Nothing. Squat. Zilch. Nada. No, seriously – there is absolutely nothing wrong with the PR industry.
There’s plenty wrong with some of the people in it, but is that the industry’s fault? No – it’s the person’s fault for being an asshat.
An industry, by definition, is either a collection of businesses, or the building of an idea around something or someone. Not a living, breathing person – but a collective of many things.
So blaming a whole industry for crappy practices is like blaming the complete city garbage removal system because one of your bags got left behind. Shit happens – but it’s people that cause shit, not industries.
Yes, there are craptastic shysters in the PR industry. But that can be said about pretty much every single industry full stop.
Social media (though I’m not sold on tools being classed as an industry) has idiots.
My local pool has an idiot for a lifeguard.
Industries don’t create bad results; or shameful practices; or questionable ethics. People do.
Something to keep in mind when you decry a whole industry and take down the good people that are doing all they can to counter the clueless ones.
