our counsel would likely be dramatically different from what the Strauss-Kahn team is looking for. Sadly, many who fly the public relations flag are happy to work with anyone and follow whatever agenda the folks with the cash are looking for.
Most communications pros recognize their role as a “Canary in the Coal Mine,” on guard to sniff out the slightest hint of reputation damaging activity and roadblock it before it can tarnish our employer or client. However, there are a minority of spin-doctors and worse who bring shame on all the good guys. Unfortunately, a few of the largest firms in the business fall into the latter group.
One of our professional organizations, the PRSA, has the good work it does diminished by its toothless ethics code. They enable the pond-scum that clings to us all to brazenly fly the PRSA flag and puff themselves up showing-off their PRSA issued credentials. Meanwhile the rest of us have to share the same tent and put up with the stench.
What we have in this situation is a 32-year-old widow, struggling to support her daughter on a hotel maid’s income, stacked up against all the guns a multimillionaire big shot can bring to play against her. It’s already started; they’ve put out the word that she lives in an apartment complex reserved for HIV/AIDS folk. Score one for the Strauss-Kahn Dream Team; it’s just the first salvo in the Dream Team’s efforts to demonize this young woman.
Of course no one mentions that she is from West Africa and was granted asylum in the United States; facts that explain the HIV/AIDS issue quite nicely. But still, what chance does she have? At the end of the day, if they are successful in this assault on the assaulted, all those who toil where they might encounter the mighty will be afraid to report future assaults.
Wouldn’t it be nice if one of our discipline’s heavyweights signed on pro bono to act as a truth squad and protect this woman in the media? Wouldn’t they have fun crossing swords with the best that Strauss-Kahn can throw at her?
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