Holtz Communications + Technology

(c) Can Stock PhotoThe idea of certification or licensing of public relations and communications professionals has been around for decades. Edward Bernays, often referred to as the father of modern public relations, spent much of his life pursuing licensing as a means of elevating PR to “the level of a profession.”

Government control of professional standards through licensing is a bad idea for…

(c) Can Stock PhotoMy weekly recap of some of the stories I found intriguing while perusing my feeds during the last seven days.

Only 8% of U.S. companies aren’t using social media to acquire new talent this year. (These are likely the same companies that block employee online access and maintain a healthy supply of…

Back in 2009, when reporting on financial services company AIG’s image woes, MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow observed that AIG had retained PR agency Burson Marstellar to help with its problems. She then ran down a list of other unsavory organizations that had sought help from Burson, then concluded, “When Evil needs public relations, Evil has Burson-Marsteller on speed-dial.”

There’s a reason Burson gets these calls.…

(Apologies to Tom Lehrer for that headline.)

I follow so many blogs from PR, marketing and advertising agencies that I was taken aback when the headline Agencies Ditch Blogs cross my feeds. The Digiday post by staff writer Jack Marshall suggests that agencies “are increasingly turning their backs on blogs in favor of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and newer kids on the…

FIR co-host Shel Holtz interviews Gerard Corbett, Chairman and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) about the association’s advocacy effort that was launched after the announcement that a U.S. Senate committee would investigate government spending on public relations.

Additional resources:

• Roll Call article about the investigation: “Senators Will Investigate How Tax Money Is Used for Administration Spin”
• Gerry Corbett’s opinion piece published in Roll…

FIR Book Review Editor Bob LeDrew reviews the new book by 5WPR founder, president and CEO Ronn Torossian, “For Immediate Release” (no kidding). The book’s subtitle is “Shape Minds, Build Brands and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations.” From the book description:

“It is essential that businesses know how to communicate quickly, often preemptively, and effectively to survive—and at a cost that is far lower than comparable marketing…