TOMI Magazine November 2012

publicity is good publicity… for the client. Makes you the press writer look like a dud. As a public relations agent, you have a responsibility to the public to tell the truth. Lies only come back to haunt you. They’re also exhausting to keep up with. It’s equivalent to placing a shingle outside your door that reads ‘ Fibber for Hire’. PR agents also have a responsibility to themselves. You may be a press writer, of- ficer, agent but you are also a business. What are you saying about your organization, about your skills, when you lie in your writing? What you are saying is that you are not very good at your job. The idea of a PR agent is to re- lease information about a particular subject like a business, CEO accolades, or news. Not putting a ‘spin’ in order to get interviews and make sales. Whatever is dark will come to light. That means that what you may think you are hiding now will only come out sooner or later. Public Relations firms pride themselves on be- ing able to turn a pumpkin into a coach. Turn- ing the help into prince’s and princesses. That’s what writers ultimately do. Before considering fabricating a story honestly ask yourself: Am I ready for what comes next? If there is public backlash can I get myself out of it? My client may look good or bad. Who’s to say that my reputation won’t be tarnished and I’m done before I start? How do I want to be perceived to the public? Cli- ents? Consumers? From the press agent to the subject matter which can be a music artist, filmmaker, CEO, and the like, both have to be on the same page. Use your talents and abilities to make positive things happen in your life. If you work hard, the opportunities are endless. But if you build soft foundations, plagued with tall tales and untruths? You’re asking for trou- ble. – Tonisha L. Johnson

PUBLIC RELATIONS FABRICATED STORY I RISHACADEMY . COM P UBLIC RELATIONS COURSE 1

Public Relations involves telling the truth. A fabricated story just won’t do. It’s like telling a tale that you just have to keep up with. You have to remember all the ‘stories’ you told to everybody, in every way, each time. Tracking a lie is a job within itself. An entertainment press release is bound to be fabricated. Or let’s just say ‘ puffed up’ a bit. ‘Padded’ if you will. You may also find that your PR agent is as much a liar as their client. How so? Well, who’s writing the release? Who’s putting it out their for you to believe? And even if you do research and dis- cover you’ve been deceived, 9 times out of 10, you won’t call them on it. You’ll just walk away from the story. You have to put both the PR agent and the subject on blast. It’s kind of like a public spanking. How can you, the audience, the public, tolerate being lied to just to garner fame, notoriety or acceptance? Shame on you for not standing up when being told something that positively isn’t true. This is one of those times when doing nothing actually means do- ing nothing. It all starts with the content placed into the release: the facts. A fact is defined as true statements. Not only do you have to sit down with your client and interview them. You, the press writer, have to do the research. Delve into the subject and ask yourself: do I trust my client’s information? Or do I just ‘run with it’ and hope and pray I don’t get caught in a windfall of bad publicity? Funny thing is, bad

NOVEMBER 2012 WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM 44