Interview With PR Man Max Lamont About Prevailing Negative Stereotypes Of Public Relations In Popular Film
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MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE:
PREVAILING NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES OF THE PR INDUSTRY IN POPULAR FILM AND TV
PREVAILING NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES OF THE PR INDUSTRY IN POPULAR FILM AND TV
Public Relations (PR) is a business drenched in controversy, famous for aiding political parties to power, making some nefarious characters look good and even just shifting large quantities of cans of pop from shelves. Of course the industry is not always so extreme, but the image of PR is rarely a good one in the minds of cinema goers. Deep Focus Film Studies asked Max Lamont, a PR Assistant from a reputable Leeds company, to put in writing why this might be the case.
PUBLIC RELATIONS IN POPULAR FILM AND TV By Max Lamont |
'Since
we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality'
– Nikos Kazantzakis
– Nikos Kazantzakis
It
is the great irony of our business that Public Relations, the
industry dedicated to reputation, is portrayed negatively in the
media. TV and film audiences must be forgiven for thinking the PR
industry is limited to shady political spin doctors and lavishly
superficial lifestyles. If at worse they
don't view PR Officers as the hard-faced, all-business aggression of
In The Thick Of It's
Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi, 2005-2012) then at best it's the
superficial drunk antics of Eddie Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders)
clutching a fag in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other as she
spectacularly stumbles out of a taxi in Absolutely
Fabulous (1992 - Present). Working
as a PR assistant myself, I know only too well that these labels are
passed around far too frequently.
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In
broad strokes the industry has been defined in some literature as 'a
result of everything you do, say and what others say about you. It is
the discipline that looks after reputation and creating mutually
beneficial relationships between an organisation and its publics'.
Film has been described as 'The process or art of making movies'. The
two industries have been comfortable bedfellows since almost the
birth of cinema, working together towards very profitable
conclusions, so why does PR still suffer the reputation of the
unfavourable cousin in so much audio-visual output?
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The answer partly seems to lie in an atmosphere of denial and self-hatred within the film world. Both industries are focused on communication with mass audiences. PR is very much viewed as a business discipline existing solely for getting profitable results where Return on Investment (ROI) is paramount. Film is a business which also concerns itself with these achievements, however movie makers prefer to think of themselves as artists first and business people second. A film that fails to return an investment can still be viewed as an artistic success, while a failed PR campaign brings no acclaim. In fact, even a successful PR campaign is rarely appreciated outside of its own industry. So there is a clear conflict of interests here before we even begin to analyse why these stereotypes continue to permeate the screen.
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Mainstream
Hollywood Film is often seen as a form
of escapism that distracts audiences from the burdens of everyday
life. They transport us to a different world of endless
possibilities and magical happy endings. You'd assume it was the
perfect place for romantic notions of PR to develop, however there is
one major factor which we have overlooked. Incestuously in
conjunction with PR, news media have a tendency to sensationalise
stories to sell newspapers - conflict
and crisis are always more exciting than
a simple disagreement. Therefore when PR is portrayed in media and film it is often exaggerated in a manner which disregards the more positive elements of the industry, a method of reporting the PR world has partly been responsible for encouraging over the years.
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As a result the 'best elements' of the industry are often seen to be driven solely by money and not, like the medium of film, art or any other 'more noble' motives. The likes of Max Clifford and Alistair Campbell in the news have not helped in creating new character types when it comes to fictional film and TV, quite frankly stifling the already slow-paced progress hard fought by many PR practitioners to change perceptions.
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IS PR ABSOLUTLEY FABULOUS?
Take
the series Absolutely Fabulous for example. Jennifer Saunders and
Joanna Lumley star in what is perceived to be a lifestyle of lavish
luxury, superficial personalities and high profile parties.
In the show, Edina Monsoon is a high profile PR agent who
self-indulges with substance abuse and is constantly, almost
desperately, trying to keep up with the latest fads. Adhering to a
typical, and grossly unfair, stereotype of women within the industry,
this series - soon to be a film, also highlights the falsifications
which are often associated with the profession.
Director
Joel Schumacher's Hitchcockian thriller Phone Booth (2002)
doesn't portray PR in a very good light either. The film is a clear
example of a high profile, corrupted publicist 'getting what he
deserves'. Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a PR agent who is not
simply economical with the truth but an outright liar. He tries to
get to the top of the New York PR industry with an arrogant persona
and by fabricating the truth at every opportunity. From being an
adulterer to verbally assaulting a pizza delivery man, no holds are
barred when it comes to the negative representation of Farrell's
character. When the plot thickens and Stu is held hostage in a phone
booth, it is no wonder the audience have mixed feelings about his
fate. Until of course we discover he is being watched by a sniper
rifle, and is then made to be the indirect cause of many violent
murders.
Other offerings only get worse. From a faked war in Watch the Dog (1997) to the immoral practises of Thank You For Smoking (2005), PR seems to be the scapegoat for all things corrupt within big business. |
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GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS
Whether
this is a fair representation of Public Relations within film or not,
I certainly believe that the profession is made out to be something
far different to that of reality. PR has a stigma attached to it.
While the PR industry is changing, along with many attitudes within
it, the media are not reflecting this. The unfortunate standing of PR
in film could most simply be improved if not by giving a pro stance
on it, but at least a fair one. Perhaps if every so often they could
show the good side and not put the emphasis on the more negative
aspects. And believe it or not, the good side does exist. A major
factor to take into consideration is the misconceptions people make
about the PR industry, PR practitioners and those who study Public
Relations. To redress the balance, we should take into account
several points about the profession which are largely missing from
the public conscience:
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1.
PR Serves Well
Public Relations has been pivotal in changing attitudes towards some of the world's most concerning social issues. These have ranged from obesity, road safety, substance abuse and even smoking. |
2.
Looks Worse Than It Is: Image Problem
There is no disputing the fact that in the past Public Relations has been synonymous for bad business practises. The industry has however now changed and businesses are slowly starting to respect the profession as a separate business discipline. |
3.
An Industry With Ethics
You cannot be considered a credited PR professional if you do not have a standard of ethics. Both the Charted Institute of Public Relations and the Public Relations Consultants Association have a code of ethics and morals that members have to adhere to. Also the transparency of information nowadays, due to the expansion of social media and the internet, ensures that if you’re not ethical then ‘bad press’ can go viral in seconds. |
4.
A Fair Employer
Public Relations is an industry which many believe consists either of ‘promo girls’ or a male dominated executive board. Women are fairly represented in the PR sector, which is something that cannot be said for a lot of other professions. Women are a driving force for the industry, including at the top in the boardroom. In the late 60’s and early 70’s there were only 27% of women in the profession compared with a staggering 63% today. Don’t let the likes of Max Clifford’s ill practises be a smoke screen for what otherwise is a credible career path! |
5.
Growing Industry: Helping The News
With the death of print media also comes a cull in journalists. In order to make a business more profitable, journalists now have to work longer and harder hours to achieve results. Public relation practitioners are therefore becoming more and more beneficial to generating ‘news stories’ and forming good working relationships with objective media reporters.
With the death of print media also comes a cull in journalists. In order to make a business more profitable, journalists now have to work longer and harder hours to achieve results. Public relation practitioners are therefore becoming more and more beneficial to generating ‘news stories’ and forming good working relationships with objective media reporters.
Not
all stories involving PR have to cast it as the villain. For the most
part it is neither the unethical, aggressive, ROI-obsessed hard man,
nor the hedonistic, uncaring, constant party-mingler. PR is a tool,
which just like film, can be used for both good and bad, depending on
the user. It would be great to see a film-maker brave enough to
reverse the trend and produce a movie which addressed the imbalance.
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