The Flack

This weblog attempts to shine a brighter light on the subtle role public relations plays in politics, culture, media, business and sports. Through greater transparency, the author hopes to make the profession better understood and perhaps more widely appreciated.

PR blogger Ike Pigott draws our attention today to the outrage over Richard Scrushy’s alleged payola to a reporter from the Birmingham Times, the city’s oldest Black-owned newspaper. “He didn’t think he was getting a fair shake in the media, which is why he hired me,” the writer said in an interview.

While Scrushy is attempting to distance himself from the allegations, the NY-based editor from the British import OK is embracing the practice of accepting PR-offered freebies in exchange for coverage.

“Probably about 20 members of the staff have been on free press trips,” she said. “I’m not actually embarrassed about that.” 

I’ve written in the past about OK’s pay-for-play approach to celebrity journalism. Juxtaposed next to the Scrushy news, I just loved the incongruence of it all.


Posted in People, Richard Scrushy | No Comments »

A Scrushy Wilbanks

Posted by Peter Himler on 26th May 2005

Example
The news yesterday that runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks has been indicted contrasts nicely with word from the Richard Scrushy trial of a possible jury impasse. How might you ask are these two related — other than the possibility that Ms. Wilbanks checked in to one of Healthsouth’s facilities following her marital meltdown?

From a PR perspective, Ms. Wilbanks shunned all interviews and appeared to have little if any in the way of professional PR help. (Her jilted fiance did appear on NBC “Today,” however.) As the facts surfaced about Ms. Wilbanks’ less-than-innocent past, her public image eroded faster than the ice shelf in Antarctica. (Shades of Kobe.) Scrushy on the other hand appeared on “60 Minutes” to proclaim his innocence. In fact, his eagerness to mug before the cameras put even Donald Trump to shame.

Am I saying that Scrushy’s pre-trial posturing led to the possible deadlocked jury or that Ms. Wilbank’s second disappearing act led to her indictment? (Her Crest White-stripped smile only carried her so far.) It’s hard to measure exactly, but certainly worth considering.

Posted in Richard Scrushy, Litigation PR, Runaway Bride | 2 Comments »