Why Last Year’s Headlines Exposed PR's Fatal Flaws and What You Need to Learn From Them

As we start a 2025, its important to remember that valuable PR lessons came early in 2024.

In the early afternoon of Jan. 2, the New York Times posted on its website, “Harvard President Resigns.” The president, Claudine Gay, had been under intense criticism since her appearance before a Congressional committee in December during which she was criticized for dodging the question of whether calls for the genocide of Jews violate the school's conduct rules. In addition, there were on-going accusations of plagiarism in her academic work. Ms. Gay had received support from many of her colleagues at Harvard but finally resigned after new plagiarism allegations were reported.

My take: For decades I’ve been saying that the best crises communications experts could not prevent criticism from continuing or change the outcome of a situation. And that was the case here. Lesson to be learned: Crises communications experts might delay the inevitable, but in the final analysis if the charges are true, they are no match for politicians and journalists who demand answers and continue the criticism. 

“Small Bits of Data That Set Off Big Investigations” was the headline in the Jan. 5 edition of the New York Times. The article described how “seemingly minor facts and figures” can result in investigatory reporting.

My Take: Prior to disseminating any information to the media, whether it is through a press release, conversation or speech, all facts and figures must be checked for accuracy, because even if the information is entirely correct, a reporter might see the opportunity for a follow-up story. Lesson to be learned: PR people should prepare their client for such an eventuality.

“What Not to Wear to a Job Interview” was a headline of a Jan. 6-7 article in the Wall Street Journal. It described how not dressing appropriately could turn off prospective employers.

My Take: Just as your use of language and your attitude might work against you during an interview, so might the way you dress. Even if you’re interviewing for a position in a “creative shop” you should dress conservatively, meaning a dress, or dark suit, dress shirt and tie and dress shoes, not sneakers. The fact that you know that employees at the shop dress as if they’re on a picnic doesn’t mean you should. Those employees have proven their worth. You haven’t and can’t until you are hired. At Burson-Marsteller, when dress down Friday was instituted, I always kept a sports jacket, dress shirt and tie in my office and always arrived at work in freshly pressed slacks in case I was summoned to a surprise client meeting. B-M’s top management never dressed down on dress down Friday and neither did the clients I met during my surprise calls to meet them. Lesson to be learned: Always dress professionally. It will make you stand out to top management.

On Jan. 11, a headline in USA TODAY read, “Bill Belichick-Patriots split: What we know and what's next for head coach, New England.” The fired coach, arguably the best in the National Football League, who led his teams to six Super Bowl championships, was fired, according to published reports after he refused to resign.

My Take: What you did yesterday is soon forgotten in our business. It’s what you did today that matters. Lesson to be learned: PR people should always do what’s best for themselves because management will always do what’s best for itself. Remember in the final analysis you’re nothing but an employee number.

“Agency Behind Opioid Push Will Pay $350 Million to States,” read a New York Times headline on Feb. 2. The story told how the advertising company Publicis Health falsely promoted OxyContin.

My Take: It’s no secret that certain advertising and PR agencies will promote most any client if the budget is big enough, without considering whether the product or issue will do harm. Lesson to be learned: Just as an entity can be sued for damages, so can a PR person. Always make certain that any press release you issue does not contain information that can be challenged by another company, individual or law enforcement agencies. When a client provides information to be included in a press release, always ask for facts that substantiate the claims.

“New Responsibilities, Same Pay Dilemma,” was the headline of a March 14 Wall Street Journal article about employees who are offered promotions and new responsibilities without an increase in pay.

My Take: During my long career at two major public relations agencies – one for 10 years, the second for nearly 25 years – doling out promotions without a pay increase was not unusual. Instead of additional money, the individuals were offered a meaningless title or larger office. Most often the new title meant supervising others, working longer hours and being the scapegoat if things went sour. My suggestion is to set a time frame when a raise will hit your paycheck and in the meantime ask for a perk. Also if your case is strong enough take it to the head of your agency, as I did the first time I was given a title and new responsibilities without an immediate salary increase at Burson-Marsteller. The response from top management will let you know how much value the agency thinks you bring to the firm. Lesson to be learned: As I’ve often said, PR people should always do what’s best for themselves because management will always do what’s best for itself. Remember in the final analysis, regardless of your title, you’re nothing but an employee number.

“This Ship Is Sinking. Can I Jump to a Client’s?” was the headline of an April 28 New York Times WORK FRIEND column. The headline is self explanatory.

My Take: Employers certainly do what’s best for the company and have no compunction of firing even long-time workers to increase the bottom line. If you are ever in a position to better yourself do not hesitate to do so, because in the final analysis you are nothing but an employee number. Lesson to be learned: Employers expect loyalty from their employees, but the loyalty is not returned, especially in our business.  Do what’s best for yourself because you can be assured that the agency will always do what’s best for itself.

“Questions Potential Business Partner Should Ask Themselves” was the headline on a May 9 Wall Street Journal article. While the article is geared to people starting a new company, many of its rules apply to forming an account group in our business.
My Take: The article brings up questions that should be considered when crafting an account group: What does everyone bring to the table? What does success and failure look like to you? What does your workday look like? Is doing what’s best for the client more important than protecting a 

friend whose work is constantly deficient? Are you a risk taker? These are basic questions that managers should ask of potential group members. 

Lesson to be learned: In my experience, I have found that an account group in which all members are on the same wave length does not produce the best work. Do not hesitate in adding an individual who thinks out-side- of- the- box. It can only help make the account group stronger.

“I do a Better Job, and Yet She Is Winning,” was the headline on a New York Times ‘Work Friend’ column on May 12. The headline is self-explanatory.

My Take: In all facets of life perception is often reality. In the business world top management often does not know the important contributions of low-level employees who have no direct connection with top management. In our business, because of the team concept, management does not know who deserves credit for a job well done.

Lesson to be learned: Taking credit for “my good work” was a complaint that often was brought to my attention by people who reported to me. My answer was that ours is a business that rewards aggressiveness and that a person must not let anyone take credit for your work. I would advise that the individual keep a daily for the file record of contributions and if you feel that your immediate supervisor is letting others take credit for your work you should send me the written proof and I would make certain that top management knows who did what. Another alternative was to send evidence of game changing contributions directly to top management, with cc’s to me and your direct supervisor. (Doing so was encouraged my me.) I suggested those options because on the top of my list that low-level managers did that annoyed me was not giving credit where credit was due because during the first two years at Burson-Marsteller my game changing contributions were buried in the monthly team report. Taking the advice of the manager of an out-of-town office, who told me that if I don’t take credit for my work someone else will, I went directly to top management in person and via written memos. That prevented others from taking credit for my work and I soon started climbing the corporate ladder. 

“The Secret to A Successful Job Search” was the headline on a June 1-2- Wall Street Journal article. It detailed that “Networking is making a comeback as employers drown in computer-generated job applications” and that who you know is again important.

My Take: While who you know is important, there is another way to make certain that you will not be rejected by a machine. Based on my own experience, I believe that a letter sent directly to the ceo or president of a company is an excellent way to apply for a job. By doing that, it is certain to be read by a human being, probably the assistant to the executive, who will either pass it on to the ceo or president of the company or to another live individual instead of it being fed to a computer searching for particular words. Lesson to be learned: Writing directly to top management also shows that the writer has the initiative that many companies are looking for in a new hire. 

“Tech Job Recruiters Think I’m a Dinosaur” was the headline of a September 1 New York Times column telling about how, even though he was not offered a job, an individual’s ideas was used by a company he interviewed with.

My Take: Someone taking credit for another person’s ideas is not unusual in our business. In fact, it’s ubiquitous. Thus, when interviewing for a job, I suggest that you do what I did: When asked why I thought I could help the agency, instead of giving a trite answer I gave examples of how my approach to problems differed from the PR 101 texts. I included examples, but never gave the specifics that made my approach unique, knowing that if I did, it would soon be disclosed agency-wide, lessening my importance to the agency. (Not disclosing my technique sometime had colleagues saying that I was not a team player, but it kept me employed at two agencies for 35 years, while the average employment tenure of team players were only several years.) Lesson to be learned: Never let anyone take credit for your good work. Find a way to let top management know of your contributions. Never depend on a supervisor for doing so.

On the final day of 2024, the Wall Street Journal headlined an article, “Pink Slips Push Many Managers To Rethink Careers.” While the article had nothing to do with the public relations sector, it certainly will apply to our business in 2025 as parent companies push their PR agencies to increase profits and thousands of new communications grads flood the market willing to work for less money than the ones they will replace, which is the norm for our business, known for its high employee turnover.

My Take: Take with a grain of salt any promises made to you by management. Remember the quote in The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli: “The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present,” or the one that I created many years ago: “Do what’s best for yourself because in the final analysis in management’s eyes, you’re nothing but an employee number.” Lesson to be learned: Take whatever you’re told by your supervisor or top management with a grain of salt. Remember the Machiavelli quote, and mine, too.

There were too many headlines to choose from to introduce the story that most reflected badly on the PR industry in 2024. It was when, on Dec. 21, Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni, her co-star in a movie, claiming sexual harassment and a PR campaign to destroy her reputation. 

The Lively-Baldoni dispute provides what is the most important lesson a PR person should remember: Never do anything underhanded. Even though you might think you’re the smartest PR person in the business, there are others who think the same and they have methods of making public what you thought was a PR campaign that would never be exposed.