A leisurely report on PR Week magazine awards gave New York Observer writer Jason Horowitz an opportunity to explore the changing dynamic between public-relations professionals and the
press. In the old days (meaning anything prior to, say, 2004) there was a symbiosis between the two; neither could do its job effectively without some cooperation from the other. No longer
true. Today, paid flacks can easily skirt newspapers, TV, and radio when trying to get a message to the pubic. The Internet has made that possible, and the development of the blogosphere in
particular has relegated old-line journalists to lesser importance, at least in the minds of some PR specialists. According to Horowitz, they believe that "the erosion of the public’s
trust in bedrock institutions after scandals in government, big business and the press only contributes to the [PR] industry’s success. Without anyone holding a monopoly on truth, the argument
goes, PR people can get their messages across without pesky filters like, say, the news media." It's a troublesome notion, but obviously one that holds currency within much of the
public-relations community. The Observer piece is quite a good read; it will do nothing for the sleep habits of serious news practitioners, however.
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